Globus Theatre founders Sarah Quick and James Barrett will make a rare appearance together on stage when they star in the poignant romantic comedy Beyond the Sea, which runs for 10 performances from August 19 to 29.
For more than 20 years, the real-life couple has overseen, managed, directed, and performed in countless productions at the professional theatre company in Bobcaygeon. While Globus audiences often see Quick and Barrett perform individually, opportunities to see them share the stage are less common.
“Last season, we heard from quite a few audience members who were disappointed that James and I weren’t appearing onstage together,” says Quick in a media release. “We definitely took note. When we started planning this season, we made sure to give audiences what they were asking for. And Beyond the Sea felt like the perfect play for us to do together.”
Written by acclaimed Ontario playwright Kristen Da Silva, Beyond the Sea follows two strangers whose chance encounter on a pier in a small town on a summer day gradually develops into something neither expected.
Theo is a recently divorced man struggling with his self-image, while Gwen is a quick-witted and good-humoured loner working at the ticket booth for a local boat tour company that promises passengers a glimpse of the Woman in White, an apparition from folklore said to appear near coastlines while mourning a lover lost at sea.
Featuring only two actors and a single setting, Beyond the Sea is a poignant and witty exploration of loneliness, human connection, new beginnings, and the courage required to hope again.
The play was commissioned by Lighthouse Festival Theatre in Port Dover during the pandemic in August 2021. Da Silva was asked to develop a two-person play that a couple living in the same pandemic “bubble” could perform together on an outdoor stage.
“It was kind of like getting a writing challenge,” Da Silva recalled during a 2023 interview with Hudson Village Theatre artistic director Dean Patrick Fleming. “Here’s your limitations and here’s a prompt, and what are you going to do with it?”
Da Silva said the play was also shaped by what she and others were experiencing during the pandemic, including isolation and the emotional challenges it created.
As she developed the play, Da Silva drew upon the legend of the Woman in White, a story that appears in different forms across numerous cultures.
“While I was writing this, I was reflecting so much on our need for connection and the loneliness of isolation, so the play evolved from those themes,” Da Silva explains. “It’s a special one for me, and I’m so happy to see it staged at Globus.”
Beyond the Sea is the latest of several plays by Da Silva that Globus Theatre has brought to the stage. Previous productions include the romantic comedy Sugar Road in 2018, the curling comedy Hurry Hard in 2023, and the poignant comedy Where You Are in 2024.
As for Quick, her recent Globus credits include writing and directing the murder mystery dinner Murder at the Match, directing Sore Losers and Fly Me to the Moon, and starring in the Shirley Valentine, which she also performed in at Theatre Collingwood in April.
Barrett, meanwhile, has recently appeared in Sore Losers, Murder at the Match, and Come Down from Up River. His directing credits include Shirley Valentine and last season’s production of The Comeback.
Beyond the Sea runs at Globus Theatre at 2300 Pigeon Lake Road in Bobcaygeon at 8 p.m. Wednesdays to Saturdays from August 19 to 29, with 2 p.m. matinee performances on Saturday, August 22 and Thursday, August 27. An optional dinner is available at 6 p.m. before evening performances.
Tickets cost $50 for the show only or $100 for dinner and the show, plus HST and a $2 ticketing fee. Tickets can be purchased at www.globustheatre.com or by calling the Globus Theatre box office at 705-738-2037.
