Review: Mauvais Gars

A bellyful of laughs

By Byron Toben

The wonderful improv folk at Le Nouveau International have done it again! Bringing their improvisational feel to Alain Mercieca’s scripted show for an all too short two-night run, they filled the cozy Theatre Ste-Catherine space with lotsa laughter in yet another bilingual blast.

Described as a “rollicking police dramedy”, it bodes well to be remounted sometime in late 2016. The ensemble again manages to fill the sparse stage with imagined backdrops and settings using only a few props — bike handles, a beer bottle, toy pistols, some flowers and a whole lotta body wiggling — to create lasting images.

The plot deals with gun-deprived over-zealous Montreal cops (and one Westmount officer) confronting rich kids peddling cocaine-doused Christmas candy canes to kiddies when not arresting birds as potential terrorists. The song “Arrest a bird” makes its pop debut in this show.

The plot deals with gun-deprived over-zealous Montreal cops (and one Westmount officer) confronting rich kids peddling cocaine-doused Christmas candy canes…

Images of red squared protesters, perps and cops flying and falling from a rooftop, a sexy interrogation by a Lady Cop and jerky bird walks abound.

The 13 performers who seem as a greater multitude included such Theatre Ste-Cat regulars as Sandi Armstrong, Anton Golikov, Mark Louch, Alain Mercieca, Maite Sinave, Lise Vigneault and Keith Waterfield.

Seated in the front row were Mr. Mercieca’s two kids, 8 and 6, who are acquiring a theatrical background way beyond their peers.

Will they grow up to become playwrights, performers or critics?
Or, in the tradition of rebellious youth, perhaps actuaries?

Stay tuned.

Mauvais Gars played at Theatre Ste-Catherine December 18 and 19.

Byron Toben is the immediate past-president of the Montreal Press Club.