What do you get when you bring together a long-lost father, a headstrong daughter, and a womanizer convinced that he’s really fallen in love this time? You Never Can Tell! But there’s bound to be fireworks.
In George Bernard Shaw’s classic Victorian satire, a quiet seaside resort is turned upside down by the most laughable of family reunions. Between Mrs. Clandon’s shocking ideas about women’s rights, and her rowdy twins who never stop talking, the family is quite a lot for their long-lost father to handle. But it’s the unexpected romance between the ice-queen eldest daughter and her womanizing dentist that really gets sparks flying.
“So much of what happens in any family is actually hilarious—even when it’s a serious situation—and what I love about Shaw is how he takes everything to the extreme,” says Mark Fleming, a Clayton Heights Secondary graduate now in his final year of TWU’s BFA Acting program. “It becomes this comedy of errors, full of romance and confusion and chaos. And playing a father who’s right at the centre of this whirlwind, I just have to give a shout-out to all you parents out there—I don’t know how you do this full-time, every day of your lives, but you have my utmost respect!”
With its charming mixture of love-at-first-sight, the importance of forgiveness, and the fun of a masquerade ball, You Never Can Tell serves up sunny entertainment for theatregoers of all ages.
Starring Tiffany Choi, Elizabeth Drummond, Mark Fleming, Cody Friesen, Emily Herbison, Audrey Herold, Dillon James, Teagan Plett, Jordan Rendle, William Tippery, Matthew Wigmore, and Shelby Wyminga. Directed by Lloyd Arnett with costumes by Catrina Jackson, lighting by Lora-Lynne Hanley, and set by Ian Schimpf. Stage managed by Charissa Hurt, Tiffany Kanda, and Teagan Plett.
You Never Can Tell runs October 22 – November 2 at 7:30pm Tues-Sat with 2:00pm Saturday matinees. Special pricing on the first Tuesday. For tickets and information, visit www.twu.ca/theatre or call 604.513.2121 extension 3872. For details about the special talkback performance for high school students, email theatre@twu.ca. For sponsorship opportunities, email Diana.Squires@twu.ca.