Theatre Melee, with the support of Rumble Productions, present humanity’s desperate last stand in Cozy Catastrophe, from October 22 to November 4 at The Cultch. Holed up in a warehouse and thoroughly ill-equipped for Armageddon, a group of survivors must decide whether to spend their final hours praying, fighting back, or just getting to know one another in this unabashed combination of gross-out humour and absurdity.
“Cozy Catastrophe is an apocalyptic, satirical comedy that is ideal for the Hallowe’en season,” says Cultch Executive Director Heather Redfern. “In 2010 we had the harrowing work on our stage as part of the Tremors Festival for all-too short a run. We are delighted to be bringing it back so that even more audiences can experience the suspenseful, hilarious company of these bizarre and brazen figures.”
Theatre Melee is a Vancouver-based six member collective that has been developing and refining the production since 2008. The work originated at Progress Lab’s Hive 2 and has undergone several incarnations since, including a workshop performance at Caravan Farm Theatre, a run at Toronto’s renowned Summerworks Festival, and performances in Rumble Production’s Tremors Festival.
It’s the end of the world. Horrific events overwhelm humanity. As four relative strangers take shelter in a warehouse, they debate on how they should use their final hours as they begin to find solace in one another. The relative safety of their hideout and integrity of the group are quickly compromised by the arrival of a mysterious, severely-injured fifth person. Cozy Catastrophe is a dark tale about ordinary folks bound together by an extraordinary circumstance.
Cozy Catastrophe is directed by Courtenay Dobbie and Craig Hall and stars Andrew McNee, Erin Mathews, Tanya Podlozniuk, Michael Rinaldi, and Juno Ruddell. The piece also features an original, spooky soundscape by Vancouver sound designer and cast member Michael Rinaldi plus fight choreography by Kevin Kruchkywich.
Cozy Catastrophe
Dates: October 22 to November 4, 8 pm
Venue: The Cultch, 1895 Venables Street, Vancouver
Tickets: From $30; available online, in person at The Cultch address above, or by phoning 604.251.1363
All images courtesy of Theatre Melee.