By Kaori Furue

Image courtesy of Beacon Theatre Company.

Wednesday night’s opening performance of Thaiing the Knot reinforces what we knew all along: Toronto is brimming with fantastic independent theatre that is both marquee-quality and ridiculously affordable. A mere $15 per ticket gained us entry to this full-length, two-hour (with intermission) production of Thom Stoneman’s wrenching story of love, loss, obligation, faith, and guilt that somehow manages to keep the audience laughing out loud the entire time.
The drama takes place mostly in the bridal suite of a hotel in Thailand where soon-to-be-married Victor (Danny MacDonald) and Pamela (Claudia Yiu) are putting the finishing touches on their special day with best man Sean (Tim Welham) when Victor’s estranged family descends upon them. The subtleties of the dialogue and comedic timing are manifested flawlessly by the entire ensemble, but Victor’s mother, played by Marianne McIsaac, steals the show with her pitch-perfect portrayal of a well-meaning, but disapproving mother-in-law. Awkwardness never reached such heights—it’s delicious to watch.
At no point does the action lag; we were riveted the entire time, and by the end we were fully invested in all of the characters who are fleshed out so skillfully by this young group of actors. And all you savvy theatre-goers will appreciate the decidedly un-Hollywood ending.
Thaiing the Knot runs until this Saturday, September 26 with nightly shows at 8 p.m. and 2 p.m. matinees on the weekend.