When Pacific Theatre mounted The Foreigner two years ago, the show was designed for the Vancouver company's unique alley-style stage that splits the audience.
But when it came time for the Jessie award-winning production to tour the Lower Mainland, director Evan Frayne had to rethink how the farce could work for bigger front stages such as the one at Evergreen Cultural Centre in Coquitlam, where it's running this week.
"I think the show is meant to be done on these kinds of stages," Frayne said. "We had some success at Pacific Theatre but I'm really excited to get a chance to work on these larger, open stages."
Frayne and the original Pacific Theatre cast - which includes Jessie Award winners John Voth, Peter Carlone and Erla Faye Forsyth - started their tour on Feb. 18 at the Surrey Arts Centre. It played on Monday at Capilano University and, after their Coquitlam dates, will head to Mission, Chilliwack, Burnaby and Maple Ridge.
Since its first run at Pacific Theatre, where Frayne was once an apprentice, the director said the show has evolved significantly. "Now we're all a year-a-half in our practice and the actors have gotten better and I've gotten better.... There's more maturity in the show."
Written by Larry Shue, The Foreigner centres on Charlie, an exhausted and painfully shy visitor from England who tries to take a break at a rural fishing lodge in Georgia. His friend, who leaves him there, tells the lodge host that Charlie is from a foreign land and doesn't speak English. In turn, Charlie is bombarded with an earful of comedic - and rather insensitive - remarks from the other resort guests who believe he can't speak their language.
The Foreigner by Pacific Theatre is a presentation of the Arts Club Theatre on Tour and runs until Saturday (a matinee has been added for Friday at 4 p.m.). Tickets at $39/$30/$15 are available by calling the box office at 604-927-6555 or visiting online at evergreenculturalcentre.ca.
