Moonlight After Midnight

Edmonton Fringe Festival

4.5 Stars

Moonlight After Midnight is a meld of mystery and ghost story. It is a visually minimalist work, relying on character development and the richness of the prose to transform the almost empty stage into a shabby, moonlit hotel room, in one of the cold, still, loneliest hours after midnight.

The unfolding story is compelling, and the audience was readily drawn in.  Martin Dockery has written a flowing, almost poetic narrative. Vanessa Quesnelle adds to the tension and eeriness of the scene with her “sad love songs” – her pretty, soulful voice sliding through the shadows is reminiscent of the last strains of birdsong echoing through the night.

It is an intimate show. At first, I felt excluded by the body language of the actors – this isn’t a play addressed to the watchers.  And as the tension builds, it becomes even more so.  But this physical intimacy only adds to the mood being created.  Dockery and Quesnelle are both talented solo performers, and this bittersweet gem of an hour they crafted is a rare treat.