Theatre New Brunswick is breathing new life into Lord Beaverbrook with their upcoming play Beaverbrook. Along with renowned author David Adams Richards, TNB is inviting the public to a workshop production of the play to help the creative team learn what works.
“There’s been some autobiographies and other things written on Beaverbrook, but most of them are not so favourable,” said Caleb Marshall, director of the play. “David has tremendous respect for Beaverbrook, but at the same time David never pulls any punches with respect to his characters.”
The play, written by Richards, is an adaptation of his book Extraordinary Canadians: Lord Beaverbrook. The biography details Lord Beaverbrook’s life growing up as Max Aitken in Miramichi and taking his place on the national and international stage as an entrepreneur and philanthropist. The play is the third project Marshall and Richards have worked on together, and Marshall said Beaverbrook was the perfect candidate for a TNB production.
“It’s written by one of New Brunswick’s preeminent writers and it’s a really fascinating chapter in our history,” said Marshall. “From a dramatic perspective, you could take almost any chapter from Max Aitken’s life and write a play about it.”
Richards knows Beaverbrook’s story has been told before, but he brings his own understanding of the man into his creation of the character. Richards also grew up in Miramichi, so he has a natural fascination and connection to Beaverbrook as a monumental figure. But ultimately, he wants this play to simply show Beaverbrook as a person.
“First of all, it’s a play about a human being and I think it’s going to be interesting,” he said.
The script is in good shape, said Richards, but the audience will help him iron out the kinks and test certain elements. After the workshop production – which will be partially staged with sound and light design – Richards and Marshall will hold an open Q&A session with the audience. Marshall is looking forward to test-driving the play with an audience. Marshall hopes the show will get picked up by TNB in the next couple of seasons.
“People will be amazed by his achievements,” he said. “It’s probably one of the most significant plays TNB has commissioned and developed in a long time, perhaps ever.”
The workshop will take place in the Black Box Theatre on Feb. 27 and 28 at 7:30 p.m. with a 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday. Tickets are $20, $10 for students.
