Reviews - Fringe 2016

Fringe 2016 Review: Faith

By Jessica Rose
Published July 18, 2016

"Life is just the shit you remember," says Faith, the abrasive and self-absorbed lead in a play aptly named Faith. Clad in a leather jacket and torn jeans, Faith is a self-righteous and unlikeable teenager, with a tough exterior, but it doesn't take long for audiences to see that there's more to her than what meets the eye.

Faith is clearly struggling - with her father's death, a lack of trajectory, and a feeling that she doesn't belong anywhere, not even in church.

Faith, played by Lindsey Middleton, strikes up a friendship, and eventually an infatuation, with her calm and generous pastor - played by Faith's playwright, Ben Hayward - who is everything she's not. It's the polarity of these personalities, coupled with Hayward's sharp and pithy writing, that makes Faith memorable.

The characters' dialogue moves seamlessly between mindless banter over McDonald's burgers and heavy topics, including fatherhood, fidelity, and above all else, religion, eventually culminating in a delusional Faith breaking into her pastor's bedroom while his wife and children aren't home.

Faith is visceral and raw, employing shock value through vulgar and uncomfortable language. If you prefer theatre that's politically correct and you don't want to run the risk of being called out by Middleton's "horny and rude" character, this likely isn't the play for you.

However, if you're looking for an exuberant two-person show that's tense in just the right places, Faith's combination of physical comedy and wit will be for you.

Since earning a degree in journalism from Carleton University, Jessica Rose has written for publications in Hamilton and across Canada. Her book reviews have appeared in many magazines, including Quill and Quire, Room, Ricepaper, This, the Humber Literary Review, and on rabble.ca. Jessica sits on the board of gritLIT: Hamilton's Readers and Writers Festival. She writes "Shelf Life," Hamilton Magazine's books column and she's also a senior editor for the upcoming Hamilton Review of Books. You can find her blogging on her website, Not My Typewriter, and the Hamilton Arts Council.

0 Comments

View Comments: Nested | Flat

Post a Comment

You must be logged in to comment.

Events Calendar

There are no upcoming events right now.
Why not post one?

Recent Articles

Article Archives

Blog Archives

Site Tools

Feeds