A live theatre adaptation of Emma Donoghue’s award-winning novel Room held its sneak preview at the Grand Theatre in London, Ontario this month.
The new production uses songs, co-written by director Cora Bissett and Scottish musician Kathryn Joseph, to illustrate its characters’ inner lives. The lead role of Ma is played by Alexis Gordon, a London native, while young Jack is played alternatingly between Hayden Baertsoen and Quinsley Edison.
Other roles include that of Jack’s alter ego Super Jack, portrayed on stage by Brandon Michael Arrington, and Ashley Wright as their captor Old Nick. The play’s set, sound design and lighting also drew praise, including a revolving set and scribbled drawings projected on stage.
Room tells the story of a mother and child trapped in a small space and the imaginative world they create to survive it. The book, published in 2010, was nominated for the Booker Prize and Governor General’s Awards. In 2015, it was adapted into a film starring Brie Larson, in an Academy Award-winning performance, and Jacob Tremblay.
With the preview completed, the stage version of Room is scheduled for an official London run at the Grand Theatre followed by a move to the Mirvish CAA Theatre in Toronto. Plays, whether major productions like this or amateur shows, are typically advertised using flyer printing and banner printing. If successful, a production like Room could have a long life on stage.
