Writer and performer Pierre Brault first performed Blood on the Moon on a Fringe stage in 1999. From there, he did runs at the National Arts Centre three years in a row, toured across Canada, took the show to Ireland, and did an on camera presentation of the show for Bravo. That alone tells you the one thing you need to know: see this show at the GCTC while you can.
Need more convincing? Watch our 4 minute preview of the Blood on the Moon featuring a few scenes and interviews with Pierre Brault, and the director of the show.
What do you think? Was James Patrick Whelan guilty or innocent? Tell us in the comments below.
For lover of the written word, here’s the review script in print form:
Writer and performer Pierre Brault first performed Blood on the Moon on a Fringe stage in 1999. From there, he did runs at the National Arts Centre three years in a row, toured across Canada, took the show to Ireland, and did an on camera presentation of the show for Bravo. That alone tells you the one thing you need to know: see this show at the GCTC while you can.
Blood on the Moon is a look at a topic we ignore way too easily: Canadian History. In 1868, one of the fathers of confederation, Thomas D’Arcy McGee, was assassinated on his front door after a parliamentary debate that ran to 2 in the morning. James Patrick Whelan was put on trial for the crime, and despite dodgy testimony and circumstantial evidence, Whelan was found guilty and publicly hanged. It was the last public hanging in Canada.
Pierre Brault portrays Patrick Whelan and tells the story from his point of view. An innocent man put on trial, convicted, and hanged for a crime –that in the play’s point of view- he didn’t commit. But don’t go thinking that this is the type of dry lecture you got in high school history class. Brault blends a lot of jokes and humour into the drama of Blood on the Moon and he brings these characters — he plays 17 of them in addition to Whelan – to life before your eyes in this one-man show.
His skill at changing between characters with completely different accents, combined with the flow and pacing of the play is done so well that you’ll be so caught up in what’s happening that it won’t even occur to you until afterwards that. “Hey, this was all just one guy and a chair.”
And yes, Blood on the Moon takes minimalist set design to a new level. It may be only a single chair on a blank stage but they create all manner of settings just with the lighting design, starting in the opening moments with a 3 by 9 foot rectangle of light on the floor that you’ll immediately recognize as a stark, lonely prison cell.
But what might be the coolest thing to take away from Blood on the Moon is that this entire event happened here, in our very own city. McGee was assassinated right on Sparks Street, James Whelan was held and hanged at the Old Nicholas Street Jail which is now a hostel that gives daily tours and the court case was heard at what’s now Arts Court right next to it.
All Canadian history should be delivered like this. Buy your tickets to Blood on the Moon before they’re sold out.
*Disclosure: Matthew Champ, our on camera reviewer, was unable to attend this play. Blood on the Moon was reviewed by Allan Mackey who left the on camera delivery to the professional.
About Allan Mackey
Allan Mackey is editor-in-chief of Production Ottawa, which, really, is too fancy a title. He also acts as show producer for Should You See It, making sure you get your answer in just about two minutes every time. He writes stuff and occasionally turns that stuff into movies. Keep being awesome!
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