No catharsis with capitalist corruption: Theatre Erindale’s playful and risqué take on “The Threepenny Opera”
Theatre Erindale’s production of the bleak and satirical Brechtian masterpiece “The Threepenny Opera” is a grungy, cynical, and exuberant interpretation of this anti-capitalist classic—a must-see for theatre-goers everywhere.
On Thursday night of October 3, 2024, the performers of Theatre Erindale put on their opening showcase of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill’s The Threepenny Opera, a play-with-music (not a musical). Set in the dark, grimy underworld of Victorian London, the tale unfolds amongst the destitute and deplorable: conniving thieves, devious businessmen, corrupt cops, and the desperate souls trapped in between.
The production begins with an ingenious “cinema in-silhouette,” skillfully blending puppetry, shadowgraphy using human bodies, and coloured shadows to introduce the notorious criminal, Macheath (Jacob Klick-McMahon), also known as “Mack the Knife,” a menacing Jack-the-Ripper figure. His elopement with Polly Peachum (Madison Buchanan), daughter of the unscrupulous capitalist JJ Peachum (Liam Armstrong), who exploits London’s vagrants, triggers a series of betrayals, arrests, and narrow escapes.
Right from the start, the production makes clear that this is not a play that moralizes; rather, it illustrates the complete absence of morality. As the performance unfolds, it highlights the inherent corruption that capitalism harbours, where ethics and humanity become unaffordable luxuries. The production unflinchingly portrays unpunished rape and murder, revealing that no part of the justice system is immune to the distorting effects of money and power. There is no cathartic resolution; while it serves as an anti-capitalist critique, the play offers no definitive socialist message either—just a stark depiction of a broken, venal world.
Staying true to Brechtian forms, the play frequently breaks the fourth wall to connect directly with the audience, resulting in a truly immersive feel. Theatre Erindale’s production leaned into a strong comedic tone, filled with crude and vulgar humour that prioritized fun over drawing attention to the political undertones. Each performer truly hammed up the silliness of the social archetypes they played without descending into crude caricature.
The performance features an incredibly impressive cast of strong singers, all with incredible vocal dexterity that truly highlighted the desperateness of the characters they played. With no cast members mic’d up, the unamplified voices, accompanied by live piano, created a raw and authentic sound. Additionally, Theatre Erindale’s choice to queer the production was an absolute delight, not only in its disruption of normative gender roles and sexuality but also in its bold portrayal of same-sex desire through the complex, queered relationship between corrupt Chief Inspector “Tiger” (Maggie Tavaras) and the criminal, Mack.
The stage design of the production stays true to the grungy atmospheric integrity of the play. Fogs and haze permeate the performance, enhancing the overall gritty mood. The set features wooden scaffolding, a clever wooden gate with a moving mechanism, and an inventive moving platform designed to evoke the effect of a two-story stage. The lighting is strategically manipulated during integral moments, with the overall design leaning toward darker tones to drill in that strong sense of poverty and drudgery. All in all, Theatre Erindale’s version of this anti-capitalist classic truly is a must-see production.
You can find more information about upcoming showtimes for The Threepenny Opera here.
Acknowledgment is awarded to the cast and crew who made The Threepenny Opera the success that it is: Rylie Abbots, Arielle Abrazaldo, Christine Annett, Joana Ariola, Liam Armstrong, Hasti Asarizadeh, Peter N. Bailey, Leah Boccanfuso, Elia Borges, Jasmine Brough, Madison Buchanan, Caitlin Campbell, Mads Carrick, Katrina Carrier, Mikey De Carolis, Yixuan Chen, Ethan Clayton, Maya Conejo, Aria DeCastro, Alexa Deighton, Bree Dey, Winton Daum, Juno Elliott, Steven Feng, Tia Girolametto, Eden Gisondi, Laura Grandfield, Noah Grittani, Isabella Harper, Justin Hiscox, Cameron Hlemkay, Hafsa Hoosaney, Maya Jain, Jasmine Jenkinson, Jacob Klick-McMahon, Kaden Klodt, Anita La Selva, Shian Li, Rachel Liness, Melinda Little, Nicole Lynch, Lillian Ma, Cordelia Macdonald, Vandana Maharaj, Ella Mayo-Buray, Tinniyah McIntosh, Samantha Miller-Vidal, Rhys Parker, Bryan Pasic, Olivia Phillips, Zack Radford, Siobhan Richardson, Ember Ross, Joelle Salsa, Zoe Saum, Emma Scoble, Sarah Scroggie, Mike Slater, Maggie Tavares, Joseph Taylor, Colleen Tournay, Lucy Treleaven, Michelle Vanderheyden, Teodora Vekovic, Emma Waller, Veronica Watkins, Meredith Watt, Andrew Wright, and Leslie Wright.
