MORRISBURG – Delivering all the wit, charm and humour expected from any work by Canadian playwright Norm Foster – but in an unexpected package – Danny & Delilah opened this past weekend at the Upper Canada Playhouse.
When young Delilah suddenly finds herself in need of a place to stay just weeks before she graduates from high school, her guidance counsellor, Sherry, offers to take her in. What Delilah never expects is to find an unlikely best friend in Sherry’s 72-year-old father, Danny.
Foster’s brand new show features playhouse veteran Garfield Andrews as Danny and a stellar debut by actor Kritika Khanna as Delilah. Khanna, having just graduated from the National Theatre School of Canada in May, couldn’t have been any better portraying the 17-year-old Delilah. She did more than just play the part; she charmed the grumpy, 72-year-old Habs fan into a believable friendship, and the audience was along for the ride, equally charmed by the performance.
A last-minute casting change meant that Andrews was still learning his lines on the fly during the early performances of the show, but having a script in hand did not distract from any of the character relationships developed on stage. The father-daughter relationship portrayed between Jane Spence, who played Danny’s adult daughter Sherry Becker, and Andrews was spot on — just the right amount of banter, caring and concern.
Viviana Zarrillo, as neighbour Muriel Greene, was relentless in her pursuit of widower Danny and relentlessly funny, delivering laugh after laugh throughout.
Each of the actors on their own delivered performances worth seeing, but together in Danny & Delilah, they delivered a show that shouldn’t be missed.
Directed by Jesse Collins, Norm Foster’s Danny & Delilah runs until June 28 at the Upper Canada Playhouse. For tickets, visit uppercanadaplayhouse.ca or call the box office.
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