Review: Offbeat Comedy HARVEY Opens at Edmonton's Walterdale Theatre

At first glance, 47-year-old Elwood P. Dowd seems like many other affluent men. He lives in a cushy urban townhouse, wears three-piece suits, and wiles away his evenings at expensive bars. However, there is nothing conventional about his friendship with his near-constant companion: a 6-and-a-half-foot tall rabbit named Harvey, whom only Elwood can see. 

Harvey is the second production in the Walterdale Theatre’s 65th season. Written in 1944 by Mary Chase, it won the 1945 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and was later adapted as a 1950 film starring James Stewart. The Walterdale Theatre’s stylish adaptation features a top-notch cast, colourful 1940s costumes, and a blend of heart and humour that will linger with the audience long after the final curtain. 

We first meet Elwood’s frazzled sister, Mrs. Veta Simmons (Samantha Beck), and her coy teenaged daughter, Myrtle May (Astrid Deibert). Beyond exasperated with her brother (and his apparent delusion), Veta takes matters into her own hands and brings Elwood to a sanitorium. However, due to a misunderstanding, Veta is instead hustled off to the patients’ ward and Elwood is free to dawdle the streets with Harvey. What follows is a wild goose chase peppered with sarcastic humour and surprisingly poignant moments. 

The show’s 11-person cast is just as vibrant as Elwood’s kitschy, pink-walled home. The kooky character in question is played by the entertaining Thomas Usher. Often, all it takes is Usher’s exaggerated body language and mischievous inflections to earn big laughs from the audience. Samantha Beck also provides comic relief as the high-strung Veta, as does Judy McFerran Stelck as Elwood and Veta’s aunt, Ethel. Other standouts include Sarah Gibson as sanitorium nurse, Ruth Kelly, Lucas Anders as Dr. Sanderson, and Andrew Mecready as Dr. Chumley.

Like its characters, Harvey’s settings come fully alive. Anthony Hunchak’s versatile set transitions smoothly from Elwood’s apartment to the austere sanitorium waiting room and back again. Deb Gunning and Laura Eschak’s costume design brings additional 1940s flair, as do the interludes of old-timey instrumental music. Though Harvey provides an amusing escape from real life, it brims with universal themes including empathy, family, and belonging that will resonate with modern audiences. It runs at Edmonton’s Walterdale Theatre until December 16.  

Photo: Left to Right, Gary Goulden, Samantha Beck, Astrid Deibert. Taken by Scott Henderson, Henderson Images

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