Swordfish offers its audience a heartfelt and humorous tale about following one’s dreams

Guelph Little Theatre’s latest production sees an unexpected antique set the tone for suspenseful plot twists

As the lights in the auditorium dimmed and focused on the set of Deja Vu Antiques, the audience at the Guelph Little Theatre was brought back in time to November of 1965 to observe a dark comedy as though they were another antique on the shelf. 

With Swordfish, playwright Tom Reidel has created a story of friendship and passion set in Hamilton, Ont.  

The set was reflective of Reidel’s thoughtful planning as the “Deja” part of the antique store’s name also represented the main characters, Dean and Janet (De and Ja), a married couple who left their professional careers to own the antique store. Janet was an educated journalist from Western University, which becomes relevant later in the show. 

Although Deja Vu Antiques was the only location shown in the play, there was not a dull moment on stage. Scene changes were accompanied by smooth jazz selected from Canadian musicians of the 1960s. Speaking as an audience member, this complemented the set as it felt like we were brought back to the time period, forgetting the world of 2021 just outside the theatre. 

In addition to the stage set, the costumes also effectively represented the time period and allowed each character to maintain an individual personality. Janet’s mother, Mrs. W, was a crude and critical character in the early scenes of the play, and her wardrobe reflected that. She made appearances wearing a statement-making bright red dress with a black fur coat, and later, she wore black pants with a tartan accent and matching shawl. Though gorgeous, these bold costumes emphasized her ‘judgemental mother’ character.

Near the beginning of the performance, Janet searched through a box that had been dropped off at the store. Inside of it, she found a diary which she began to read, causing her to instantly fall in love with the beautiful yet tragic stories written on its pages. Although it was not until the end of the play that this item was returned to its rightful author, there was no doubt among the audience that this item had in fact completely altered the outcome of Janet’s, Dean’s, and their customers’ lives. 

In my opinion, the cast is what truly brought this story to life. Arthur Harkins (who played Dean) had the audience cracking up over his facial expressions, and Katy Chapman (who played Janet) made excellent use of the stage and space around her to project her hilarious statements.

Walter, best known as “Wally,” was Dean’s best friend and a regular customer at Deja Vu Antiques. His character was extremely loud and irritating. However, he played an important role in pushing the plot forward and showing love to his friends. One of his lines garnered the greatest reaction: roaring laughter from the audience when he mentioned purchasing himself a brand new “luxurious” TV which was coloured and had a 23-inch screen. 

One notable aspect of this live performance was how it portrayed pushback against the societal expectations of the 1960s in Canada. Reidel achieves this portrayal through Janet and Dean’s personal goals. Regardless of others’ opinions – specifically Mrs. W’s – the couple decided to leave their jobs to follow their passion for antiques. Dean and Janet also did not intend to have children despite being married for eight years, which could have also been looked down upon by society during this time. 

Within the humorous plot, Reidel also skillfully incorporated hidden messages. 

A swordfish antique was brought into the store at the beginning of the show as a donation, and was hung on the wall to be a decoration. As a symbol, the swordfish can be representative of fear or a change of heart in new situations. Parallel to this, the couple decided that they did not love their practical jobs, so they took a risk and decided to open their own business. Unfortunately, a turn of events prevented them from enjoying their new experience, and they spent their time worrying about the future of their lives instead.

It was clear that Mrs. W. was not impressed by her daughter’s choice of career, as she believed that it was “unstable.” However, Wally asked her: “If someone is a good person, does it matter what their job is?”

The answer to this question concluded the show with a surprising yet satisfying turn of events.

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