Fight On! Part One is an epic fictional historical recounting of the settlement of the Canadian West premiering in a workshop production at Espace Knox, to April 22. Written and directed by Guy Sprung, the play is based on the life of Francis (Frank) Jeffrey Dickens the third son of the Victorian English novelist Charles Dickens during his time in the North West Mounted Police from 1874-1885.
The slightly fictionalized story of Francis Dickens plays out against the backdrop of the larger story of how the West was won or lost depending on where you stand. Drew Hayden Taylor an iconic Indigenous author and playwright provides ironic commentary throughout the performance on the loss of land, languages, and cultural heritage of Canada's First Nations on Turtle Island (the Aboriginal name for North America).
Infinitheatre's latest production is ambitious in scope and interactive with its audience. This cross-cultural, multilingual extravaganza performed by an ensemble cast in English, French, Cree, and Mohawk with English surtitles incorporates masks, multimedia, and dance in a unique setting with the action playing out along the aisle of a reconverted church. Off-stage narration and on-stage readings are interspersed with live-action involving multiple characters. Each show is to be followed by a talk-back, giving theater-goers an opportunity to ask questions and share their ideas.
The story unfolds after Frank arrives in what was then known by Europeans as the Dominion of Canada having obtained a commission in the fledgling police force through his family's connections. Frank (Daniel Brochu) is haunted by the ghost of his deceased father (Howard Rosenstein) in a fashion reminiscent of scenes from A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens' classic novella.
Brochu gives an impressive performance as the insecure forgotten son of the literary giant. A diminutive man who stutters and walks with a limp Frank must struggle to find his place in a harsh landscape on the Prairies despite naysayers and his own nagging doubts personified by the patronizing spirit of his famous father played to perfection by Rosenstein.
This is all done to comic effect in this sprawling satire but not without a twinge of sympathy for the bumbling drunken Sub Inspector with all the presumptions and prejudices of a white colonist/settler. In official accounts Francis Dickens was both praised for his defense of Fort Pitt from the Cree in the North West Rebellion of 1885 and at least partly blamed for the deterioration in relations between the NWMP and the Blackfoot in the 1880's.
Frank is haunted so-to-speak by another spirit, in this instance a genteel lady with a limp who towers over him. Ellen (Carmen Grant) appears periodically in his romantic reveries. However, their relationship is nothing more than a mere acquaintanceship based on a chance meeting, ultimately shoring up his status as a tragic figure rather than a buffoon.
The different narrative threads don't quite weave together. Perhaps this is because of the introspective and symbolic nature of the play which reflects both the unresolved issues of the real-life Francis Dickens who died prematurely in his early forties, as well as the unfinished business of the Canadian experiment. It is also difficult to follow fast-paced events such as fight sequences while reading texts that appear as animated projections at two ends of the venue. Voice-over breaks up the play's dialogue. However, Fight On! Part One is but the first of three parts so there will be time enough to work out the kinks. Part Two is planned as a workshop in conjunction with Infinitheatre's next season. Full production of both parts will happen in 2020.
Fight On! Part One
Espace Knox,
6215 Godfrey ave., NDG
(514) 987-1774 ext. 104
infinitheatre.com