Review: DAS DING Personifies the Increasingly Globalized World

The North American premiere and translation of Philipp Löhle's ambitious comedy DAS DING is now playing the Berkeley Street Upstairs Theatre. A coproduction between Canadian Stage and Theatre Smash, DAS DING follows the unlikely journey of a thing - in this case, a small cotton fibre - as it travels the world through interconnected narratives. These stories link together to demonstrate the increasingly globalized world through the eyes of this small cotton fibre. Funny, thought-provoking and clever, DAS DING is worth taking a closer look.

Following the narrative of a young Canadian married couple Katherine and Thomas (Lisa Karen Cox and Kristopher Bowman) to Patrick, an unlikely photographer touring the world on his successes (Phillip Nozuka) to a Chinese entrepreneur (Qasim Khan) to an African farmer (Naomi Wright), DAS DING follows these short, inter-connected scenes as they piece together the narrative of this thing. While seemingly disjointed at first, Löhle's clever work ties up loose ends in this truly unique piece of theatre.

This thing is brought to life on stage with a gigantic wooden frame that is intricately crafted to morph and take on different shapes. As it spins and travels across the stage, the ensemble cast interact with the thing. Each of the actors take turns narrating the scenes and personifying the thing across its journey.

Kristopher Bowman is a stand out as his confidence and aura translates into the multiple characters he takes on. Of the actors, he felt most at ease and most comfortable in the challenging setting of this fast-paced production. Phillip Nozuka also added charm with his innocence and light-hearted portrayal, keeping in line with his strong reputation he's developed with various productions in the city.

The roughly 85-minute production flew by, as audiences caught glimpses of these narratives in short scenes, while trying to piece together and understand the purpose of this giant thing on stage. While not perfect, DAS DING captivates and is one of those you-have-to-see-it-to-understand type of plays.

DAS DING is playing at the Berkeley Street Upstairs Theatre until May 1, 2016. For tickets and more information, visit canadianstage.com.

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