Creditors

Liisa Repo-Martell and Noah Reid in The Coal Mine production of Creditors. Photo by Michael Cooper.

A new indie theatre venue has popped up in Toronto's east end, this time under the Magic Oven at 798 Danforth Avenue. Led by artistic curator Ted Dykstra and artistic producer Diana Bently, The Coal Mine Theatre earned raves for their first two shows—an explosive production of Stephen Adly Guirgis' The Motherfucker With The Hat directed by Layne Coleman, followed by Mike Bartlett's Bull directed by David Ferry. The third and final show in the company's inaugural season is a new production of August Strindberg's rarely produced tragicomedy Creditors, a dark exploration of gender warefare with surprisingly modern themes.

The three character play takes place in the parlour of a seaside resort where a manipulative older man Gustav (Hardee T. Lineham) preys on the suggestible emotions of Adolph (Noah Reid), a young artist who confesses to having problems in his marriage. Gustav is clearly out for revenge as he poisons Adolph's mind with harsh truths about his absent wife. When Adolph's wife Tekla (Liisa Repo-Martell) finally arrives, the power games shift in fascinating and unexpected ways.

Director Rae Ellen Bodie gets strong performance out of the cast: Reid's tortured Adolph is an endearing blend of miserable and funny, Lineham delivers blow after blow with perfect timing as the sly Gustav, and Repo-Martell is striking as the beguiling Tekla. Strindberg's characters demonstrate both vulnerability and cruelty throughout the play, which makes for a suspenseful viewing experience.

Featuring charming costume design by Ming Wong, and beautiful set design by Andrea Mittler, Creditors is a captivating piece that will leave you anxious to see what The Coal Mine has in store for its 2015/2016 season. Visit facebook.com/coalminetheatre or contact coalminetheatre@gmail.com for more information. Ticket prices range from $15-$30 and can be purchased at www.brownpapertickets.com.