The next world premiere from Factory Theatre’s season is The Waltz, written by Marie Beath Badian and directed by Nina Lee Aquino. A sequel to her 2018 work Prairie Nurse, audiences now get to experience the next generation as they talk about their parents, the past, and how that’s shaping their lives in the present. Charming, funny, and brimming with 90’s nostalgia, The Waltz is a delight from start to finish.

            The Waltz is a brilliant two-hander, starring Ericka Leobrera as Bea Klassen and Anthony Perpuse as Romeo Alvarez. I absolutely loved that Bea right away commented on Romeo having a famously Shakespearean name, meanwhile she has an equally famous one with Beatrice! The actors have such a dynamic chemistry, it feels electric out in the audience. Both of them were outrageously funny; there were times where I think I might have missed a line because I was still laughing at what had happened prior. The whole audience was in fits of laughter throughout the performance. Bea’s saucy attitude mixed with Romeo’s attempts to be cool (but not today’s kind of cool, 90’s cool) made for delightful verbal sparring. Their growth and progression over the course of the show is beautiful, and it certainly leaves you feeling hopeful for their futures.

            The Waltz is a spectacular piece of Canadiana too. With Bea having grown up in Saskatchewan and Romeo here in Toronto, listening to them compare their upbringings and make very specific references to their hometowns was joyous. Bea correcting how Romeo pronounced Saskatchewan, Romeo making jokes about U of T Scarborough, it was all a riot. Ad in the 90’s nostalgia of boom boxes, CD cases, boy band haircuts, and oh so many more, I can honestly say I don’t think I’ve ever heard an audience laugh and cheer like we did at The Waltz. A special shout out to the Choreographer Andrea Mapili; having also watched “The Sound of Music” more times than I can count (must be a 90’s kid thing), I just want to say that I see what you did there, and it made me tear up a bit. The writing is so smart, the delivery by the actors is perfect, and all of it is accompanied by such gorgeous design; it’s what theatre’s all about!

            Make sure you get your tickets for The Waltz at Factory Theatre ASAP! You won’t want to miss this witty, engaging production; I promise you, 70 minutes have never flown by so quickly! For more info and tickets, visit: The Waltz — Factory Theatre

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Photo by Dahlia Katz