Review: The World Premiere of CICADAS at the National Arts Centre

The world premiere of cicadas, co-produced by NAC English Theatre and Tarragon Theatre, had its heavily anticipated opening in Ottawa this week. cicadas is unlike anything I have ever experienced in a live theatre setting before. First of all, the show takes place in the future; the setting is Toronto in 2032. Janie (Monica Dottor) and Trim (Ryan Hollyman) are house hunting in the Trinity Bellwoods neighbourhood when they visit what seems to be Janie’s dream home; it even smells like the strawberry rhubarb pie her mother used to bake! Despite a cryptic warning from the real estate agent (Ellora Patnaik, who brilliantly plays multiple characters in the show) Janie and Trim offer to buy it on the spot. The only problem is that the warning is justified... this house has a deeply buried secret. Despite co-creators David Yee and Chris Thornborrow giving the script a fair amount of humour, make no mistake: this play is a thriller. It has everything from mysterious disappearances, a sinister presence, and a painting that seems to change at will. Thanks to Nina Lee Aquino’s direction and effective lighting by Michelle Ramsay, the tension builds steadily throughout the first half, peaking right before intermission. The second act builds on the first until the play reaches a satisfying finale, or at least as long as you can suspend belief and don’t mind a couple of unresolved plot threads.

What is also unique to cicadas is the fact that the show is complimented by live orchestrations. The play and score were written together and, thus, the music is deeply woven into the material and ebbs and flows with the story. When the basement door opens, the audience even gets a little peek at the orchestra who would otherwise remain hidden from view.

With only three performers and an emotionally driven script, the actors need to be at the very top of their game to be convincing. All three cast members give outstanding performances (with an extra special nod to Patnaik, who embodies multiple characters with very different personalities throughout the show). Janie’s agonizing shriek and Trim’s palpable grief expressed through body language in one particular scene are utterly heart wrenching, testament to the Dottor and Hollyman's skill.

The set and costume design, both by Jawon Kang, are minimalist and unassuming. If the script did not specifically state the futuristic time frame, it would be impossible to determine this from either the costumes or the set design. This deliberate ambiguity allows the space to represent different areas of the house, as well as to accommodate certain flashback sequences without disrupting the flow.

While the story feels a bit disjointed as its path deviates from suspense-driven drama to a statement about climate change, what cicadas does incredibly well is building its nail biting suspense, creating spine chilling effects, and even providing a jump scare or two. By the second half, the audience is entirely vested in the outcome and having no knowledge of  how events will unfold adds to the thrill of the moment. If you love a good thriller, definitely go see cicadas.

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