It’s that place you go for the best food in town, on days where you’re too tired to cook and just want to eat. In that restaurant that you go all the time, on the other side of the counter, is someone whose heart is the centre of this story.
I attended opening night of Behind the Moon at the Belfry, a show that I loved and also am struggling to put into a specific genre – perhaps its a drama? But, I know people balk at the title of a drama, and this isn’t a typical drama. And it’s not a dramady either, although there is both humour and drama throughout. And it’s not an immigrant story, not exactly as we’ve come to expect, but it is a story about immigration. It nods back to the big themes of theatre – of people trying to make a go of it. But it’s also not just that.
Behind the Moon is spectacularly, uniquely it’s own. It is lyrical and down to earth, optimistic and devastating. It is a testament to the power of love and the heartbreaking devastation when love goes wrong. It asks us to dream while keeping our feet on the ground.
This script is incredibly crafted, and as Canadians, we should be immensely proud to have Anosh Irani as one of our contemporary voices in theatre today.
The three hander gives so much life to this story, with three incredibly capable actors lending humanity and incredible nuance to a difficult script. The emotional range demonstrated by all three were incredibly impressive, wholly immersive, and utterly moving, but Anand Rajaram’s performance was delivered with such precision and mastery, he must be commended. A role like Rajaram’s Qadir Bhai can quickly devolve into caricature, but this layered portrayal is so human and builds with such subtlety, you can’t look away.
It is with intention that I am speaking in broad, vague strokes because I loved how this show built line on line with utter intention, and I don’t know how to discuss specifics without giving some of the threads of the plot away. It is best experienced for yourself.
I also want to talk about the incredibly designed set with it’s immaculate attention to detail, the scoring that impeccably rolls under each scene, and the technical elements that flow together perfectly. But, I don’t need to – it’s all here in this incredible piece of theatre.
I’ll just say this: Do yourself a favour and go see this one.
Behind the Moon runs until March 2, 2025 at the Belfry.
Disclaimer: I received free tickets to the show as a result of other volunteer work I do. No review was expected or requested.
