Factory Theatre – Kevin Loring’s Where the Blood Mixes

Reviewed by Paula Citron

Kevin Loring’s Where the Blood Mixes won the 2009 Governor General Literary Award. It is a compelling play.

Loring is an Aboriginal writing about the First Nations experience. While there is a lot of humour in the play, one can’t escape the deep problems that continue to plague these people.

Most of the scenes take place in a bar where we meet Floyd, his sometime friend Mooch, Mooch’s long suffering girlfriend June, the barkeep George, and more to the point Floyd’s long lost daughter Christine.

I like plays where you pick up details by implication. In the banter between friends we find out how the characters have been touched by residential schools, alcoholism, suicide, social services and the like.

Director Glynis Leyshon has opted for an energetic, even bombastic approach, but nothing can take away from the pain. A clever innovation is on stage musician Jason Burnstick who supplies the cinematic soundtrack.

Where the Blood Mixes continues at Factory Theatre until Apr. 25.
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Where the Blood Mixes
Factory Theatre
Written by Kevin Loring
Directed by Glynis Leyshon
Starring Billy Merasty, Ben Cardinal, Kim Harvey, Tom McBeath and Margo Kane with musician Jason Burnstick
Factory Theatre, Apr. 1 to 25, 2010
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