O Solo Monster

by Amy Barratt

A one-man show, opening--and closing--next week at Quat'Sous, is surely one of the weirdest events of this theatre season. An English-Canadian play--Monster, by Daniel MacIvor and Daniel Brooks--is being performed, in English, at an important French-language house.

Nova Scotia-born, Toronto-based playwright MacIvor performs the piece himself, playing at least seven different characters. One of the most successful productions to date of the MacIvor-Brooks company Da da kamera, Monster has been performed as far away as Australia and Norway, and arrives in Montreal straight from Tel Aviv. MacIvor plays that have been produced in Montreal in recent years include See Bob Run, Never Swim Alone and House. Brooks co-wrote (with Guillermo Verdecchia) Insomnia, a stomach-churning tale of middle-class Toronto angst seen at last spring's Festival des Ameriques. Monster, which centres on a 14 year old who murders his father, promises to be in a similar, disturbing vein.

At Théâtre de Quat'Sous, Dec. 8-12, Wed-Sat at 8 p.m., Sun at 3 p.m., $16-23; 845-7277.

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