Shadows in Bloom
by Gemma Wilcox
Shadows shudder and surface, plus 20 exciting new characters from the creator of The Honeymoon Period is Officially Over:
Best-Solo-Performance –Ottawa Fringe 2007
Best-of-Fest –Winnipeg Fringe 2007
“It’s sexy, It’s polished, it’s precise…a delight to watch.” -Alvina Ruprecht, CBC Ottawa
“[She] shows you what theater can be.” -Orlando Sentinel “A remarkable display of both writing and performance” –Denver Post
www.gemmawilcox.com & myspace.com/gemmawilcox
June 20th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
loved it.
As they say, it’s what theatre can be - just a stage, a seat, and an actor.
Nothing else is needed; Gemma builds it all for us.
Every character is distinct, every move is precise.
Well done!
June 21st, 2008 at 1:17 am
Listed as one of the top 10 picks to see at this year’s fringe in the Ottawa Citizen.
Check it out: http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/arts/story.html?id=5d48fecb-8a86-4a1e-a46b-a24b2a83987b
June 22nd, 2008 at 9:26 am
After the house lights came up, my wife turned to our friend and asked, “So how did you like the show?”
“Oh, Wow!!!”
Gemma Wilcox tends to have that effect on audience members.
If you saw “The Honeymoon Period is Officially Over”, you know what that means. If you missed it (as our friend did) you have a wonderful discovery ahead of you.
So much for the second play curse.
Although this is a sequel, “Shadows in Bloom” stands on its own, and what little backstory you need is supplied early in the show. With 20 (yes, folks, I said 20) new characters, there’s plenty to explore without needing to know the previous play.
You may find that you have a favourite character. Last time my favourite was the cat. This time it’s the Calla lily. What? You’ve never seen an actor play a Calla lily? Sometimes I wonder if there’s anything Gemma Wilcox can’t play. Perhaps, someday, someone will say: “Don’t step on that spider! It might be Gemma Wilcox.”
I don’t want to give too much away, but this is one of those rare instances where I wish I’d been in the front row. I might have been given a G&T! Tanquerays even. (OK, OK, so it would have been an imaginary G&T!)
That’s what’s so wondrous about a Gemma Wilcox performance: how it sparks the imagination. As I recall there was but one bench on stage. Yet I can see the new flat (many boxes still unpacked), the next door neighbour’s garden, the boyfriend’s car, his daughter’s bedroom, the Jazz bar down the road, the seafood restaurant with its lobster tank, etc. All in my mind’s eye. Only a few small details are crystal clear, but the essence of these places is still fresh.
“Leave them wanting more” is the dictum. The ending makes “Shadows in Bloom” feels like the middle of a trilogy.
Please, Sir, I want more.
Tell me how long do I have to wait? Can I have it now, or must I hesitate?
June 23rd, 2008 at 12:52 am
A bloomin’ DELIGHT ! ! !
I just love the journey Gemma takes us on, to her world and her ‘dark’ inner world.
She makes everything come to life. I even expected the french toast to ‘bid adieu’ as it meets its end.
She expertly crafts such a world that it seems real in my mind with the delicate nuances of her acting. And acting it is, at its finest.
An emotional rollercoaster kept on track by a well crafted actor. Bravo. You absolutely shine. You are a GEM.ma.
Five out of FOUR stars…absolutely.
June 23rd, 2008 at 1:25 am
I would gladly watch Gemma Wilcox do almost anything. She is intense and precise and focused and a terrific storyteller. I liked this one better than “The Honeymoon Period is Officially Over”, and that show was terrific. Do go. Do. Just do.
June 23rd, 2008 at 1:58 pm
It takes more than just talent to hold an audience’s attention in a “one man show”. It takes that almost undefinable “it” factor that Gemma Wilcox displays in her emotional committment to all the characters in her latest offering. This is my firt Gemma show…but hopefully it will not be the last. And I venture to say that those in her Sunday audience, who were holding on to her every word and gesture, will be looking to see more of Gemma Wilcox.
June 24th, 2008 at 12:18 am
When I explain Gemma’s shows, everyone always asks, “but don’t you get confused?” and to them I say “Never! She is just that good!”
June 24th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Wow, what a fantastic way to start the day. Gemma Wilcox takes you on a beautiful story of a woman growing through change and matters of the heart. I was amazed at her more than twenty characters and their distinctiveness from one another — from a calla lily to her boyfriend to lobsters to a sultry jazz songstress. Her use of flashbacks and daydreams gave a wonderful texture to this show. I was drawn in from the beginning as I could see myself in some of her story. And it’s a lesson I know well. Things take time to grow, and they will only grow when you listen.
June 24th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Ottawa Citizen Reviw
A GLIMPSE INTO THE SHADOWS
Patrick Langston, The Ottawa Citizen
Published: Monday, June 23, 2008
A self-important, upper-class lily, a two-timing sax player, a pair of lobsters bound for the cooking pot: Gemma Wilcox is a shape-shifter extraordinaire.
In her one-woman show, she plays 20 characters - some human, some not - each with distinct postures, motivations, conflicts. All are connected in some way with Sandra who, turning 30 years old, is a little hapless, frequently hurt, forever hopeful. She asks only for a good man in her life but gets instead, well, you can guess.
You might remember the London, U.K.-born Wilcox from last year’s fringe, when The Honeymoon Period is Officially Over captured Best Solo Performance and Best in Venue.
With Shadows in Bloom, she uses only a small bench for a prop as she slips from character to character, whisks us from Sandra’s home to a crowded blues bar to a neighbour’s lush garden, sparks laughter or empathy with the smallest gesture.
Wilcox also uses London’s many accents and dialects to help people understand her bustling, layered world. Running through that world is the metaphor of gardening, with some plants, like some people, thriving while others wilt. Wilcox’s vision is honest, welcoming and ultimately hopeful. You’ll be glad you shared in it.
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Shadows in Bloom continues until Sat., June 29, at Arts Court Theatre.
June 28th, 2008 at 9:52 am
She is simply brilliant. I was absolutely riveted and continue to be in awe of her performance. Another Fringe show that you can’t go wrong punching your card for. Go. Do not miss it. You will not regret it.
June 29th, 2008 at 12:42 am
A definite gem in this year’s fringe, this show is exceptionally well-written and beautifully acted. Gemma Wilcox takes what would be a mundane or cliched topic in lesser hands - a sketch of a relationship of a woman in closing in on 30 - and develops it into a beautiful, creative and captivating story. While the Saturday night show was the last scheduled show, I would give this one a very good chance of winning best in venue, so if it’s playing on Sunday definitely go see it if you haven’t already!