Love springs eternal in The Red King's Dream

Shadow Theatre opens its 25th season at the newly renovated Varscona Theatre with playwright David Belke’s The Red King’s Dream, a charming romantic comedy reflecting real life problems.

In the arena of romance, Stephen Tudor is the quintessential everyman. When facing the woman he is infatuated with, he blushes, his pulse quickens and he is speechless.

Steven Tudor (Mathew Hulshof) is also the classic nerd, overly intelligent and socially awkward. Steven writes indexes, those lists at the back of books, and remembers everything he’s ever read.

Suffering from agoraphobia, Steven lives a cloistered life cocooned in his apartment. He works in a precisely ordered, symmetrical environment and his only visits are from Amy (Rachel Bowron), his bubbly, but slightly ditsy neighbour.

An elementary school teacher by day, a jazz singer by night, Amy has a knack for dating a string of losers. But she’s developed an easy-going BFF relationship with Steven that anchors both their lives.

Steven’s other visitor is Katherine Rapell (Linda Grass), his domineering, manipulative boss with a personality similar to an ambush-ready praying mantis. She is unrelenting in her exorbitant demands. Rather than treat him as a valued employee, she views him as a specimen under glass.

Zoe Pryce (Amber Bissonnette) inadvertently steps into this dysfunctional situation after she forgets her key and buzzes Steven’s apartment to be let in.

When Steven sees her, it’s infatuation at first sight and down the rabbit hole of love he drops. But Zoe just wants to be a good neighbour and restart her life after a disastrous breakup.

Steven has absolutely no experience at flirting and his interactions are off-kilter and humorous. In the hands of a lesser actor than Hulshof, Steven could come across as pathetic.

However, Hulshof lends a naÄŹve charm to this little guy who tries so hard to break out of his comfort zone. In this one-sided love affair, Steven often speaks directly to the audience. By doing so he invites us into his world as a friend, confidant, possibly even a therapist.

This is a well-orchestrated cast with an easy-going chemistry. Bissonnette is the beautiful, intelligent neighbour who keeps romance at arms length. Glass is volatile as the repellent, over-the-top boss, and Bowron’s caring Amy sees a romantic train wreck a mile away, but is still there for a friend.

Directed under the sure hand of John Hudson, The Red King’s Dream is a warm confection that reminds us love springs eternal at the most unexpected moments.

It runs until Saturday, Nov. 13.