Enchanted by Sunshine and Wisteria

Though the snow has long melted from the Ottawa streets and the skies cleared to blue, the memory of our dreary winter is still fresh in our minds. The cold dark days were bleak and depressing, caged inside the walls of our homes and offices. It was suffocating, and few could be blamed for dreaming of an escape.

But how many took that leap of faith?

This throw-caution-to-the-wind mentality is precisely the story of Sarah Hearn's light-hearted adaptation of Enchanted April, now playing at Ottawa Little Theatre.

It's 1922 Britain, and World War I has left men weary and numb and forced women back to their traditional roles in the home. A collective identity crisis has everyone questioning their role in society. And the rain seems never-ending.

For eternal dreamer Lotty Wilton, an advertisement in the London Times offering a castle on the Italian coastline for rent for the month of April is a chance for liberation.

Wilton coaxes another beige-hearted woman, Rose Arnott, into responding to the ad, and the pair devise a plan to escape the miserable weather and their miserable lives. An alcoholic socialite and a stiff elderly widow are asked along for the ride, and what ensues is a humorous journey as we watch the women find enchantment and rediscover their happiness.

There are many strengths of this production for which Hearn can be applauded.

The first is casting. Each character is well executed, particularly Chantal Planet as Lotty.

Another is costume and set design. While the visible safety pins that make it clear that the 1920s outfits weren't custom made and the visible set changes between scenes are slightly awkward, the visual appeal on stage is dazzling. The fur-trim coats and tailored hats are straight out of the '20s, and the backdrop change between Acts 1 and 2 is an impressive surprise.

Laura Hall and Charlotte Stewart (Photo: Alan Dean)

On the surface, the play may seem like a shallow, happily ever after tale. But it is so much more than that. Consider this the original Under the Tuscan Sun. It highlights the need for female empowerment and self-worth. It suggests that sometimes you need to step back from your everyday life to realize the things most important in it.

More than anything, it's funny. Still playing to a packed theatre two weeks after its debut, the script had the audience giggling at its many pokes at relationship and personality clichés.

For those who are enchanted by sunshine and wisteria, like Lotty and the phrase she so often repeats, this production might just be the inspiration you need to follow your dreams, pack your bags, and get away. It is April, and it might just be enchanted after all.

Enchanted April runs until April 10.

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