Going in to see this play we had no idea really what to expect as we weren’t familiar with the content. It turned out to be a very good story about relationships and hypocrisy. Watching the two main actors, Martin and his wife, Stevie, trade barbs was a delight and demonstrated the synchronism of a long married couple who know how each other thinks and what they will say. Until Martin tells Stevie that he’s in love with a goat called Sylvia. Yes, a goat. Martin seems to be able to accept his love for a goat but has difficulty accepting that his son is gay or is he reflecting back on his own object of desire and taking it out on his son?
Keep up with the word play and semantics and enjoy the ride. Lucy Peacock, a mainstay of the Stratford stage, is a powerhouse as is Rick Roberts in the role of Martin.
The play is on at the Studio Theatre on George Street in downtown Stratford. It is the smallest of the theatres in town and no seat is a bad seat. The show runs around ten minutes shy of two hours and there is no intermission.
Edward Albee’s The Goat or, Who is Sylvia? | Stratford Festival is on until September 29, 2024.
