A Fun Weekend Getaway

Reviewed by Tori Laird & Sandi Laird

If you arrive early for the show, there’s lots of time to enjoy the set design by Beckie Morris. We see a living room with a bar, a patterned chair and three doors for the actors to play with. It was amusing to guess where each door would lead before the action starts, which is when the real fun begins. The Long Weekend is playing at the Port Stanley Festival Theatre until July 4 when the show hits the road for St. Catharines. The show runs just under two hours with intermission.

Two couples get together for a weekend in 2003. No cell phones, no driveway, nobody really likes each other, what could go wrong? Wynn and Max set up in their new vacation home while they await their friends Abby and Roger.  (Actually, Wynn and Abby have been friends for ages which forces Max and Roger into an uneasy companionship). Canadian playwright Norm Foster sets up the dynamic of each couple and the whole group with witty banter and backstory. Neither couple seems totally content, and the play begs the question, is the grass really greener on the other side?

It’s great fun to watch this idea play out by these four compelling actors across a picture-perfect set. You may even see a bit of yourself or your spouse or best friend in the characters, even if the scenario is exaggerated for laughs and drama. This show is perfect for an early summer two-hour getaway. All the actors, Tyrone Savage, Claire Jullien, Caitlin Driscoll, and Darren Keay, had moments to shine, adding humour with their physical comedy and line reads. Each section had scene partner mix ups which added to the fun and dynamic performances.
Gather your friends and book your getaway to The Long Weekend for hijinks, giggles, and early 2000s nostalgia.

The Long Weekend continues at the Port Stanley Festival Theatre until July 4.  Tickets are available at the box office at 519-782-4353 or visit psft.ca

Photo: (left to right) The cast of The Long Weekend: Claire Jullien, Caitlin Driscoll, Darren Keay and Tyrone Savage. Photo by Shutter Studios.

The Long Weekend
By Norm Foster
Directed by Liz Gilroy
Performed by Tyrone Savage, Claire Jullien, Caitlin Driscoll, Darren Keay.
Port Stanley Festival Theatre, 6-302 Bridge Street, Port Stanley, ON
June 10 to July 4, 2026
Reviewed by Tori Laird & Sandi Laird