There’s no such thing as a secret in Stewiacke, Nova Scotia – not when Vi, Rita, Mary Ellen and Janine gather over coffee and gossip every day at the local diner.
But things heat up more than usual when Sean, a heartbroken doctor, moves in to take a temporary job at the town’s clinic.
In fact, the Maritime town famous for being halfway between the North Pole and the equator is tipped off its axis with the newcomer’s arrival – and the result is feel-good comedy gold for Norm Foster’s Halfway There, coming to Sidney May 16 to 18.
Presented at Mary Winspear Centre by the Peninsula Players and directed by Misty Cozac, this favourite from Canada’s most-produced playwright is equally funny and delightfully insightful.
“When I pitched Halfway There to the Peninsula Players Board about a year ago now, I remember thinking that this play may be set in Stewiacke, NS, but the dynamics and relationships are reminiscent of any small town in Canada, including Sidney,” Cozac says.
“Although the plot has some romantic elements, the heart of the play is the friendships between the four lead women – Rita, Vi, Mary Ellen and Janine. I saw four modern ‘Golden Girls’ – the flirty one, the steady one, the naive one and the sassy one. Each one brings the best out of the others.”
With the Maritimes setting allowing Cozac to add some wonderful live music to the set, courtesy of their roving minstrel, Cam Culham, Halfway There promises to “envelop you in a familiar warm hug that shares the relief of finding your people.”
The perfect night out with good friends or your special someone, performances are scheduled for:
- Thursday, May 16 at 7:30 p.m.
- Friday, May 17 at 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, May 18 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $30 for adults and $25 for students and seniors, plus service fee, and are available online at marywinspear.ca or in person at the Mary Winspear box office, open Monday to Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Find the theatre at 2243 Beacon Ave. in Sidney.
Note that the show contains references to sex, the death of a child and drinking, and may not be suitable for all audiences.
