If life gives you lemons, put on a play that features a supposed encyclopedia saleswoman, a lonely bachelor and, of course, lemonade. Oh, and make sure the audience is hydrated (free-of-charge!) with cute little glasses of the refreshing citrus beverage before the show begins. Such is the prerogative of Relephant Theatre’s presentation of Stewart Lemoine’s short play, “The Exquisite Hour.”

Set in the early 1960s, wit, whimsy and a minor dose of nostalgia are stuffed into this hour-long two-hander, which provides the audience with a good many laughs and even a few rather tender moments.

Josue Laboucane is fantastically uptight and nerdy as the bachelor Zachary Teale, whose backyard the whole play takes place in. And Nevada Yates Robart plays the enthusiastic encyclopedia saleswoman, Mrs. Darimont, with such a balance poise and neuroses that we’re not surprised to discover more than we bargained for in her. A nod must be given to director Julie McIsaac as she provides a strong cohesiveness and momentum to the piece as a whole.

Lemoine’s words are so hilariously chalk full of pop-cultural and historical references, that we not only get swept up in the blur of plot and characterization, but we might also learn a thing or two about a Catholic Saint with a hallucinatory dedication to animals and nature or a European royal family who names all of their men Frederick and all their women Agnes.

Played out in real time, “The Exquisite Hour” is an hour of theatre that does great things with a certain proverbial sour citrus.

The Exquisite Hour
Part of the Vancouver International Fringe Festival
Carousel Theatre
Remaining Performances:
Saturday Sept 18, 7:45 pm
Sunday Sept 19, 4:00 pm