Often holding court at a holiday meal is that uncle — a storyteller with a tote bag of tiresome tales ready to be dumped on guests too polite to turn away.
Listening to Aunt Bev, however, would be a real treat.
Actor-singer Beverley Elliott — as she’s known outside her family circle — has packaged a bunch of her life’s favourite yarns into a cabaret show that would blow the doors off uncle’s annual presentation.
Elliott is the woman behind ...Didn’t See That Coming, a show of songs and autobiographical stories with unexpected endings from an entertainer known for her current role as Granny in the ABC TV series Once Upon a Time.
On at Gateway Theatre’s Studio B until Nov. 21, the show put’s Elliott’s talents on display as she takes her audience along a winding, honest narrative.
Elliott first brought her show to the stage at last year’s Vancouver Fringe Festival, enlisting pal Kerry Sandomirsky as director and musical whiz Bill Costin as pianist.
She opens in song and dives into a story of a family wedding, where Aunt Bev is coaxed into participating in the bouquet toss that leads to an obligatory dance with the garter-catcher — a young man she completely misreads.
We’re treated to tales of a conservative small town girl being changed by the Guess Who, facilitating a bar’s New Year’s Eve countdown without a reliable clock, clashing with a rude yoga instructor who gets what’s coming and experiencing dozens of online dating duds.
The effervescent Elliott is skillful in the art of cabaret, deftly pairing her lively voice with Costin’s smart musical delivery. And for a show filled with stories from yesteryear, it’s surprisingly fresh.
Once Upon a Timefans shouldn’t expect Granny to dish on Storybrooke, but Elliott does offer plenty of glimpses into life in show business.
...Didn’t See That Cominggives us something real and invites laughter in a style seldom seen. By confronting her flaws without descending into self-deprecation, Elliott colourfully shows us that life isn’t a bunch of fairy tales, even for an actor in a TV show about them.
The show runs at Gateway Theatre’s Studio B until Nov. 21. Tickets, $20 to $35, at gatewaytheatre.com or 604-270-1812
