Happy introduces us to the engaging title character, a “happy-go-lucky” veteran and pensioner who wanders through episodes of grief in other people’s lives. Writer and performer Ronnie Burkett examines the impact of cataclysmic sorrow in human existence and the on-going discussion of whether happiness is the lucky domain of a select few or the result of constant struggle and striving beyond the layers of human despair.
Tandem to the storyline presented by the character of Happy is the “grief vaudeville” of Antoine Marionette, a campy, other-worldly master of ceremonies. Within this glittering silver realm, “the grey area of life”, are arch presentations of sadness in song, pantomime and burlesque which mirror and parody the state of the central characters.
Created and Performed by Ronnie Burkett
Music and Sound Design by Cathy Nosaty
Lighting Design by Bill Williams
“Ronnie Burkett is one of the world’s geniuses…seeing his troupe every few years has just become a necessity of civilized theatregoing.”
– The Village Voice, New York
“Ronnie Burkett is a marvel and his latest play is as profound as it is moving and humorous. It is also continues Burkett’s inquiry into the relation of creator and created, inherent in his craft, but here made explicit through the play’s theme and its enactment.”
– Stage Door, Ontario, Canada, 2001