The Noon Witch at Teatro Live! Beware of Young Women with Baked Goods!!

Photo Credit: Marc J Chalifoux
This past Friday, I took in Opening Night of The Noon Witch written and directed by Stewart Lemoine and presented by Teatro Live! at the Varscona Theatre. It was a fun night of theatre warning of the dangers of young women met at midday with baked goods - you must be careful as they might actually be a witch, trying to fatten you up so you will sink to your death (lured to the water by nixies of some sort). It takes place in 1920s Hungary and we meet first Anatol (Aidan Laudersmith), who has just returned from a long trip exploring the country, and Joszef (Eli Yaschuk), who has quit his long-standing job at a bakery because he can't stop eating the goods. These two have wonderful chemistry together and Laudersmith handles the complex and witty dialogue wonderfully. Yaschuk is brilliant at playing the very quirky Joszef and he has a comedic subtlety that was very fun to watch! The two men have a friend, Sandor (Ethan Long), who they discover has been captivated by what they believe is a Noon Witch going by the name of Tinka (Nida Vanderham). Rescuing him from her clutches becomes paramount, while also avoiding falling into the witch's clutches themselves. There's also an assist in this task from Dr. Katalin Vac (Michelle Diaz) who Anatol happens upon in his journeys. 

Photo Credit: Marc J Chalifoux
It's a clever script and the company has risen to the challenge with set (Chantel Fortin - a pool onstage!) and costumes (Leona Brausen). I had not seen the original 1995 production so I was delighted to see how it all unwrapped. It was also great to see these new young actors on the Varscona stage. They were all recent graduates from various theatre programs. They handled the clever and ridiculous Lemoine dialogue handily and the moments of physical comedy were hysterical. Never will I look at a donut the same way again!  It was a great evening out for surprising and unexpected laughs! 

The Noon Witch plays until March 9, 2025 at the Varscona. Tickets range from $25-$42 and there are Pay-What-You-Can performances. They also have a variety of special event options including wine and cheese, and dinner and a show. You can purchase your tickets here. 

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