Stupid F*cking Bird

 

Photo by Emily Cooper

Based on Chekov's The Seagull is a contemporary retelling currently unfolding in Vancouver's East Side. 

I went to see The Seagull on Broadway many years ago, and hated every single last minute of it. Perhaps I was too young. Perhaps I didn't get it. Or perhaps it just wasn't my thing. When the opportunity arose to go see Stupid F*cking Bird from Vancouver's theatre group The Search Party, I can't say I was jumping at the bit. 

But it had been awhile, and I don't remember what The Seagull was actually about, and thought, okay maybe it's time to revisit that story and see if it is more palatable with this modern take. 

Stupid F*cking Bird is way more accessible than what I remember The Seagull being. I could actually follow along the storylines that were going on! I don't recall the interactive nature of the play, but that is definitely going on here and must make for a unique experience each night of the performance. 

Amir Ofek offers up a wonderfully sparse and appealing set. We are treated to a stirring musical interlude courtesy of Emma Slipp and Anton Lipovetsky near the beginning of Act One.  The lighting and technical aspects of the show are smooth. Everything just seems to work symbiotically. 

Stupid F*cking Bird is on now at The Cultch until April 23!