BLYTH -The Devil We Know is a fitting finale for one of the strongest artistic seasons Blyth has enjoyed and is also the last directorial offering by departing artistic director Eric Coates.
Coates announced earlier this summer he will leave the festival after 18 consecutive seasons to become the artistic director at the Great Canadian Theatre Company in Ottawa.
For Coates’ final production, Calgary-based playwrights Cheryl Foggo and Clem Martini have woven a thriller that will provide entertainment for a hot summer’s night. Replete with legend and lore, two young twin sisters face the terror of a home invasion.
Martini likened developing the script to making soup: mixing childhood bed-time stories and young-girls-coming-of-age-stories, stories of old omens and buried treasure, class warfare and the dreams of growing up that most young people have. Much of the tangled story comes from the real life experiences of playwright Foggo.
“Anyone who knows me well won’t have to dig too deep to find parallels between The Devil We Know and my own life,” she said.
Her mother grew up on the edge of Regina, as a twin, and also as a member of large black family in an otherwise predominantly Caucasian community.
The Devil We Know features Tony Munch as the intruder, Walter, and Blyth Festival newcomers Tiffany Martin and Meghan Swaby as twin sisters Vivian and Verna.
Preview performances are Aug.1 and Aug. 2 and will open Aug. 3. The Devil We Know plays at the Blyth Festival until Sept. 1.
The Blyth Festival’s 2012 season runs until Sept. 1 and also features Having Hope at Home by David S. Craig and The Lonely Diner: Al Capone in Euphemia Township by Beverley Cooper. For more information or to book tickets, please visit www.blythfestival.com or call 1-877-862-5984.
The Devil We Know is sponsored by Ideal Supply. Media Sponsor is 104.9 the Beach. The 2012 Season Sponsor is Sparling’s Propane Company Limited and the Season Media Sponsor is CTV.
