Three weeks before Swordfish was set to premiere in Guelph Little Theatre, the pandemic hit, causing the entire show to be cancelled.
Now the theatre is gearing to open its doors once again 19 months later.
Swordfish, a dark comedy and a production of the Guelph Little Theatre, is scheduled to premiere on Nov. 4 and will run until Nov. 21 with evening performances on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and a matinee on Sunday.
The play tells the story about a few young professionals who leave their careers to open an antique shop in1965 Hamilton. A local mob approaches the young shopkeepers to offer protection and a wacky series of events ensue.
The play is packed with cultural references geared to 1960s Hamilton, following in the tradition of Canadian playwright Mark Crawford who wrote Stag and Doe.
“We have young actors who have studied theatre at university, and seasoned veterans who have taken small roles just because they want to be part of this project,” said director Tom Reidel in a press release
Reidel explained that one of the biggest challenges with the shutdown has been maintaining the cast with half of the roles having to be recast since last year.
He explained that shutting down three weeks before premiering was hugely disappointing for everyone involved.
“It’s not just the actors, of course, there were the volunteers who built the set, the tech crew and all the people who had purchased tickets,” said Reindel.
He said rehearsals are progressing incredibly well and everyone’s feeling the positive energy.
Tickets are available on the Guelph Little Theatre’s website. Attendees will need to provide proof of vaccination when they arrive and masks will be required.
