A fan of The Fan

We went to see The Fan in Strathcona Park last night. It’s Odyssey Theatre’s 25th anniversary production.

The Fan is a big fat rollicking farce with lots of big, over-the-top personalities, humour and movement. It’s about romance, rivalries and rumours in a tiny Italian village in the 18th century.

This was a terrific way to spend a steamy summer evening. The temperature and the humidity dropped to tolerable levels, and welcome breezes floated over from the river. I did notice the sweat on the actors’ faces, though; those masks and costumes have to be hot. Despite the heat, they all appeared to be having a good time bringing their mostly outrageous characters to life.

I love how accessible Odyssey Theatre is. They’ve been putting on plays in the park every summer for 25 years now. The setting is friendly and casual, and everybody seems happy and relaxed.The pricing scheme ensures that anybody who wants to can see their productions, regardless of financial circumstances. Regular price tickets are $24 for adults. But for the next three days, including tonight, ticket prices are rolled back to 1986 levels: $7. And the weekend matinee shows are on a pay-what-you-can basis. (Best of all, you never have to deal with TicketMaster.)

Last night was the opening, and there was food donated by some of my favourite food places. I had pizza and chocolate cake and veggies. It was all unusually yummy. There’s also a silent auction, so I bid on something.

We had a wonderful evening, and I want to thank Odyssey Theatre for the complimentary tickets. Much appreciated.

If you have a chance to go see The Fan, please do.* It runs until August 21st. For more information about this play and other Odyssey Theatre 25th anniversary events, visit their website.

*Shoutout to Woodsy: go see it and settle a disagreement between GC and me. I say Candida looks just like you would have in 1986. GC doesn’t think so.