The Shaw Festival Theatre Review: The Roll of Shaw: Through the Wardrobe
By Ross
Inspired by the touching tale of what author C.S. Lewis once said to a young fan who asked if there were any more Narnia stories, Lewis responded in just the most perfect of ways; that there were, many, but he also added, with inventive cleverness, “Why not write stories for yourself and fill up the gaps in Narnian history? I’ve left you plenty of hints.” So stripped down to Narnian basics, The Roll of Shaw: Through the Wardrobe, as created and hosted by the incredibly charming and gifted impresario, Travis Seetoo (Shaw’s Snow in Midsummer), with a strong assist by the equally appealing Cosette Derome (Globus Theatre’s Halfway There), dives into a spontenous and improvised game of chance and choices, elevated and directed not by its creator, but by the roll of the dice or by an audience assist.
We enter in through the grand doors of the Shaw Festival‘s Spiegeltent as if, we too, are stepping in and through the magical Wardrobe doors that are being so fully represented in their production of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, revolving forth next door on the Festival Theatre stage. We push our way in, metaphorically through the layers of winter coats, into the magical world of Narnia, created by C.S. Lewis, but expanded and gamed by Seetoo with the assistance of our own imaginative minds. We are asked to set aside more traditional theatrical models that might be dancing in our heads, and run with this reframing into a land set many years before The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe,, and play this Dungeons & Dragons-inspired improvised game and adventure that Seetoo has in store for us.
Every night, thanks to the involvement of two Shaw actors, unrehearsed and as new to the game as I was, a new tale of adventure will be born and constructed, uniquely each and every night before our very eyes. The two actors are given animal identities and personal qualities, spontaneously from a grab bag of traits and consequences, and through their own inventive and inspired responses, an adventure now awaits us all. It’s a fun, silly, hilarious game of chance and inspiration, and one, if you’re game, will entertain for a brief hour or so, especially if you, like the show’s appealing and engaging host, are used to playing the fantasy game of Dungeons and Dragons.
“In Grade 7, I was approached by some classmates at recess. They asked if I’d like to play a game. It’s called Dungeons and Dragons. It’s kind of like being in “Lord of the Rings.” I was very much in. We went on perilous adventures, performed heroic feats, fought dragons, and saved kingdoms in our imaginations. I loved creating and playing characters, and telling stories with my friends.” – Travis Seetoo
So with that framing firmly in mind, we are asked to draw an evil beast or some sort of scary creature, and give it a name and a few characteristics (mine was not my most artistic endeaver: a horned face with fangs and beadie eyes named “little stevie” – my friends will understand – who’s a narcissistic devil who badgers those he loves into submission through guilt, tears, and anger). The drawings, many of which, on the night I went, were spectacularly well done, are gathered and hung around the room from strings. We are also given a single 20-sided dice that will help us decide how things proceed, one way or another, depending on the number and the majority. We are told it helps decide whether there is good or evil standing before us, or whether the action taken will be successful or not. It’s a seductive and exciting set-up, worthy of our attention and anticipation, and we dive into this interactive arena that is taking shape around us, giving ourselves over to a construct that is both unpredictable and ingeniously entertaining – that is, if you allow the kid inside you to lean in with wonder.
In an instant, thanks to Seetoo and his never-faltering “awesome” energy, matched by some pretty inventive cut-out projections and fun blood-red lighting cues, we are transported most magically into Narnia, a land gripped by eternal winter and perpetual darkness, and held firmly under the icy rule of the determined White Witch. No one can be trusted in this shadowy world where even the trees have spying eyes that are accountable to the evil Witch. The talking animals of Narnia, the ones that still hold onto the hope for a better tomorrow (it’s impossible to not see the present-world parallel at play here), are struggling to survive under these harsh and frightening conditions. They huddle together, trying to stay warm and safe in whatever home they, the Shaw actors, have chosen for themselves. So, what do we do when there is a knock on the door, and a voice pleading for help? Will we answer the call? Or stay quiet in the warmth, ignoring the desperation outside in the cold, asking for salvation? What would you do?
Lucky for us, we have two spirited actors formulating their and our experience on the spot, endeavoring to be clever in this creative construct with each choice they make. Assisted by Seetoo and the roll of the dice, outcomes and decisions are formed and played out. Every performance brings forth a brand-new tale, filled with high-stakes battles and unexpected twists and turns wrapped in and around heroic spontaneous choices and the roll of that crazy communal dice. Will you stand up and aid the brave creatures of Narnia in their fight to protect their friends, or will the Witch’s evil frozen grip tighten over all of us?
This is what happens when you blend tabletop role-playing games with the works of George Bernard Shaw and C.S. Lewis. Anything can happen, we are told, and as we join our two creatives as they make impulsive or smart choices to climb over or go through, The Roll of Shaw plays inventively forward in the most delightful and fun ways, engaging with our inner child and gifting us with an adventure worthy of our time spent in and through the wardrobe. The show’s success balances on the spontaneous actors who have gamely entered the space with and for us, but the overall interactive and inventive nature of The Roll of Shaw, hosted by the inspired Seetoo, doesn’t falter, keeping us both completely entertained and amazed on a cold 50-year winter’s night, deep in the land of Narnia. Will hope win? Just you wait and see…
