All photo credits to Chris Walzak
Kat Sandler’s Punch-Up extracts comedy from failure, humour from suicidal depression, and slapstick from an active hostage crisis. This is comedy of the dark persuasion, so it’s no wonder that when Punch-Up was first staged at The Highland Arts Theatre two years ago, some theatre-goers left offended. It turns out some Cape Breton Baby Boomers have a hard time finding the inherent comedy in chaining somebody up in your basement.
Which is why I was surprised to see it being remounted, and even more surprised to see a full house on opening night. Two years ago, I sat in the front row, on the left hand side of the theatre. On Wednesday, I had balcony seating because I bought my tickets late. It’s a sign of how far The Highland Arts Theatre has come, and the changing and evolving tastes of the Cape Breton audience.
Porteous and Colford bounce off each other like an Olympic ping-pong match, alternating between verbal and physical comedy on a switch. Photo – Chris Walzak
Punch-Up is precisely what local theatre is meant for. A small production, with the luxury to offend and venture into uncomfortable territory, unburdened from the billion dollar shackles of a Hollywood industry too hesitant to make jokes about losing your hand to a bread slicer. Kat Sandler’s dark comedy is willing to make light of the pathetic, and realize that failure is in some ways the most honest aspect of being human.
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