By Mike Renzella | The Haldimand Press
August 7, 2025
PORT DOVER—There’s gold to be mined in the hills of Prospect, and there’s comedy gold aplenty to be found in the worldwide premiere of Lighthouse Festival Theatre’s latest in their summer series, ‘Pinkerton Comes to Prospect.’
The fourth show in Lighthouse’s 2025 lineup keeps the hot streak alive, bringing another joke-filled slapstick farce to the stage and keeping the crowd in stitches throughout with a tale of love, courage, misunderstandings, and whiskey in the Old West.
With Prospect on its last legs, kept alive only by the possibility of gold in the hills, Doc refuses to leave, instead hiring renowned gunslinger Pinkerton to help him deal with Trigger. When mild-mannered cartographer Herschel Penkerton walks through the door instead, the stage is set for the hilarity to follow.
Playwright Jamie Williams was inspired by the comic western films of his youth, starring legends like Don Knotts and Tim Conway, such as ‘The Apple Dumpling Gang’ and ‘The Shakiest Gun in the West.’
The cast is more than up to the task of bringing this story to life. Ryan Bommarito fills the shoes of the misplaced Penkerton, Adrian Shepherd-Gawinski is stealing scenes as Amos – the town drunk who can’t seem to find a drink to save his life, Matthew Oliver plays Doc, Evelyn Wiebe is Doc’s niece Lacey, and Jessica Sherman is playing a role that would amount to a spoiler if revealed to you now.
It’s a Lighthouse debut for both Sherman and Bommarito.
As Penkerton, Bommarito draws big laughs, hypnotized to prance around the stage like a chicken every time the bar’s player piano kicks in, while Sherman does a great job with her mystery role, giving the story a nice twist.
As Lacey, Wiebe is given a character imbued with more modern sensibilities, eager to leave the dying town she grew up in for Chicago, where she plans to study and start a new life. That is, until Penkerton walks through the saloon doors and falls head over heels for her, disrupting her plans.
Shepherd-Gawinski once again showcases the incredible comic talent he previously displayed in Lighthouse productions ‘Bed and Breakfast’ and ‘Murder at Ackerton Manor,’ constantly hovering in the background of scenes to deliver a hilarious one-liner or take a comic pratfall.
The play is directed by Steven Gallagher, returning to Lighthouse for his second show following last summer’s hilarious ‘Murder at Ackerton Manor.’ Batting 2-2, Gallagher once again shows a knack for fast-paced buffoonery with a big, exposed heart in the middle.
Production values are top notch, with period-authentic costumes, six shooters that fire with the appropriate bang, and a well-constructed set that brings Prospect to life.
So, if you’re craving a dose of frontier foolishness, packed with quick-draw quips, rootin’-tootin’ mischief, and enough laughs to lasso even the grumpiest cowpoke, saddle up and head to Lighthouse Theatre for ‘Pinkerton Goes to Prospect.’
The show will be on stage at Port Dover’s Lighthouse Festival Theatre through August 16 before moving to Port Colborne’s Roselawn Theatre from August 20-31.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit lighthousetheatre.com or call 1-888-779-7703.
After studying journalism at Humber College, Mike Renzella desired to write professionally but found himself working in technical fields for many years. Beginning in 2019 as a freelancer, he joined the team full-time later that year. Since then, Mike has won several awards for his articles thanks to his commitment to presenting an unbiased, honest look at the important news and events shaping our community.
