Hop on the Greyhound and take a trip into the Rockies of creator and performer Tiffany Thomas’ mind with The Rocky Mountain Special. A delightful mix of original songs and storytelling make The Rocky Mountain Special a one-of-a-kind journey. So grab your bag and your guitar, and a spare scuba tank if you’ve got one, and head over to Buddies in Bad Times Theatre for an unforgettable experience.

The Rocky Mountain Special feels like a dream, with one segment flowing into the other or skipping back and forth seemingly all of a sudden. This wild fantasy takes the audience from Calgary to Vancouver, where Tommy, our narrator, is going to try and find their birth mother. Between songs, Tommy and their companion Zach (who looks suspiciously like an older Tommy) talk about evening from belonging to identity, ancestry to what the future is like. They sing songs to one another as they travel, and manage to find out a little more about themselves in the process.

I really enjoyed the focus on identity and belonging in this play because it functioned on so many levels. Not only is creator Tiffany Thomas a trans woman, she’s also adopted, creating several layers of identity which she’s struggled to unravel. She openly discusses in the play how the struggles she’s encountered surrounding her heritage as well as her gender identity, and it was very moving to have her be that vulnerable with the audience. It allowed for a deeper sense of connection and empathy with both Thomas and her character.

Another element I really enjoyed was how meta-theatrical The Rocky Mountain Special is. There are references to Thomas’ other characters from previous works as well as those works. But it also references her wanting to make a dream-like memoir for the stage which is, of course, what we’re witnessing. It’s certainly a testament to the wit and humour of the creator and dramaturgical team.

Anna Dalgleish’s set design is simple and perfect; a lone bus seas sits on stage, with the road affixed to the wall behind. We know that we’re in for a road trip from the moment we walk in, and yet the set still had a surprise or two in store! I also loved the vintage-looking mic that Thomas uses for the songs throughout the performance. Considering the slightly vintage feel of her costuming and the fact that we’re on a Greyhound Bus, it fit in perfectly.

Tiffany Thomas is radiant in this production. You can tell from the moment it begins that she’s put her heart and soul into creating this play. I love that she not only played multiple characters but then sang songs as those different characters as well! She’s so talented both in writing the dialogue and the music, and The Rocky Mountain Special is so clearly close to her heart.

The Rocky Mountain Special isn’t in town for long! It closes on November 19th so you’ll want to snatch up those tickets quickly. This is a unique, heartfelt production you won’t want to miss! For more information and tickets, visit: https://buddiesinbadtimes.com/show/the-rocky-mountain-special/

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Cover photo of Tiffany Thomas by Jeremy Mimnagh

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