Solo Chicken Productions begins their provincial remount of A Record of Us, starting at St. Thomas University’s Black Box Theatre in Fredericton. Inspired by the works of accomplished New Brunswick author David Adams Richards, the play is an episodic, non-linear narrative that grasps at the essence of being a New Brunswicker. From the ever-ambiguous atmosphere of Dooly’s to the humdrum of rural gossip, viewers across the province can see a small, typical piece of the New Brunswick lifestyle represented in one way or another.
The night kicks off with a sneak peek of the latest project of the coop (a branch of Solo Chicken) titled Fruit Machine. This work-in-progress captures the use of the titular tool used by the 60’s-era Canadian government, which weeded out LGBTQ+ individuals to prevent them from enrolling in the military or RCMP. Eerie, dynamic movements are used to capture the distress of this of this dark time in Canadian history.
A Record of Us is littered with clever physical theatre techniques and sly references, all culminating in a culturally-relevant, theatrical answer to New Brunswick’s domestic history. The lighting is a step outside of traditional techniques, using floor-level floodlights to emphasize movements via the placements of shadows. The rhythm of the performance is utilized expertly, with percussion-esque foot tapping, pool cues emulating a marching bass drum with their heavy “boom” sound, and the dissonant scrape of dinnerware sliding across the stage.
With each actor claiming writing credits for a scene, these Richards-influenced sequences portray the stories of characters living the life of the New Brunswick demographic. Standout episodes include the tale of a girl whose experience with men was so frustrating she eventually decides to become a lesbian, because at least when women are assholes, you can steal their shoes.
One scene exemplifies the play’s use of layered dialogue and further exemplifies the tiresome nature of small-town scandalmongering via a scene dedicated to such a phenomenon.
Another scene flips this boring small talk on its head, using a Tim Hortons lineup as its backdrop. It beautifully addresses the opposing themes of insignificant cashier/customer conversation with very poignant dialogue about a deceased relative.
An especially noteworthy scene satirized Dooly’s, filled with various bartender quotes and pool sharks turned ninjas.
Overall, Solo Chicken’s grand return has shown no signs of relaxing the efforts the group is putting into their bread-and-butter production A Record Of Us. And with the added bonus of getting a sneak peek at Fruit Machine, this show a must-see. David would be proud.
Solo Chicken will continue their tour around New Brunswick’s cities with a stop in Saint John at the Saint John Theatre Company’s BMO Studio Theatre on June 5th, followed by a Moncton showing in the Centre Culturel Aberdeen on June 6th and ending with shows in Sackville at the Brunton Auditorium on June 8th and 9th. All shows will have a start time of 7:30pm, barring the Sackville showings, which will begin at 8:00pm on both days.