Lighthouse Festival is getting ready to bring laughs, romance and a little mystery to the stage with Norm Foster’s The Love List.
The production opens, August 26, at Lighthouse Festival in Port Dover before heading to Port Colborne, where performances begin September 16.
Directed by Lisa Horner, the comedy centres on two women talking about the qualities that would make up the perfect man. From there, the story takes an unexpected turn, leaving the characters. and the audience, wondering what is real and what isn’t.
Horner says that mix of everyday conversation and unexpected situations is part of what makes Foster’s work so popular with audiences.
Horner says Foster also has a knack for writing about friendship, romance and the kinds of conversations people recognize from their own lives. She hopes audiences can see a little of themselves in the characters on stage.
For Horner, bringing those laughs to life as a director comes down to finding the right rhythm.
Horner has spent much of her career as an actor, but began moving into directing about two-and-a-half years ago. She says directing gives her the chance to use a different part of her brain and look at the entire production instead of focusing on just one character.
Lighthouse Festival’s newly appointed artistic director David Leyshon also knows Foster’s work well. He says one of the playwright’s strengths is creating characters and situations they know.
Leyshon says that relatability is combined with sharp jokes and theatrical elements that add some magic and mystery. He also believes the best comedy comes when actors take their characters and circumstances seriously instead of simply trying to get a laugh.
That approach is something Horner is working to capture in The Love List, while also keeping the production lively and visually interesting.
Leyshon says the story has a wider appeal than its title might suggest, touching on experiences and conversations that should be familiar to many audience members.
With its combination of friendship, romance, relatable characters, mystery and Foster’s trademark humour, Lighthouse Festival is hoping The Love List gives audiences plenty to laugh about while keeping them guessing along the way.
Written by Jeremy Hall
