Thistle Theatre leaves audience in stitches with The Perils of Persephone

Doug Turvey as Eldon Currie, Heather West as Marj Currie, Becca Potter as Wendy Currie and John Hazeleger as Orval Currie during a lively kitchen scene. Gary West photo

By Gary West

A night out at a small-town theatre can offer some of the best entertainment around, especially when the script comes from celebrated playwright Dan Needles.

That was certainly the case on the weekend in Embro, when Thistle Theatre staged the uproarious comedy, The Perils of Persephone.

The production, set in a farmhouse kitchen “somewhere north of Toronto,” is classic Needles; sharp wit, rural charm and a cast of characters who feel as familiar as your neighbours. The Embro production also marks a milestone as Thistle Theatre celebrates 30 years as a “Theatre with Heart.”

In the play, trouble begins when barking dogs send the Currie family scrambling to the window to see who’s coming up the lane. A delivery van slides off the driveway, prompting fears it may be hauling tanks of plutonium – a mix-up that spirals into comic chaos. After much panic and debate, the truth comes out; the van is simply delivering nitrogen and bull semen.

Local actors embraced their roles with perfect timing, earning steady laughter from the crowd. Several cast members have ties to the theatre’s early days, bringing added nostalgia to this anniversary season.

Thistle Theatre first opened its doors with the same Needles production on Nov. 8, 1995, a gala evening attended by charter members and celebrated with ribbon cutting and a reception at the community centre followed by the challenge of driving home through the winter’s first blinding snowstorm.

Three decades later, the spirit of community theatre is as strong as ever.