Review by Paul Nicholl • Halifax • 2025-09
In our quest to see as many theatre productions in small towns around the province as possible, my partner and I were blown away by the debut performance of Coal Bowl Queen in Parrsboro this past August. This show was written and directed by queer playwright Richie Wilcox, originally from New Waterford, Cape Breton. Heist, Ship’s Company Theatre, and Eastern Front Theatre collaborated on this production.
Roz is on a mission to find their birth mother and what better place to start than their mother’s hometown of New Waterford, Cape Breton. Roz soon discovers that in order to find her, they must learn all about the town’s legendary annual basketball tournament, The Coal Bowl Classic.
Featuring a community of characters sharing their stories of first kisses, dramatic reliving of basketball games, and bittersweet memories of lost loves, Coal Bowl Queen celebrates the spirit of a tournament that has captivated a community of players, coaches, fans, and families for over 40 years.
Spiced with a few queer characters, a hilarious heartfelt play full of nostalgia resulted.
This story is based on Wilcox’s recollection of memories and experiences from Canada’s national high school basketball tournament, the Coal Bowl Classic. While developing the story and characters, over 50 people were interviewed. Spiced with a few queer characters, a hilarious heartfelt play full of nostalgia resulted.
The cast members may seem familiar as they are often found on stages around the Maritimes (Neptune, Mermaid, Shakespear by the Sea, Two Planks and a Passion, Eastern Front, Bus Stop, to name a few). Mary Fay Coady as Queenie expressed the energy, dreams, and passion of a blossoming young woman.
Koumbie drove the show as Roz, the modern day queer looking for their roots. Katie Dorian became Roz’s Watson and more, as the postal worker Tanya. New to the Maritimes, and hopefully to become a frequent face, Benan Ali suits up as Cameron, a visiting basketball player.
I’m usually not fond of performances that pop back and forth in time, with performers acting out different characters which often leave me confused. However the ingenuity of Aaron Collier pulls it all together with outstanding sound and visual affects. The costumes sealed the deal, ensuring each role and time period was uniquely identifiable.
The lighting was spot on, pardon the pun, drawing one’s attention to the focal points of each scene. Set design and construction felt like you were in a high school gym with pull-up-bars, bleachers, and centre court. Yet transformation to other scenes was seamless with the virtuosity of the set. And when was the last time you saw an Overhead Projector, that worked! High school in the 80’s, right?! Kudos to the scavengers collecting and managing the props, and its integration to the overall visual effects.
This show runs at Alderney Landing Theatre in Dartmouth, from Sep 11-21, 2025. If you are fond of basketball, or intrigued by mystery of legends, or a Caper, you need to see this production.
Considered a PG13 Comedy Drama, tickets can be purchased here.
