The musical theatre version of a cult classic horror series arguably as popular as its silver screen cousins returns to the McManus Studio Theatre this April.<\/p>\n
Local theatre producer John Iglesias first brought Evil Dead: The Musical to London in 2011. A Canadian production originally created in Toronto by George Reinblatt, Christopher Bond, Frank Cipolla and Melissa Morris (with approval from Evil Dead creator Sam Raimi and film series star Bruce Campbell), the musical began as a workshop in 2003 and grew into an off-Broadway run in 2006.<\/p>\n
With an all-local cast assembled by Iglesias, the campy, colourful and blood-splattered show also found an audience in London. At the time, it provided a unique flavour for Iglesias\u2019 relatively new company, Iglesia Productions, and led to other shows both light-hearted and more dramatically profound.<\/p>\n
There was something about Evil Dead, though, that always encouraged Iglesias and the cast to do it a second time.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think there was an opportunity to bring it back right away, but then I thought I\u2019ll give it a couple years and if it still has the same kind of impact and people are still talking about it, then maybe I\u2019ll think about it,\u201d Iglesias said. \u201cPeople kept stopping me saying, \u2018Hey, why don\u2019t you bring it back? It was so much fun.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
So the show will open again at the McManus April 1, but don\u2019t expect Iglesias to stage it twice without making a few changes. He said one of the benefits to tackling to show again is adding things that couldn\u2019t be done the first time.<\/p>\n
That will include a raised stage, Iglesias said, to better incorporate the cellar inside the infamous cabin in the woods. Audiences will be even closer to the action this time too, with a theatre-of-the-round style setup that should help bring down the musical\u2019s already flimsy fourth wall.<\/p>\n
\u201cHonestly I set it up more like a rock concert,\u201d Iglesias said. \u201cI do have to make it different. There\u2019s so much riding on this one because it has to be better and I don\u2019t want people to think we\u2019re remounting the same thing we did in 2011.\u201d<\/p>\n
Most of the original cast is returning, although there will be a few notable exceptions. Luca Monti (who you might remember from Little Shop) will play Scotty, Jessica Ducharme will play Cheryl and Kate Deman also joins the cast to help out in a couple different aspects.<\/p>\n
London native Mark Nocent as Ash will again lead the all-local cast. A graduate of Oakridge secondary school, Nocent recently finished a two-year acting program at Humber College and is now based in Toronto.<\/p>\n
The first time around, Nocent played Ash convincingly, keeping in touch with the character\u2019s B-movie popularity, so perhaps it was a good decision not to be satisfied with a simple Bruce Campbell impersonation.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has been really fun and (Iglesias) has really supported me and most of my acting decisions, and just really getting to play the character,\u201d Nocent said. \u201cThere\u2019s definitely elements of (Bruce Campbell) in what I\u2019m doing but it\u2019s got to feel right for me to perform it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reclaiming the role was an easy decision, Nocent added.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted to do it again because it\u2019s so ridiculous and so much fun,\u201d he said. \u201cPeople actually really wanted to come and see it. People came from all over to see it and that was really encouraging.\u201d<\/p>\n
IF YOU GO:<\/p>\n
What: Evil Dead: The Musical<\/p>\n
Where: The McManus Studio Theatre<\/p>\n
When: April 1-5, 8-12 at 7 p.m. 1 p.m. matinees on April 5, 6, 11, and 12.<\/p>\n
Tickets: www.grandtheatre.com.