The Hatter
Spired Theatre (Richmond, BC), St. Paul’s Eastern United Church
Reviewed Saturday, June 22, 2013

File this under “seemed like a good idea at the time.� Writer/performer Andrew Wade has concocted an interesting premise for his solo show: What drove Lewis Carroll’s Mad Hatter mad? Much less interesting is the answer – suffice to say that it’s straight out of the Psychology 101 chapter on denial – and how Wade gets there. His Hatter is unconvincing as a character, his trials and tribulations no more resonant than a door mouse’s thoughts are deep. Wade plays, briefly, the March Hare and other Wonderland characters but lacks the agility to make the transitions. There’s an improvised song based on an audience suggestion, but it does nothing except chew up time. The Hatter also reads a long poem which he’s supposedly never seen, yet Wade rattles most of it off without ever looking at the paper on which it’s written. On the plus side, the Hatter does offer fresh tea to every audience member.

The festival continues until June 30 at various downtown venues. Tickets / information: Fringe office, 2 Daly Ave., 2nd floor; 613-232-6162; ottawafringe.com.