The Shipment Shakes You To The Core

By Maddy Cristall

The Shipment is a powerful theatrical production that truly sticks with you. The highly creative, contentious and controversial production is unlike anything I have seen. The production is presented by Speakeasy Theatre and takes place at the intimate Firehall Theatre. It was written by the esteemed playwright Young Jean Lee and features five incredibly strong actors- Andrew Creightney, Chris Francisque, Omari Newton, Adrian Neblett, and Kiomi Pyke. The all-black cast explores the stereotypes of black culture in both humorous and upsetting ways. 

The play begins with a jarring comedic routine that evokes strong feelings amongst the audience. The tension of the monologue is broken by the other cast members comically interrupting the show while acting as playgoers. The stage opens up and reveals a Russian doll of stories and mediums such as dancing, singing, surrealist performance and a stunning dramatic story. It is a wildly creative production yet still manages to be cohesive and culturally relevant. Some moments are fall out of your chair funny while others and brutally uncomfortable. The amount of depth, talent and bravery that went into the production is apparent throughout the dazzling 90 minutes. The Shipment invites the audience to explore internalized racism and Canadian prejudice that our country often pretends not to have. Additionally, each actor is a triple threat and delivered this subject matter with the dominion it deserves. The hip-hop infused soundtrack is also worthy of its own highly successful playlist. The Shipment is an excellent reminder that theatre can shake us to our very core. It came as no surprise that the production concluded with resounding applause while the audience remained glued to their seats, taking in what they just witnessed.