Review: AFTER THE RAIN at the National Arts Centre

After the Rain, a new Canadian musical written by Rose Napoli and Suzy Wilde and presented in Ottawa by the National Arts Centre’s English Theatre, is an earnest show with a commitment to emotional realism and character‑driven storytelling.

This autobiographical musical centers on Suzie (Annika Tupper), a struggling songwriter living in the shadow of her parents’ success. Her parents, Ashley (Andrew Penner) and Jean (Chilina Kennedy) are in Evans Stone, a “Canadian-famous” band, and are about to embark on a tour, while simultaneously trying to make a new album. When Suzie impulsively takes on a mature piano student named Donna (also played by Kennedy), their relationship becomes a catalyst for family tensions and personal revelations.

David Boechler's stage design is as flexible as it is understated. Flanked by windows on opposite ends of the theatre space, a nondescript platform in the center cleverly lifts up to transform into a piano when needed. Otherwise, the show relies on the audiences’ imagination to become whatever it needs to be: the band’s studio space, a concert venue, and even a rooftop. This simplicity helps to keep the focus on the performers. The small size of the theatre, together with the audience being seated on either side of the stage also adds to the intimacy of the musical. After the Rain is unique in that, since the story centers around a band, the actors are also musicians and play instruments within the context of the show. The lighting design (Logan Raju Cracknell) is used to shape the mood and signal emotional shifts, using warm tones during moments of vulnerability and cooler tones during conflicts.

After the Rain blends a folk and country based score that reflects the generational divide between Suzie and her parents. Songs are often used to explain the emotional state of the character and are well written and catchy, if not particularly memorable. The repeated use of Erik Satie’s poignant Gymnopédie No. 1, the only song that Donna wants Suzie to teach her, functions as the show’s anchor piece. The absence of traditional showstopper-style musical numbers appears to be intentional; the result is a show that that feels sincere but sometimes struggles to build momentum.

Cast performances in After the Rain are marked by consistent attention to emotional detail and nuance over overt theatrical display. Tupper perfectly captures Suzie’s vulnerability and anxiety from being torn between loyalty to her parents and following her dreams. Tupper allows Suzie’s uncertainty and frustration to surface gradually through shifts in posture, timing, and vocal restraint instead of through emotional excess, which makes her performance feel incredibly authentic.

Penner and Kennedy also bring credibility to their relationship, which is shaped by both their artistic partnership in the band and unresolved tension. Penner’s Ashley carries the confidence and bravado of a musician still tethered to past success, while Kennedy nails Jean’s desire to prove her own talent instead of being second fiddle to Ashley Evans. Kennedy’s dual casting allows her to portray two vastly different characters, which appears effortless, but must be so difficult, which is a testament to Kenndey's talent.

Supporting performances from Joe (JoJo) Bowden, Steve Maloney, and Shaemus Swets contribute meaningfully to the show’s sense of ensemble and reinforces the feeling of a band (or family) that stays together perhaps more out of habit than from genuine affection.