The Traverse has partnered with new writing company Paines Plough to produce Evelyne de la Chenelière's romantic comedy in an English translation by Scottish writer Rona Munro.
François runs a small café in Montreal, but he is also working on a screenplay that uses events from his life, with slight twists from what really happened. Sophie is his friend, formerly his fiancée and before that his flatmate. Robert is a professor of literature who is a regular at the café, and he has a brief affair with Lea who runs a country B&B and who then comes to Montreal to look for her old school friend, ending up in François's café. This is only one of many coincidences that become necessary to come to a good rom-com resolution, which get gradually more and more ridiculous - and funny.
The construction of the plot is far more complicated to explain than to watch. Sometimes we see what happens, sometimes we see François's screenplay version based on what really happened, sometimes a character tells us what happened and it comes to life in front of us - even when they are lying. It looks at both male and female failures and frustrations in relationships with frightening but hilarious accuracy, and so avoids falling into the category of whatever the theatrical equivalent of 'chick lit' or 'chick flick' is.
Roxana Silbert's production is slick and very funny with some great performances from the cast. Gabriel Quigley shows great comic talent in her portrayal of Sophie, and Paul Thomas Hickey is also very funny as François. They are very ably supported by Lesley Hart as Lea and Phil McKee as Robert.
Emma Williams's design uses tall louvered doors as a backdrop, which open to change the scene, revealing different scenery behind. There are some nice, subtle three-dimensional sound effects from sound designer Colin Pink, although the reverb during the lecture sounds more like a metal sewer than a lecture hall. There is wonderful moment right at the end, when what looks as though it is turning into a dual sex scene actually becomes something completely different in a very ingenious way.
This is a very entertaining production, shown by the roar of delighted chatter that started up immediately in the auditorium when the house lights came on at the end.