Sylvia is having a great Monday, perhaps the best Monday of her life. She’s at the cottage with her beau, appropriately named Beau, and she has decided that today is the day she will leave her husband for her lover.
Just as the cottage itself is not the kind Canadians might imagine, with its lakeside dock and surrounding wilderness, this elegant retreat, complete with silver tea services and secret passages leading to the gardener’s shed, provides the backdrop for a wonderfully unconventional romantic escapade that quickly spirals out of control.
On stage at Ottawa Little Theatre until October 10, The Cottage by Sandy Rustin is a guaranteed good time. From the moment the curtain rises until the final line is delivered, the production keeps audiences thoroughly entertained. It is a delightfully funny evening of theatre filled with farce, surprises, and plenty of laughter.
Director Brian McManus and his creative team have crafted a production that excels on every level. The pacing is brisk, the use of the stage is inventive, and the relationships between the characters feel authentic despite the increasingly absurd circumstances. The set design by Chelsey Prince perfectly complements the play’s eccentric energy, creating a space that is both elegant and ripe for comic chaos.
The characters are expertly portrayed, and while the script is not packed with punchlines, its humour emerges through quirky dialogue, improbable situations, and impeccable timing. It is the combination of clever farce and the cast’s strong performances that keeps the audience laughing and fully engaged throughout.
Negligee-clad Sylvia (Karine Charland) and her once-a-year lover Beau (Steven Wright) are endlessly entertaining. Sylvia, bored by the predictability of married life, mistakes her annual affair for true love, while Beau appears content to take advantage of a situation that adds excitement to an otherwise routine life as a barrister married to an indifferent wife.
A delightful undercurrent of feminism runs through the play. Rustin never uses it as a blunt instrument; instead, she allows it to emerge naturally through the comedy. For a story set in the Roaring Twenties, the shifting power dynamic is delightfully modern. While the male characters initially appear to be in control, their confidence and assumptions are gradually exposed as folly. Ultimately, it is the women who seize control of the narrative and shape its outcome, providing a clever and refreshing twist on the traditional drawing-room farce.
The arrival of each other’s spouse at the cottage abruptly derails the lovers’ plans and sets the mayhem in motion.
Sylvia’s husband, Clarke (Jonathan Morel), is a comic standout. Every expression, gesture, and movement contributes to the laughter. Beau’s wife, Marjorie (Kate Salmon), sporting a comically oversized pregnant belly, is equally amusing.
Then there is Deirdre (Manon Barré), who practically breathes humour into every scene. Her delightfully nincompoop-like behaviour generates constant laughs, but the character proves to be much more than comic relief. Beneath her naivety lies an unexpected ability to cut through the pretensions and deceptions of those around her. Deirdre frequently delivers the play’s most insightful observations, not through intellect or experience, but through the unfiltered honesty of someone blissfully unaware of social convention. Barré brings warmth, charm, and impeccable comic timing to the role.
Rounding out the cast is Richard (Grant Moore), Deirdre’s former husband, who contributes yet another layer of delightful absurdity to the increasingly tangled plot.
The chemistry among the entire cast is so strong that the play’s wildly far-fetched premise becomes completely believable. No spoiler alerts here—you’ll have to discover the many twists and turns for yourself. Despite everything that unfolds, it turns out to be a very good day for Sylvia. Quite possibly her best day ever.
In today’s often exhausting political climate, The Cottage serves as the perfect antidote. It is smart, witty, and delightfully escapist theatre that leaves audiences smiling long after the final curtain.
The Cottage runs at Ottawa Little Theatre Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m.
For tickets, visit the box office here: purchase.ottawalittletheatre.com or call 613-233-8948.
Photos: Maria Varatanova
