Daredevils
By Ellen Peterson		Corael Productions - Winnipeg, MB
V.2 - MTC Up the Alley 
As Jean François Gravelet aka The Great Blondin prepares his next tightrope walk, 160 feet in the air, across the Niagara Gorge, he encounters the young and - female - Maria Spelterini. Daredevils plunges into the world of tightrope walking, where the tension is found not just in the rope, but between two relentless performers, each battling for control, fulfillment and to keep their deepest secrets untouched.

Cast:
Cora Matheson, Michael Strickland

Director:
Matthew Paris-Irvine

Show Info:
60 minutes
Genre:
Play-Dramedy

Audience:
Parental Guidance

Coarse Language

Thu July 17 11:15 AM
Fri July 18 4:30 PM
Sat July 19 9:30 PM
Tue July 22 2:45 PM
Wed July 23 7:30 PM
Fri July 25 1:00 PM
Sat July 26 6:15 PM

Daredevils

Corael Productions—MTC Up the Alley

I’ve been to Niagara Falls a few times and toured the museums. I read about the feats of crossing the gorge on tightropes but didn’t think much more of it. This show zooms in on the character of Jean François Gravelet, with the anonym “The Great Blondin.”

By today’s standards, Blondin feels like a bully, abusive asshole, but I have to frame the context that this occurred in 1860. It is fascinating what he (and others) did to upstage other performers on the rope.

This performance explores a frail side of Blondin beneath the confident, cocksure exterior of the flamboyant acrobat. Superior acting and exemplary presentation highlight this lovely performance.

Ray Yuen