After the resounding success of their first Zoom theatre performance, Sidekick Players are putting the final touches on their next show.
Sidekick presents Norm Foster’s On A First Name Basis on Saturday, April 24 at 7:30 p.m.
On A First Name Basis is about David, a successful novelist with writer's block, who has received some devastating news he's kept to himself.
Lucy, his housekeeper of 28 years, has her own secret that she's afraid to admit. As Lucy is getting ready to end her shift, David invites her to stay and have a drink, curious about the woman who's been tending to his house all these years, but as the night sets in and the drinks start to flow, secrets reveal themselves, for better or worse.
Sidekick is thrilled to have two long-time actors working together again.
Lucy is played by Laura Sutherland-Smith and David is played by Paul Fisher. Both actors have been with Sidekick since their first season.
Fisher played the character of Badger in their first production of The Wind in The Willows while Sutherland-Smith played Eve in their second production of Waiting for the Parade. Since then, they have appeared in several productions together.
One was Mail Order Annie in 2003 where Sidekick won Best Production in Theatre BC's Greater Vancouver Zone Festival. Sutherland Smith won Best Actress and Fisher won Best Actor as well as Carroll Lefebvre for Best Director. The production also won several other awards as well.
“One thing I’ve discovered Zooming plays is that the time frame is very short, and you don’t have three months of face-to-face, in the rehearsal hall, rehearsals,” said Lefebvre. “The cast has no time to grow together and build the trust you need when on stage with any partner. It was immediate casting for me when we decided to do this script. Approaching Laura and Paul was basically a no brainer for me. With only two and a half weeks to put it all together, we needed people who could jump to week five of the rehearsal period on the first day.”
Those interested in attending the virtual performance are asked to email: sidekickplayers@outlook.com to register. Only those who send an e-mail will be admitted. Sidekick’s first performance Outlaw basically sold out, so, registration is very important to secure a spot. The Zoom link to the show will be sent to registrants during the day on April 24.