Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story is wonderfully written, with comedy interwoven through a dark tale. The more sombre moments in the show made me reflect when I recently went to see it at The Belfry, and the actors’ comedic timing is what makes the show come to life.
Old Stock—written by playwright Hannah Moscovitch and performed by 2b theatre company—is inspired by a real story of two Jewish Romanian refugees fleeing to Canada in 1908. The narrative follows Chaim (played by Eric Da Costa) and Chaya (Shaina Silver-Baird) on their journey and their hardships they face in Canada.
The Wanderer, played by Ben Caplan (who also wrote songs for Old Stock, along with director Christian Barry), is the narrator of the show. He begins with telling the audience that even though this is an immigrant story, he hopes that everyone can relate in some way.
The musical has many songs, with fewer scenes. I’m not opposed to this, but it’s something to keep in mind if that’s not your preference. The music is well done—the upbeat songs are highly energetic and catchy, which made it fun to watch and made the performance feel intimate, like I was part of the show.
The band is set on stage, allowing the actors to seamlessly transition from playing their instruments as well as singing and acting. With Caplan on guitar and banjo, Da Costa on woodwinds, and Silver-Baird playing violin, I don’t think anyone could argue against the talent of this cast.
Caplan’s performance is larger than life—he is a committed and animated storyteller. He has some impressive pipes; his vocals are rich and raspy with great resonance, which suits the role. He has a big range and has no trouble holding his own against the powerful band.
With all of that said, Da Costa’s and Silver-Baird’s performances can’t be forgotten, either. They are equally as entertaining to watch. They have great on-stage chemistry, and they did a wonderful job conveying the emotions of what these people were going through.
Personally, the loud music did make it somewhat difficult to make out the lyrics at times, and I felt like I was missing out on parts of the narrative.
I can see why the musical is both award winning and critically acclaimed: I was taken on an emotional rollercoaster during this 80-minute show. The performance is both entertaining and moving. There’s truly never a dull moment, and it’s definitely worth seeing. If you’re interested in going, be prepared to laugh a lot and maybe even cry a little—I know I almost did.
Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story
Various times, until Sunday, May 14
Various prices, The Belfry
belfry.bc.ca