It was supposed to be an uneventful Christmas Eve
night shift for Inspector Lamb of the Metro Toronto Police Department. But when
an elderly man is dropped off at the station by a couple of teens – wearing a
Santa Claus hat, a disheveled military officer’s uniform and speaking a strange
sounding Eastern European-type language – and what will be discovered about
this homeless man by the time Christmas Day roles around, will be ugly,
disturbing and shockingly revealing. This is the gist of “Butcher”, the latest
production of the Centaur Theatre’s 2015-2016 season, which is thrilling
audiences from now until November 29.
Throughout the 90-minute production, layer upon layer
is unraveled to reveal the dark secret about this old man, especially by the
interpreter/nurse who is called into the station in the middle of the night to
help Inspector Lamb with his investigation (as well as treat the old man’s
feet, which are bloodied thanks to having all his toenails pulled out); in
actuality, this old man was a general in the army of the Eastern European
country that he came from, and was one of the main people responsible for a
series of heinous war crimes and a genocide in that country (which directly
affected the interpreter/nurse); basically, she is not there to aid the old
man, but to mete out her vengeance for the crimes that he committed in her
native country, hoping to get that sense of closure and justice that an
international war crimes tribunal could not accomplish.
“Butcher” is an intense story of deception, genocide,
trauma, and the burning question of what is getting that sense of justice, and
if taking the law into your own hands is really worth getting justice. There
are plenty of great performances across the board from the four-member cast,
and kudos to Chip Chuipka, Alain Goulem, James Loye and Julie Tamiko Manning
for their exceptional acting that keeps the audience’s interest – and in
constant suspense – throughout the production. Additional kudos go to Evita Karasek
for the great set that captures the grittiness of a typical urban police
station ... even with its own steady rainfall! And the ongoing plot twists
really makes "Butcher" an engrossing, thrilling, thought-provoking
night at the theatre that cuts right to the bone; it’s a don't-miss production
at its highest level. For more information, or to purchase tickets, call
514-288-3161, or go to www.centaurtheatre.com.
