Blind Date

Rebecca Northan as Mimi in Blind Date. Photo by Michael Meehan.

Meeting someone new for the first time can be both an exciting and anxiety-inducing experience, even for the most outgoing individual, triggering an inner dialogue of questions: Will they like me? Will I like them? How will the conversation flow, if at all? If that someone new happens to be a potential love interest, a burst of nervous emotions are thrown into the mix—all of which provide the foundation for Rebecca Northan's fabulously original and entertaining show Blind Date, now on stage at Tarragon Theatre's Mainspace. Blind Date made its debut at Toronto's Harbourfront Centre in 2007, returning again in 2009 and 2010 to sold out houses. After a tour across Canada, the US (off-Broadway), and in London, the highly original production is back on stage in Toronto.

In Blind Date, Northan captivates the audience as Mimi, a beautiful young woman with a striking red dress and a matching clown nose. Each performance of the show is a genuinely unpredictable experience with a different outcome every time. We first meet Mimi sitting in a cafe sipping on red wine, where she reveals, in a charming French accent, that she has been waiting for her blind date for over two hours. She encourages the audience to voice their disdain at this situation, and then suggests that a brave audience member join her on stage as her date. At Wednesday evening's performance, a delighted young man from the audience joined Northan on stage to become part of the play.

As Mimi and her date get to know one another, there is a feeling of authenticity that any individual who has been on a first date will recognize. The production is so true to life that the audience often feels nervous, excited, and hopeful at various moments as the pair continue their date. One particular highlight of the production is the way Northan breaks down the fourth wall, which happens immediately when Mimi addresses the audience, but also in a “time-out” space that she has created on one side of the stage. Mimi explains to her date that the “time-out” space is a place to which they can both retreat to at any time during the production if they need to talk about something happening in the “world of the play.” These moments outside of the production are some of the most engaging and touching of all.

Although each performance of Blind Date will undoubtedly be different than the last, the universal emotions it evokes will still be present as two strangers get to know one another. It is this relatable feeling, as well as Northan's formidable talent, that makes Blind Date a hugely enjoyable production.

Note: Mimi will be played on some evenings by Christy Bruce, who appears during Northan's performance as a waitress.

Blind Date runs until October 4, 2015 at the Tarragon Theatre Mainspace. Visit tarragontheatre.com for more information and to buy tickets.