Review: THE SPITFIRE GRILL at Kanata Theatre

Kanata Theatre’s second offering of its 2025-2026 season is The Spitfire Grill, a musical adapted for the stage by James Valcq and Fred Alley, based upon the 1996 film of the same name. The setting is the fictional Gilead, Wisconsin, a small rural town that has fallen on tough times since the closure of its quarry. It is now a place that people choose to leave, not go to. In the Bible, “Gilead” refers to a place of spiritual redemption and healing. In this vein, Percy Talbot (Gillian Doiron), a young woman newly released from prison, arrives in Gilead with hope for a second chance. Her arrival at the Spitfire Grill, the struggling (but only) diner in town, sparks rumours, distrust, and an unconventional plan to raffle off the diner.

Kanata Theatre’s production, directed by Clare Flockton, shines with its attention to detail and atmosphere. Kanata always impresses with its stage design and the design for The Spitfire Grill (Dean Flockton) is no exception. The set captures the rustic charm of a small-town diner. With its worn textures, muted colour palette and accents on the walls, the set feels homey, grounding the narrative in a tangible reality.

The scene transitions are smooth and unobtrusive, keeping the pacing tight and the audience engaged. The creative team also makes minimal, but effective use of the theatre’s side-stage screens, adding some depth to the set without overshadowing the action on stage. This is a delicate balance that Kanata Theatre has sometimes struggled with, so its success in this production deserves special mention.

The cast delivers performances that are both sincere and emotionally resonant. Percy’s vulnerability, masked with toughness, anchors the story, while Hannah’s (Maureen Quinn McGovern) gruff exterior gives way to gentleness. The supporting characters Shelby (Shannon MacDonald), Joe (Ryan Mendoza), Effy (Julie Heath), and Caleb (Shawn Batten) bring humour - and a touch of chaos! - to the story. The cast’s chemistry makes Gilead feel more like a real community than a backdrop.

Doiron brings a compelling mix of resilience and fragility to the lead role; she perfectly captures Percy’s longing for redemption along with her guarded optimism. MacDonald offers a sweet and understated performance as Shelby, providing a fitting counterbalance to Percy. Mendoza handles Joe’s transformation from apathy to a more understanding nature with conviction.

Where The Spitfire Grill falters is in its score (music by James Valcq and lyrics by Fred Alley). Despite Doiron’s vocal ability and commitment, the songs are uninspired, repetitive and lack the dynamic range needed to enhance the emotional depth of the storyline.

Overall, Kanata Theatre has mounted a thoughtful and heartfelt production of The Spitfire Grill, overcoming the limitations of the source material with strong design choices and compelling cast performances. If you value storytelling and character-driven drama, you should enjoy The Spitfire Grill with its heartwarming themes of hope, strength, and forgiveness. Just make sure you go for the story, not the music.

Ottawa Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. NEXT TO NORMAL (Elevator Theatre Company)

12.9% of votes

2. LEGALLY BLONDE (Carleton Musical Theatre Society)

10.6% of votes

3. THE PROM (Suzart Productions)

10.4% of votes

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