Of Human Bondage

Dan Chameroy, Gregory Prest & Oliver Dennis. Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann.

Art imitates life in Soulpepper's current production Of Human Bondage, the world premiere stage adaptation by Vern Thiessen, based on the classic novel by Somerset Maugham. Helmed by director Albert Schultz, the show is fast-paced, melodic and beautifully staged, featuring a stellar cast, magical set and lighting design by Lorenzo Savoini, and stirring music and sound design by Mike Ross.

The story centres around artist-turned-medical student Philip Carey (Gregory Prest). Cursed with a generous soul and a club foot, the promising young doctor falls head over heels in love with a tea shop girl named Mildred Rogers (Michelle Monteith). His obsession with the decidedly crass young woman grows stronger the worse she treats him, and their one-sided relationship threatens to destroy everything he has worked hard to acheive.

Torn between his need to possess Mildred and pursuing a successful career, Philip eventually succumbs to poverty. This sacrifice also includes the loss of the respectable Norah Nesbitt (Sarah Wilson), an enterprising writer who is clearly in love with him.

Ultimately, it is with the help of his friends, artists Lawson (Oliver Dennis) and Cronshaw (Dan Chameroy), as well as a former patient, Thorpe Athelney and his kindhearted daughter Sally (Courtney Ch'ng Lancaster), that Philip is finally able to identify real beauty and truth in the complex tapestry of his life.

The cast performs brilliantly under Schultz, with Prest delivering some of the most exciting work of his career to date. Monteith is equally strong as the treacherous Mildred, both vulnerable and extremely manipulative. And Chameroy's nuanced portrayal of the alcoholic poet Cronshaw is an audience favourite. 

A stunning examination of love, lust, life and death, Of Human Bondage belongs on the stage. Don't miss the chance to see Maugham's unforgettable characters in the flesh.

Of Human Bondage runs until May 17 at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts. Visit soulpepper.ca for more information and to buy tickets.

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