When Adam Kelly Morton first wrote and performed his acclaimed one-man show The Anorak in 2004, he couldn’t have known the play would take on a life of its own—performed in London, Edinburgh, and Brazil, translated into three languages, and even starring a woman (actor Lisa McCormack) in the lead role.
Now, 25 years after its debut, The Anorak is hitting the stage at the Monkland Community Centre in NDG for three nights only. This powerful, at times emotionally supercharged performance features actor Alex Dubois reprising the role of Marc Lépine—who shot and killed 14 women at Montreal’s École Polytechnique on December 6, 1989.
The play is about the life and death of the infamous anti-feminist, not looking to remove blame or culpability but rather to take a closer look at how such killers are formed in the first place. By looking at the world through the eyes of someone who didn’t see women as people but obstacles, we can see more clearly where everything went wrong—and how it still goes wrong today.
The performance will leave you disturbed and moved, just as it’s supposed to. The Anorak continues to live on and be performed, year after year, because its message is still—unfortunately, devastatingly—universal.
The Anorak is playing December 11, 12, and 13 at 8 p.m. at Monkland Community Centre. Tickets are pay what you can, with proceeds going to an NDG women’s/family charity. An optional forum with both writer and performer takes place after every show.
TRIGGER WARNING: This play depicts acts of extreme violence, violence against women, sexual and other adult themes. Viewer discretion strongly advised. For mature audiences only.
