Bryna Bella, Rosalind Saunders, Parham Rownaghi, Rachel Manson, Joy Thompson, Rennaldo Quinicot, Eli Holliday, Nailah Renuka, and Stella Kulagowski from “Masque of the Red Death”, Photo by Hayley Hruska
“Is it enough?!!!” Rosalind Saunders’ Dawn screams at our host, a representative of the one percent—AI tech mogul, Darius Prospero (Parham Rownaghi)—which is the same, essentially, as screaming into the void. She’s just finished her rendition of “All of Me,” the classic jazz standard: “You took the best, so why not take the rest? Baby, take all of me.” After some playful tap dancing, that abject “Is it enough” is deeply jarring and one of the more affecting moments in this queer cabaret retelling of Edgar Allan Poe’s ghastly short story. Masque of the Red Death, despite a few hokey set-ups, taps into some raw emotions and generally feels very of the now.
Created by burlesque performer Stella Kulagowski (Saint Stella), who also plays Caliope, one of a set of avant-garde artistes gathered in Prospero’s sealed compound, this retelling of Poe’s story sees this troupe of seven—each represented by a colour from the Progress Flag and symbolizing a queer virtue—gathered to entertain us, the audience—the elites who have paid for this sanctuary from the disease and environmental collapse wreaking havoc outside. As the performers plot their revolution, they lash out artistically, using their individual performances to rail against Prospero’s self-serving enterprise and the inequality of the world at large. Adding to the drama, we learn that his assistant, Ariadne (Rachel Manson), used to be one of their bohemian number before choosing a life of privileged comfort.
Nailah Renuka’s Sage gives us some acrobatic dance, particularly impressive in The Assembly Theatre’s cozy space. As Robin, Bryna Bella offers elegant some fabric dance. Rennaldo Quinicot’s Marcus is one of the more overtly confrontational; his mimed enactments of violent revolt, set to Kendrick Lamar and The Killers, are explicitly antagonistic. As Maya, Joy Thompson’s “Brother Can You Spare A Dime?” is a cool plea. With a soundtrack by The Pogues, Anohni and Tool, Kulagowski’s burlesque piece with feather fans is a highlight, accompanied by damning, projected images of residential schools and grotesque landfills.
The messaging is far from subtle and the production as a whole suffers from clunky dialogue and stilted acting. Rownaghi’s smarmy, barking Prospero is suitably loathsome and Manson’s high-strung, neurotic business as Ariadne is very funny; they are the strongest in the dialogue scenes, but most of the ensemble struggle. That said, there is solid emotive power in a couple of the numbers—Eli Holliday’s haunting rendition of A Great Big World’s “Say Something” and a resonant finale where the ensemble cover JP Saxe’s “If the World Was Ending.”
Some attempt has been made to establish an eerie sense of cloistered elegance through scrappy set dressing and audio-visual elements (with tech consultation by Chin Palipane). An original, moody main theme composed by Yahenda is woven throughout. There is also a very low-key interactive element for those who choose to partake: accepting a small flower indicates you are willing to vote on a character’s fate.
Masque of the Red Death features some authentic talent, is dutifully aware that the world is broken, and frequently transcends its clumsiness to captivate and bring the feels.
Masque of the Red Death
running April 8 to 12, 2025
The Assembly Theatre (1479 Queen Street West)
running time: 90 minutes (no intermission)
Rosalind Saunders, Parham Rownaghi, Rachel Manson, Joy Thompson, Rennaldo Quinicot, Bryna Bella, Eli Holliday, Nailah Renuka and Stella Kulagowski from “Masque of the Red Death”, Photo by Hayley Hruska