{"id":11667,"date":"2016-02-12T13:39:02","date_gmt":"2016-02-12T21:39:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/?p=11667"},"modified":"2016-02-15T09:43:26","modified_gmt":"2016-02-15T17:43:26","slug":"wild-honey-a-surprisingly-sweet-and-genuinely-emotional-play","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/2016\/02\/12\/wild-honey-a-surprisingly-sweet-and-genuinely-emotional-play\/","title":{"rendered":"Wild Honey<\/em> a surprisingly sweet and genuinely emotional play"},"content":{"rendered":"

Writer Michael Frayn has reworked Russian playwright\u2019s Anton Chekov\u2019s first play, Wild Honey<\/em>, into a gratifying comedy full of scandalous love triangles.<\/p>\n

Wild Honey <\/em>uses humour to tackle the sensitive subject that is infidelity in a playful, yet honest, way. Throughout the play, well-placed humour is juxtaposed with passionate, fiery dialogue. The original version of Wild Honey<\/em> is performed as a sombre, Shakespearean-esque tragedy but Frayn\u2019s adaptation injects a sense of light-heartedness into the whole affair. His thoughtful combination of humour and drama works surprisingly well.<\/p>\n

\"Wild<\/a>
Wild Honey<\/em> is cathartic to watch (photo by David Lowes).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This theatrical structure of opposites initiated the emotional rollercoaster that I was to experience while watching Wild Honey<\/em>. One moment the audience was laughing at a well-timed quip, and the next moment our hearts were aching with sympathy for one of the characters as they delivered a wildly distressing monologue. These continual ups and downs kept me vicariously engaged throughout the performance and ensured that I never became complacent.<\/p>\n

The actors\u2019 ability to deliver their lines with such genuine emotion had the powerful effect of drawing me into the play. My allegiances to characters were constantly shifting as extra-marital relations and character development progressed throughout the play. However, there was always one person or another that I was cheering for to come out on top of this entertaining free-for-all. I am not ashamed to say that I was happily swept up in domestic intrigue of it all.<\/p>\n

Behind all the jokes and antics of Wild Honey<\/em> was a cautionary tale for the audience. The old adage \u201cthe heart wants what the heart wants\u201d comes to life here and exemplifies the painful repercussions of acting in a selfish, lustful manner. At the end of the night, my inner self-preservationist actually enjoyed the wild emotional ride, and I left the theatre feeling entertained yet comforted by the play that I had just watched.<\/p>\n

Wild Honey<\/em> is a refreshingly cathartic experience that I would recommend to all.<\/p>\n

Wild Honey
\n<\/em>Until February 20
\nThe Phoenix Theatre, UVic
\nphoenixtheatres.ca<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Writer Michael Frayn has reworked Russian playwright\u2019s Anton Chekov\u2019s first play, Wild Honey, into a gratifying comedy full of scandalous love triangles. Wild Honey uses humour to tackle the sensitive subject that is infidelity in a playful, yet honest, way. Throughout the play, well-placed humour is juxtaposed with passionate, fiery dialogue. The original version of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":11668,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11667","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arts","category-webexclusive"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t