Play Review: ‘Cocktails at Pam’s’ at Teatro Live

While a power outage may have thrown a wrench in Teatro Live’s opening night of Cocktails at Pam’s, nothing could stop the production from putting on an electric show. The cast had the audience laughing and gasping for air as they brought the bizarre story to life. 

Cocktails at Pam’s, written and directed by Stewart Lemoine, takes place in the living room of Pam (Shannon Blanchet) and Julius Cochrane’s (Andrew MacDonald-Smith) home as they host yet another one of Pam’s parties. Little by little, new guests join the party, and the awkward soiree takes an absurd turn. One thing is abundantly clear: no one really wants to be there, except for Pam, who slowly cracks under the pressure of hosting. 

The entire cast played their characters to absolute perfection. No two characters were alike, and each performance brought new life and humour to the play. Sarah Black (Rachel Bowron) quickly became my favourite character with her goth exterior and uncouth behaviour. Her presence never failed to make the audience laugh and propel the scene further. 

Belinda Cornish was a standout in the cast for her role as Estelle Washington. As the stranger in the room, Estelle didn’t quite fit, having gaffs left and right and never quite landing her jokes with the others in the room. But Cornish’s acting chops really shone through when Estelle absolutely lost it over green peppers. Her rambling, unhinged monologue about the plight of being a minority among green pepper enthusiasts left me somewhere between shocked and doubled over with laughter. The rest of the audience was right there with me, applauding Cornish when her monologue concluded. 

Blanchet also excelled in bringing Pam to life. For most of the play, Pam was buzzing around in an anxious and highly performative frenzy. The cracks in her facade started to show in the little moments when she voiced her thoughts out loud. Blanchet played it all perfectly, and her performance only got better when Pam finally went insane. Her physical comedy and ability to take the absurdity to a whole other level were hilarious.

The costumes also went a long way in telling the audience what to expect from each character before they even opened their mouths. The oddballs of the group stood out, either in all black or neon orange. The characters who were more uptight wore clothes to match, a whole tailcoat suit or a stuffy dress. All of the costumes added vibrancy and personality to the production.

The set designer, Chantel Fortin, deserves her flowers right alongside the cast. Her thoughtful touches on the set took the audience right back to 1967. It was the perfect rendition of a 60’s home, but also served the story extremely well. The placement of the furniture and props set the story up for success. It never felt like the story was confined to only one room of the home, yet the story didn’t have to take the audience anywhere else to achieve its goals. 

Between the fantastic cast and beautiful set, Teatro’s production of Cocktails at Pam’s is the perfect way to finish off the company’s season. The show runs until July 26 at the Varscona Theatre.