Film/TV

‘Terminus’ shocks and delivers

Adam Kenneth Wilson Photo: Nick Blais
Adam Kenneth Wilson
Photo: Nick Blais

By Jessica Dionne for Curtains Up (@maccajess)

Take a stroll through the underworld of Dublin where jealousy, resentment, loneliness and insecurity reign; where the forsaken and the left behind wander; and where the stories of three seemingly normal yet deeply troubled individuals take shape and intertwine in dark and supernatural ways. Terminus, told in classic storytelling fashion, is a lyrical masterpiece. O’Rowe tells an incredible tale through vivid imagery that both intrigues and terrifies.

Centaur Theatre promised their season would shock and with Terminus, they’ve finally delivered.

The minimalistic set design lends itself particularly well to a play that is meant to take place both on stage and in the imagination. Despite the fact that the show takes a gruesome and violent turn, the wonderful use of language makes the audience question their own judgements and morality after the characters they now sympathize with turn out to be shady, murderous, and downright psychotic.

Sarah Dodd Photo: Nick Blais
Sarah Dodd
Photo: Nick Blais

Praise must go to all three actors for their Irish accents and ability to rifle off the lyrical verses with minimal stumbling. Sarah Dodd, however, absolutely stole the show in my opinion with her portrayal of a woman who gets caught up in a dangerous search for a former student looking to terminate her pregnancy.

With the exception of a few funny moments, there was not so much steady laughter as uncomfortable noises emanating from the audience as they shifted in their seats trying to decide which character and storyline made their stomachs flip the least.

Expecting a dark comedy a la Martin McDonagh, I was left disturbed and slightly unsatisfied with the turn of events and lack of humour, but I can’t knock the incredible storytelling and performances. Be forewarned; It’s not for the faint of heart, and it definitely won’t be everyone’s cup of tea (or whiskey), but it is disturbingly entertaining. There may be limited visuals but it stirred my imagination to the point of having to bow my head in disgust on several occasions in order to escape the horrific events being described on stage.

Terminus runs from now until February 15th at Centaur Theatre. For tickets, visit centaurtheatre.com or call 514-288-3161.

 

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