THEATRE PREVIEW

AUGUST 2026 | Volume 266

 

I had never heard of Black Box Theatre until last summer when they did The Play That Goes Wrong on Granville Island (a year ahead of the Arts Club production). It was a tight, hilarious staging of a crazily difficult comedy without a single Equity actor (https://www.vancouverplays.com/review-granville-island-play-goes-wrong-25.shtml).Then this spring they did Wonderwall, a new play by James Barclay who also starred in it, directed by Tracey Labrosse, who had directed The Play That Goes Wrong and acted in both. Wonderwall was a fine, sensitive play with excellent direction by Labrosse and a sensational performance by Barclay (https://www.vancouverplays.com/review-nest-wonderwall-26.shtml).

Black Box, Barclay and Labrosse are back with Barclay’s The Movie Star with Labrosse again at the helm and Barclay in the title role. Like Wonderwall, it’s a gentle, upbeat comedy about people in trouble and the human decency that might get them through it. Barclay played a brain-damaged character in Wonderwall and the movie star here shares some of his qualities. This script isn’t as strong but it’s a worthwhile effort with a positive message and another solid ensemble cast.

Barclay plays Cole, a clueless bad boy Hollywood star cast as the next James Bond. But when an offensive tweet combined with multiple DUI’s and a punchout with paparazzi puts his career-defining role in jeopardy, he reluctantly agrees to do 500 hours of community service in a shelter run by Grace (Christi Arellano), the sister of Cole’s manager Josh (Andrew Kenny).

In a somewhat far-fetched plot device, Cole buys a small theatre in order to produce and direct a play by one of the denizens of the shelter, Eli (Tom Kavadias), to be performed by the other inhabitants, Lily (Ashley Kim) and Seth (Reid Anderson), along with Grace. We never get to see the result, but Cole’s commitment and a deus ex machina change of plan for the Bond film lead to Cole’s redemption. The parental issues that seem to plague all the characters are partially put to rest as well.

Barclay’s quirky Cole, who sometimes seems to be on the spectrum, keeps the audience off balance in regard to his true motives and feelings. Arellano does a fine job making Grace the most solid of the characters, and both Kavadias and Kim are especially entertaining. Labrosse once again shows a sure directorial hand, keeping the laughs in balance with the more serious elements of the story.

The Movie Star is another sign that Barclay, Labrosse and company are artists to be reckoned with.

 

 

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