Q&A: The Way Back To Thursday

Astrid Van Wieren

The relationship we have with our grandparents is precious, but sometimes, as we grow older, it becomes difficult to explain our choices to the older generation. Rob Kempson’s The Way Back To Thursday (opening Tuesday January 21 at Theatre Passe Muraille) is a musical exploration of the relationship between a grandson and his grandmother, whose cherished Thursday night screenings of Golden Age movies changes over time. The show stars Kempson and Astrid Van Wieren alongside musicians Sam Bisson and Scott Christian.

We caught up with the Dora Award-winning Van Wieren to find out more about this unique musical experience.

Theatromania: Tell us about your involvement in the development of The Way Back to Thursday. How does this project differ from others you’ve worked on?

AVW: I have done a few workshops of The Way Back to Thursday and have been involved with the project since early in its development. It's been a real labour of love and I'm bursting at the seams for audiences to experience this piece's heart and humour and joy! I've been quite fortunate in my career to do mostly projects that interest, challenge and inspire me as an artist. And The Way Back to Thursday tops that list. And the group I'm privileged to work with on this one—wow!

Theatromania: How would you describe this production in a few sentences?

AVW: The piece is a song cycle. We drop in to the lives of these characters—Cameron and Grandma—at crucial, fragile, explosive, emotional moments in their lives. A metaphor came up the other day in notes, and it breaks down ultimately, but much of the piece is like musical, emotive snow globes that capture particular magic and at times, tragic moments in the characters' lives and particularly their unique relationship/bond.

Theatromania: You play Cameron's grandmother in the play. Can you tell us more about your character and her relationship with her grandson.

AVW: Grandma is never named in the play, which I think highlights her identity and importance to Cameron as "grandma" and how she sees her number one role in life. Hanging out with Cameron is "the highlight of her week." She's a cool grandma. Fun. Saucy. And she and Cameron have fun together and bond over a love of movies—old movies! They eventually become quite estranged, but that is the play's journey, and how this happens, develops and ends is the spine of the story, their love for each other is the heart.

Theatromania: What are some of the challenges you've experienced working on this piece?

AVW: On a technical level, the songs have a wide range and Rob Kempson (he plays Cameron and is the writer/composer of the piece) and I do all of the singing. So just keeping the instrument/voice in shape is a challenge. This is partly difficult because every time I sing one of these beautiful songs, I want to inhabit it and "sing out, Louise!" but sometimes we have to mark (just sing the notes softly—to rest our chords) during tech and that's hard. Also I age about 30 years during the piece... So finding the balance necessary for storytelling and physical truth was tricky. I think Briana Brown, our awesome director, and I have found that balance. And the audience seems to be right there with Grandma as she confronts the challenges of this aging.

Theatromania: What do you hope audiences take away from this performance?

AVW: I hope the audience members leave with an opened heart and that they may want to tell those nearest and dearest, family and chosen family, just how much they love them!

Catch Astrid in The Way Back To Thursday, on stage until February 8 at Theatre Passe Muraille. Visit passemuraille.on.ca for more information and to buy tickets.