‘Treasure Island’ comes to WMCA

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This article was published 31/10/2024 (551 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

If you’ve never read the coming-of-age story of Jim Hawkins and his wild journey in the search for pirate treasure — as laid out in Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic tale of “Treasure Island”— now’s your chance to right that little wrong.

Just maybe leave the rum at home.

Looking Glass Theatre’s hit stage adaptation of Stevenson’s most famous work sails into the Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium on Friday for a single evening’s performance here in Brandon. And according to co-artistic directors Marc A. Moir and Laura Kathleen Turner, this production is great family fare.

“It’s a very, very fun family-friendly night out,” Turner told the Sun. “There’s lots of music, there’s lots of comedy, there’s lots of action on the stage. It’s really a show geared towards families, so we know that adults will enjoy it just as much as the kids. It’s really quite a fun adventure.”

As you may notice in the poster for the travelling production, Turner has taken on the role of Jim Hawkins.

“It’s one of those theatre things where a woman always plays Peter Pan, and a woman always plays Jim Hawkins,” she said.

Moir, who takes on the dual roles of Long John Silver and Billy Bones, is no stranger to the stage here in Brandon. Earlier this year, Moir brought his acclaimed work “Padre X” to the Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium, breathing life into the formerly unknown story of Capt. John Weir Foote, the only chaplain to win the Victoria Cross during the Second World War.

“Treasure Island,” on the other hand, is a far more light-hearted and adventurous tale, filled with dramatic sword fights and captivating storytelling.

For the stage actor, bringing Billy Bones and Long John Silver to life has been less a challenge and more of a treat.

“Creating a distinction between the two characters has been one of the most fun things for me,” Moir said. “Billy Bones, who’s this wonderful character part, versus Long John Silver, who’s this sort of anti-hero leading man. And so focally and physically, it’s fun to find those distinctions, and that’s really where I’ll approach in preparation, too.

“What do they walk like? What do they talk like? How do they sit? How do they interact? And so in the case of Billy Bones, it’s like … he’s this drunken, washed-up old pirate. And so I made him basically, you know, a Scotsman who had a stroke. My goal tomorrow for Billy Bones is to make everyone as uncomfortable as humanly possible, and I hope I achieved it.”

In the case of Long John Silver, Moir says he’s a character who’s very complex because he is a survivor.

“He’s a chameleon. He will be whatever it takes, all things to all people to survive and get what he wants,” Moir said. “And so he can be incredibly charming and incredibly kind, and he can also be incredibly vicious and cold, and so manipulative.”

Moir and Turner have both been acting for several years — more than 20 years for Moir, and Turner since she was three. And for 15 of those years they’ve been working together on stage.

In an interview earlier this year with the Sun’s sister paper, The Carillon, the duo said that the creation of Looking Glass Theatre — which is based in Steinbach — is a dream come true, allowing them to take control of their own destiny.

Several months on, that dream has only grown, along with the applause.

“Everyone who has come to our shows have just been so effusive with how much they’ve enjoyed the performances,” Turner said. “They really make us to feel quite good about ourselves, you know.

Moir notes that there are some excellent musicians and singers in the seven-member cast of “Treasure Island,” with the music providing fund transitions while moving the plot along.

“Previous audiences have loved the music and physical elements of the show,” Moir said, noting memorable moments from previous performances. “There was one night, during one of the songs, that the entire audience got their phones out and waved them in the air with their flashlights on. That was special. Another night, we saw a little girl dancing with her mom in the aisle during all the music.”

One particular fight scene, Moir said, “has gotten cheers from the audience every single time.” Such reactions underscore the company’s unique approach to family-friendly theatre, blending high-energy action and dynamic performances that invite audience participation and engagement.

Tickets to Friday evening’s performance of “Treasure Island” can be purchased at the WMCA’s box office. Tickets are $47.25 for adults, $42 for seniors and $15.75 for children 12 and under. The curtain rises at 7 p.m.

While “Treasure Island” will be Looking Glass Theatre’s only Brandon performance for now, Moir said that the company has big plans to bring more productions to Brandon throughout their inaugural season.

“We’re excited to announce that our entire first season will be coming to Brandon this year,” Moir said. “We’ll be back in February with the Canadian premiere of the West End hit ‘Mr. & Mrs. Nobody’ by Keith Waterhouse, and again in the spring with an adaptation of the famous novel ‘The Pilgrim’s Progress.’”

“Pilgrim’s Progress” is planned for April or May of 2025.

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