The Edmonton Journal
Reviewed by Fish Griwkowsky
4 stars out of 5
Modernizing and feminizing Cyrano de Bergerac, Sweet Lies is a seamlessly executed farce set in a hair salon. Uninterested in love, Sylvie (Brianne Jang) is in the sights of shy Eduard (Byron Trevor Martin). An anonymous love letter he writes mistakenly ends up in the hands of Sylvie’s lovelorn mother (the terrific Liana Shannon) — cue Three’s Company theme music.
But what gives this farce its panache is the dignity with which circumstances play out. Inevitably, Eduard ends up directed by Sylvie into the arms of the older woman, but we’re asked if this is not such a bad place to be, and there’s admirable heart here as the situation sorts itself out.
Thoughtfully, a screen above the play with beautiful French paintings cues location shifts, and the comedic antics of Candice Fiorentinto and Melissa Heagy — the play’s R2-D2 and C-3PO of sorts — need to be acknowledged. As does Martin’s dead-on French accent and great acting within the Rube Goldberg machine he’s batted around.
Good clean fun all around with a great female spirit throughout, this takes farcical theatre to its peak, well past where the kisses are hers and hers and his.
But what gives this farce its panache is the dignity with which circumstances play out. Inevitably, Eduard ends up directed by Sylvie into the arms of the older woman, but we’re asked if this is not such a bad place to be, and there’s admirable heart here as the situation sorts itself out.
Thoughtfully, a screen above the play with beautiful French paintings cues location shifts, and the comedic antics of Candice Fiorentinto and Melissa Heagy — the play’s R2-D2 and C-3PO of sorts — need to be acknowledged. As does Martin’s dead-on French accent and great acting within the Rube Goldberg machine he’s batted around.
Good clean fun all around with a great female spirit throughout, this takes farcical theatre to its peak, well past where the kisses are hers and hers and his.
EdmontonFringe.ca
Reviewed by Kathleen Bell
4 stars out of 5
Sweet Lies is a delightful romantic comedy, with a crisp, well-paced story and a charming cast. Sylvie is a hairstylist focused on helping her mom bounce back after a recent divorce. But when Sylvie receives an anonymous love letter and passes it on to make her mom think she has a secret admirer, antics ensue. The actors sell every moment and even amongst the quirkiness they never go over the top. Though what truly won over the audience from the beginning is the cast’s dancing set changes - a cute lil’ touch to a cute lil’ story.