East Coast music and imagination are on stage at the whimsical Winter Garden Theatre in Terra Bruce Productions’ The Wild Rovers. Using the music of Irish-Canadian band The Irish Rovers and bringing to life the magic of their television show, The Wild Rovers is a wild trip into a fairy tale world where anything can happen. Brimming with fun music, and a twisty-turny plot, The Wild Rovers is certainly an adventure!
The Wild Rovers follows a band of the same name on a fantastical journey to a magical world of feuding royalty, dragons, pirates, and mysterious treasures. Throughout their journey, they sing songs made popular by The Irish Rovers, including their first hit “Unicorn.” Through the trials and tribulations they face to find the secret weapon of the Athunian people (not to be confused EVER with the Ethunians), the Prince and Princess fall in love, creating peace and prosperity for their kingdoms. Personally, it felt to me like an extended Dungeons and Dragons campaign: the narrator was driving the action like a Dungeon Master, and there were times where the characters almost looked surprised that it was their turn to participate in the scene. I know it wasn’t improvised, but it somehow had that feeling to it. I did love how metatheatrical the script was, often calling attention to itself as a play, or to the oddities of the script (like how Athunia and Ethunia were pronounced the exact same way) throughout the performance. While it certainly captures the semi-chaotic playfulness of the Irish Rovers’ television show, it had a less-than-polished feeling for a main stage show at the Winter Garden.
The set was simple, and I absolutely understand why; our focus and imagination was to be used on the story. However, some of the props used during the show left a little something to be desired. I understand that this is meant to look like a children’s show, so having the van made out of a cardboard box is reminiscent of how kids can make cardboard into literally anything, but it could have been a little more impressive if the box was painted in some way to look like the van they’re driving. I also loved the puppetry involved with the dragon’s tail, but it looks like there was a more impressive version for the St. John’s production which can be seen in their promotional videos. While it’s understandable that something may have happened in transit, it’s just a shame that we didn’t get the full visual for our production. I also really loved the moments with the shadow puppetry, and I think that could have been used even more throughout the production to help us understand the places we were visiting.
My favourite element was that the band was live on stage AND they had a conductor on stage with them. The interactions between the musicians and cast were lots of fun; it added a whole other character to the play. It was delightful to see the cast members pick up a cardboard version of an instrument and then see the musician behind them playing the real thing; another example of the childlike imagination that went into this production. The songs themselves were great fun, from the ones you know like “Unicorn” and “Drunken Sailor” to unknown but catchy tunes, you certainly get that East-Coast Kitchen Party feel from these songs.
The cast of The Wild Rovers fully embodied the wonder and fantasy of the play, but there were a few stand-out performances. Sean Panting plays Maggie, the narrator and is hands down the backbone of the production. His backpack is as large as his personality, and he certainly shines in this role. Philip Goodridge’s comedic timing was fantastic, and I thought Julia Dunne’s voice was impeccable. Nicole Underhay and Melanie O’Brien certainly made the courtly aspects of the show fascinating, and Underhay was also fantastic as the Dragon. Liam Lynch certainly got the most laughs as Roguish Rick Castley; he played into the dumb-but-gorgeous guy stereotype perfectly. They certainly do look like they’re having a great deal of fun bringing this story to life!
The Wild Rovers is definitely a family event: nostalgia for the older generations and a fun-filled magical adventure for the younger ones. I hope that this play continues to be refined and polished after its Toronto run; I think it has the potential to become a household favourite, but it does need some fine tuning. Don’t miss your chance to see this show before it closes November 5th. For more information and tickets, visit: https://terrabruce.com/the-wild-rovers-musical/
Cover photo by Ritchie Perez
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