I’m hope it’s obvious that The Art Caravan values creativity, but strives to be discerning in its observations and judgments.  So, yes, I may be that person you see in a theatre or concert hall sitting down amidst a sea of people giving a standing ovation at the end of a performance.

The other evening I found myself enthusiastically jumping to my feet at the end of the play, True Crime.  I was so focused on congratulating the solo performer that I didn’t notice if anyone else was standing.

Torquil Campbell: True Crime

True Crime was both co-created and performed by Torquil Campbell.  Therein lie the reasons for my standing ovation.  The writing is smart, original and intriguing.  The premise of the play is based on the story of  Campbell’s personal fascination with  Christian Gerhardsreiter, a contemporary con man who impersonated a Rockefeller for several years. True Crime cleverly explores ideas about reliability and reality, motivation and values.

Campbell’s performance was almost breathtaking.  He convincingly played a variety of characters with distinctive accents as well as singing original songs. (He is also a member of the bands Stars and Memphis. Click here for a music video of Memphis.)  He commanded the stage for a full ninety minutes.

But don’t just take my word for it.  Click here  to read a Toronto Star review of the play.

True Crime played for a few nights in Victoria, British Columbia as part of the excellent Spark Festival, an annual event of plays, workshops and events at the Belfry Theatre.  Spark continues until March 28, 2018.