Stephanie MacDonald Photo by Dave Risk
Ian Sherwood and Stephanie MacDonald are ideally cast in Canadian playwright Kristen Da Silva’s play Beyond the Sea, which plays at Festival Antigonish just until August 30th, 2026. It is a beautiful piece about two people finding a connection with one another organically and offline, and the impact that a few hours getting to know someone at a Ghost Tour kiosk can have on people who are navigating momentous and tragic changes in their lives.
Gwen works in a kiosk for the Ghost Tour in a riverside Ontarian town, which means that she is mostly standing around in the hot sun in period dress, including a wool skirt, answering questions about the tour, and haphazardly acting out a few ghosty scenes from the shore for the folks on the boat. This leaves her with a lot of time to pretend to read her book, yell at strangers for littering, and to get lost in her own thoughts. That is until Theo comes to the kiosk filled with anxious energy. He is waiting for Erica, a woman he met on a dating app, and he has planned an elaborate first date for them, but they have missed the 4pm tour because the ferry she needs to take to get to this part of the wharf has broken down (even though I knew the play was set in Ontario, I kept imagining her being stuck waiting for the Englishtown ferry), so they will have to wait until the 7pm tour, and he has no idea how long it will be until she can join him. This is also Theo’s first date in over a decade as he and his wife have recently gotten a divorce, which explains his anxiety and an air of desperation he has about wanting this day to be perfect. Gwen finds Theo’s earnest overachieving nature endearing and, amid teasing him playfully, the two start to delve in deeper and deeper about what has led them both to being on this pier in this moment.
Da Silva has written a really deceptively simple play here about two strangers getting to know each other. It’s striking how naturalistic the dialogue between Gwen and Theo is, and how much humour there is between them, but always in a way that feels plausible for two people who have just met. In the intense heat Theo worries about the food for the picnic he packed spoiling, so he offers to share it with Gwen and, suddenly, sharing a meal together opens up the opportunities for them to delve in beyond small talk. Theo has a lot of guilt and shame associated with his divorce that he seems to really want to vocalize with someone, especially someone who isn’t his date, and so this too means that they become more and more familiar with each other’s personal lives and pasts very quickly. Given the overall arc of the play Da Silva has to guard against the dialogue seeming overly contrived or veering into soap opera or fairytale territory. Indeed, Da Silva doesn’t spell out for the audience what Gwen and Theo’s relationship with one another will be in the future, so it doesn’t ever feel like they are about to break out into “Love is an Open Door” from Frozen at all.
Stephanie MacDonald’s own dry sense of humour works so well for Gwen who is a naturally funny person who seems to use humour both as a way to be friendly and easy going, but also to keep others at a comfortable distance. This contrasts nicely with Ian Sherwood’s Theo, who is mostly unintentionally hilarious, and whose awkwardness gives him a tendency to overshare. Theo is a recovering ruthless businessman, which does seem a bit hard to believe from someone who seems so gentle and unassuming, but we are told that we are seeing him after a year of honest self reflection and a drive to do and be better. He is not just mourning the end of his marriage, but having become this workaholic petty person that everyone despised. Gwen is mourning the sudden death of her husband and the end of a relationship that was both flawed as all relationships are, and yet perfect to her. MacDonald doesn’t do any dramatic emotional swings in tone between lighthearted banter and honest truths about being a young widow; Gwen talks about death and grief the way most people talk about death and grief in public, trying not to send the conversation crashing down into morose awkwardness they can’t recover from. Sherwood’s Theo puts his foot in his mouth a few times the way people who haven’t experienced profound loss often do when they happen upon it unexpectedly. It’s all very nuanced, and true to life, and beautiful without calling too much attention to itself.
Helping to ground everyone in profound reality is the set by Eden Reshef, which looks like it was sawed off the Halifax waterfront wharf and plunked down onstage at the Bauer. With a sound design by Paul Morgan Donald further adding to the realism with haphazard cacophonies of ducks. This play is also so well chosen for how much it evokes our own experiences of summers in Nova Scotia walking along different boardwalks. Gwen and Theo’s relationship could blossom against the backdrop of countless different communities here. Andrea Boyd directs the piece, and she makes sure that the way that the characters move around the space are within a realistic realm as well- with Gwen still having to be mindful of her work, and Theo needing to be mindful of that as well.
The ending of the play takes an unexpected turn that I found interesting. It certainly elevates the stakes of everything that preceded it, and I think it is working the way that the playwright intended it to, but I was struck by the fact that I also would have liked the play if the ending had been less intense too. I think that’s a testament to the strength of the sort of ‘character study’ nature of the writing- the choice to drive the narrative forward at the end does give the story a strong sense of raison d’être, but I really enjoyed spending 90 minutes with Gwen and Theo regardless.
Beyond the Sea plays at the Bauer Theatre at Festival Antigonish (5015 Chapel Square, Antigonish) just until August 30th, 2026. Performances are Saturday August 29th and Sunday August 30th at 2:00pm and 7:30pm, tickets range in price between $15.00 and $45.00 (plus fees) and are available online here, by calling the Box Office at 902. 867.3333, or going in person to 5015 Chapel Square.
AGE RECOMMENDATIONS: Recommended for ages 13+. A tender, bittersweet story of love, loss, grief, and second chances, with mature themes and occasional strong language. More detailed content advisories available by contacting the Box Office.
Accessibility Information from the Festival Antigonish Website: Festival Antigonish is committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive theatre experience for everyone. The Bauer Theatre offers wheelchair accessible seating, assistive listening technology, and a variety of programs designed to make theatre more accessible to our community. We also offer initiatives such as Pay What You Can previews, Relaxed Performances, and community events that help remove barriers and create a supportive environment for all audiences. If you require accommodations or accessibility support, we’re here to help.
Canadian Theatre Criticism is an essential part of a healthy and thriving theatre community. It helps theatre companies find new audiences for their shows, deepens audiences’ engagement with local artists and the work being created in their communities, and it is one of the best ways to preserve a snapshot of an ephemeral art form for future generations of theatre lovers. TWISI relies on support from its Subscribers, folks like you who care about the survival of local and independent arts coverage. Please consider becoming a Subscriber today, or click here for more information. Thank you so much for supporting TWISI.
