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Criminals in Love

Dark comedy in nine scenes by George F. Walker, premiered at the Factory Theatre, Toronto, 1984, directed by the author with sets and costumes by Reginald Bronskill, lighting by Sholem Dolgoy, and featuring Ted Dykstra, Gina Wilkinson, Peter Blais, Dean Hawes, Lesleh Donaldson and Barbara Gordon. Winner of the Chalmers Award and the Governor General’s Award. More recently, the work was produced at William Head Prison, British Columbia (October, 2000).

A rambunctious, deft and hilarious work about destiny, love and the classes. Junior is a goofy post-adolescent in love with the smart Gail. Junior, however, has a father in prison who blackmails Junior into committing a crime. Soon Junior finds himself hooked up with an unlikely assortment of accomplices including his girlfriend, a drunk turned hero-of-the-hour, a mad, pseudo-revolutionary who kisses everyone (kiss of death? Judas kiss? lust?) and a young woman who has tried prostitution as a legitimate career choice. It can't possibly end well.

Not just a winner with critics and awards' juries, but a box-office hit as well. This is a work that cries out for revival, a smart director and a savvy cast. The work has quasi-sequels in the other two plays of the East End Plays: Better Living and Escape From Happiness.

Readings: George F. Walker. The East End Plays, Part 1. Vancouver: Talon, 1999.

Commentary by Gaetan Charlebois. Additional information provided by Colin Plant.

Last updated 2020-07-17