Successful Novel-to-Play Endeavour

Reviewed by Mary Alderson

When I heard that Margaret Laurence’s novel, “The Diviners”, was adapted for stage and going to be presented at the Stratford Festival this season, I was excited. I have been a big fan of the late writer’s works since I first read “A Bird in the House” in the early 1970s. “The Diviners” is said to be her best novel and the most autobiographical of her works. Sadly, it was also her last.

The play The Diviners does not contain all the sub-plots of the novel, but the material that has been included in the play has stayed true to Laurence’s original work. It is wonderful to see the beloved characters in the novel come to life.

Like the novel, the play opens in the present, which is the early 1970s. Her 18-year-old daughter, Pique, has taken off, hitch-hiking across the country and Morag is understandably worried about her, jumping each time the phone rings, hoping Pique is calling. The novel then has flashbacks of Morag’s childhood: They are called “Memorybank Movies” in the novel, flashbacks where she remembers her past. On stage, Morag simply becomes a child, along with her classmates. The play centres on her relationship with Jules “Skinner” Tonnere, a Métis friend from her childhood. Through the course of the novel and the play, there are many memories that bring the story up-to-date. Both the book and the play culminate with her finally completing the novel she has been struggling to write.

“The Diviners” is a kunstlerroman, a coming-of-age novel tracing the growth of an artistic main character; in this case, a writer. Full credit goes to Vern Thiessen and Yvette Nolan who adapted the book for the stage, for maintaining this epic story, despite having to leave out so much of the novel. They kept the heart-wrenching elements of the story – the racism, discrimination, the love lost and found, and the struggle of writing. At the same time, the importance of the Métis on Morag’s life is intertwined with her pride in her Scottish heritage.

Irene Poole creates Morag very much the way Margaret Laurence invented her, and of course, I sat there enthralled, wondering how much of Ms. Laurence is in this character. I certainly believe it is a Morag/Margaret combination. Jonathan Goad’s Christie (Morag’s adoptive father) is also brilliant, as is Jesse Gervais, her teenage crush Jules “Skinner” Tonnere. Gervais gives us a resilient Jules who maintains a positive outlook despite the barriers in his life. Dan Chameroy gives us a suitably snobbish Brooke, Morag’s husband for a short time. Caleigh Crow is perfect as Piquette, Jules’ sister, and also as an ever-present spirit. Julie Lumsden is a delight as Pique, Young Pique and Scots Morag, showing her attitude and her interest.

The two cultures are demonstrated by Gabe Antonacci as Piper Gunn playing a rousing bagpipe solo and Darla Daniels as the Métis fiddler. A full ensemble of dancers present Métis style step-dancing. Credit goes to Choreographer Cameron Carver, along with the Co-Directors Krista Jackson and Geneviève Pelletier who brought together Métis and Scots heritage.

The name The Diviners comes from Morag’s neighbour and friend Royland’s ability to find groundwater with a forked stick. Water is the life-giving force that keeps her community going. Everyone, including Royland, is looking for more in their lives.

The set on the long Tom Patterson stage is minimalist. There are bleachers at one end and a small table rises out of the floor at the other end. This table holds Morag’s essential typewriter and her alcohol which becomes more and more essential. Hanging from the ceiling is refuse, items that presumably have been tossed aside in Christie’s nuisance ground. The garbage seems a little too brightly coloured for Christie’s world. I would have expected it to be in grey and brown shades. But then Christie was the scavenger, so maybe he saw his finds as colourful.

Anyone who loves the novel “The Diviners” will enjoy this play. The essentials that made the novel so fascinating have been maintained. As a fan of Margaret Laurence, I am profoundly moved by this show. But I worry that those unfamiliar with her writing may not be able to appreciate it as much. But on the other hand, I feel every Canadian should know this story.

The Diviners continues in repertory until October 2 at Tom Patterson Theatre, Stratford. Tickets are available at the Stratford Festival by calling 1-800-567-1600 or online at www.stratfordfestival.ca

Photo: Jesse Gervais as Jules, Josue Laboucane as Lazarus, Caleigh Crow as Piquette, and Irene Poole as Morag Gunn in The Diviners. Photo by David Hou.

The Diviners
Based on the novel by Margaret Laurence
Text by Vern Thiessen with Yvette Nolan
Directed by Krista Jackson with Geneviève Pelletier
Choreographed by Cameron Carver
Performed by Irene Poole, Jesse Gervais, Jonathan Goad, Caleigh Crow, Christopher Allen, Gabriel Antonacci, Dan Chameroy, Alllison Edwards-Crewe, Josue Laboucane, Luli Lumsden, Anthony Santiago, Tyrone Savage, Sara Topham, et al.
Tom Patterson Theatre, Stratford
August 24 to October 2, 2024
Reviewed by Mary Alderson