Pinkerton Comes to Prospect

Prepare for Pinkerton! Or is it Penkerton?

Alex Hunt

Advocate Correspondent

Lighthouse Festival provides clever blend of comedy, classic western charm, and silliness

Lighthouse Festival Theatre’s latest production, Pinkerton Comes to Prospect, is a witty swashbuckling western comedy the community is sure to enjoy.

On stage in Port Dover from July 30 to August 16, and in Port Colborne August 20-31, it is brimming with colourful characters and snappy dialogue. Our main character Herschel Penkerton arrives in the town of Prospect and is quickly mistaken for a legendary gunman. As Penkerton tries to stay alive and tries to flirt with Lacey, he’s thrust into a world of danger, unexpected friendships, and opportunity.

From a visual element, the costumes and set were designed with care and careful detail bringing the classic historical 1890s setting to life. The set itself felt like a character as much as the live ones, who all did an exceptional job in bringing their counterparts to life with an extraordinary amount of colour and personality.

I would like to highlight the character of Doc, played by Matt Olver, who brought energy to the character and stole every scene he was featured in. All the characters had a playful chemistry that really made each scene pop with immersion.

The music was very well done, and it made great use of the fiddle which added immersion. As stated in its advertising, the production promised a lot of laughs and it delivered in silliness.

Herschel Penkerton, played by Matt Bommarito, was a stellar choice for one of the production’s lead characters. His chemistry with Lacey, played by Evelyn Wiebe, was one of the highlights of the play - they bounced off each other's energy very well, which helped develop an authentic romance.

Lacey as a character was wonderfully well written. I thought she was very complex with strong morals and a sense of identity. Wiebe embodied the character of Lacy profoundly well - she was very well versed in her craft. I’m excited to see what she brings next to the stage.

Adrian Shepherd-Gawinski, who plays Amos, is a talented and well-established actor. He did a fine job bringing the goofy drunk to life.

There are two other characters among the cast. However, I will reserve my opinions on them to avoid spoiler territory. 

Written by Jamie Williams and directed by Steven Gallagher, the two storytellers did a good job weaving themes of standing up for what’s right and its family messages. The first half did a great job establishing the characters, setting up the plot and identifying its tone. 

On another note, the quick-witted dialogue was very well done and that sustained a natural flow. I would say the dialogue was one of my favorite aspects of the production. 

It’s a fun summer production for people to lose themselves in a wacky world for a couple of hours, carried by outstanding dialogue, interesting characters with an intriguing direction, heartfelt moments and strong themes.

The audience really liked it!

My overall rating is 7.5/10 (Good!)

As of Friday, August 8, tickets were still available for the Thursday, August 13th evening showing, the Friday, August 15th relaxed matinee and evening performances, and Saturday, August 16th matinee. See lighthousetheatre.com for tickets.

SUMMER 2025

The Lighthouse Festival continues this summer with Snow White – Young Company, August 20-23 in Port Dover. The Young Company is bringing its own hilarious energy to the classic fairytale, making it a one-of-a-kind show.

Snow White promises to be a rollicking good time for the whole family. Schedule and tickets at lighthousetheatre.com.

Here on the Flight Path by Norm Foster lands in Port Dover August 27-Sept. 13. It is being promoted as “hilarious and, at times, touching. A true Foster delight.”

Lighthouse Festival’s 2025 summer wraps up in Port Dover with Memories of the Rat Pack, by Christopher McHarge, Sept. 16-27. “Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. come to life” in this 1960s era nostalgic concert.