Understudy

Written and performed by Gillian Clark, Understudy is a hilarious yet hard hitting one act about a nine year old boy named Dylan. He is on a journey of self acceptance through the rehearsal process of his school’s Christmas Pageant, but he has clearly been miscast as Sheep #11/ Wiseman #1 Understudy. Taking cues from his actor mother, Dylan uses performance as a safe way of expressing his most difficult feelings by reimagining Blanche Dubois, Shakespearean Sonnets, Medea and the history of the Castrati as only a nine year old could.

Understudy considers important questions about gender identity, but it is predominantly about the extremes we go to in search of love. The show also features string cheese, Shakira, and sequins.

Directed by Laura Vingoe-Cram and Richie Wilcox, Understudy premiered at the Atlantic Fringe Festival in 2013. The show sold out and has since played in Halifax (for the Magnetic North Theatre Festival’s Guerilla Theatre series and the Queer Acts Theatre Festival), Lethbridge (Alberta), London (England), and Mumbai (India).

Understudy won the audience choice award at Halifax’s QueerActs Theatre Festival.

For inquires about touring, email Gillian.