REVIEW: DLT’s “LATE COMPANY” SERVES 90 MINUTES OF WHITE-KNUCKLED TENSION

Apr 26

Chillingly comic with white-knuckled tension, Late Company closes out Dundas Little Theatre’s impressive 2025-2026 season. With the overarching theme of the season being mental health and how generations deal, or, more accurately, don’t deal with it, Late Company finds two families meeting for dinner a year after a tragic loss but the gathering only unravels grief, blame, and the lasting impact of bullying impossible to keep off the table. The play, written by award-winning Canadian playwright Jordan Tannahill, and inspired by real life events of bullied teen Jamie Hubley, shines a harsh and necessary light on 21st century society and its volatile youth culture.

Director Francesca Brugnano has succeeded in bringing together a cast who are equal parts dramatic powerhouses and increasingly infuriating as characters. The audible scoffing from the Sunday matinee audience during several arguments and reveals throughout the show demonstrates the caliber of effort these actors have put into their character portrayals, blurring the lines between being sympathetic and utterly disingenuous. Great care has been put into each scene as the purposefully awkward comedic moments eventually subside and transform the space into one of painful grief and the families seeking absolution that never comes.

James Vezina portrays grieving father Michael with a politician’s stoicism for as long as possible before his emotional weight collapses. It is a layered and moving performance. Timothy Hevesi is deeply unlikable (a testament to his acting craftsmanship) as a judgmental, exhausted father who, like his wife, portrayed by the always exceptional Christine Marchetti, believe in those trite sayings of “boys will be boys” and “buck up and move on” attitudes of their parents before them. Andrew Plasky demonstrates a quieter, yet deeply impactful performance as sullen teenager Curtis, whose bullying tactics and lack of repercussions question how society deals or continues to not deal with the bullying epidemic that never seems to improve and is, undoubtedly, getting worse.

The standout performance comes from the gut-wrenching and unrelenting Deanna Mae Lloyd as Deborah whose anticipated letter reading scene brought many in the matinee audience to tears. Her initial calm restraint falls apart as she describes her son’s death; a moment that would make any person break down weeping. The scene is intensified by a silk screen image of a bathtub in harsh red lighting; an unexpected and chilling artistic choice. Lloyd is so fraught with unimaginable sorrow that it felt as though the entire audience held their breath out of respect for this particular moment in Lloyd’s performance. Bravo.

Finally, as with most productions at Dundas Little Theatre, the set (designed by Graham Clements) almost acts as an unofficial character. It is cold and feels empty despite its expensive monochromatic furniture and intriguing, metaphorical metalwork art pieces placed around the grieving family’s home. The lighting design by Jason Luckhardt and Alistair McIvor also adds to this moody, grief-stricken atmosphere. The silk screen effects, as previously mentioned, artistically enhance moments throughout the show, especially near its conclusion.

Late Company requires a fine mix of pointed comedic delivery and built-up tension that explodes on stage and Brugnano's well-paced, tonally sensitive production pulls this off consistently. The show’s conclusion may leave you questioning its overall impact but it definitely speaks to reasons why people bully and why they target individuals who they likely have more in common with than not. Late Company is not an easily digestible show given its subject matter but it serves audiences a 90-minute compelling drama that will leave you with discussions to consider and, hopefully, actions to take against bullying both for ourselves and others.

Allergy warning: This production uses real food that will become airborne (avocado/guacamole, pasta. The shellfish is artificial).

LATE COMPANY TICKETS