Historical fiction musical “The Invisible: Agents of Ungentlemanly Warfare” questions right and wrong in wartime. It follows the story of an all-female group of secret agents in World War II, tasked with sabotaging German supply lines and travel routes. This type of warfare is called ungentlemanly because of the subterfuge involved, but it takes on another meaning as it was also the only combat role available to women. All of the able men in Paris were away fighting, making male spies conspicuous. While there was no actual all-female cell, Catalyst Theatre and playwright Jonathan Christenson wondered what would have happened if there had been.
The result is a noir spy thriller featuring six badass women who blow up bridges and fool everyone around them. Their handler, Miss Ash, narrates the story. As the events are in her past, she creates suspense with clues about how the story will end.
Each of the seven performers takes on multiple personas over the course of the show. They are phenomenal actors and singers, fully embodying each character, and drawing the audience in. I felt the urge to clap and cheer for a cabaret singer, and yell “Run!” to an agent as German soldiers approached.
While brave and capable, the women have to come to terms with their actions. Is it right to kill for peace? What is the cost of a single life? A single mistake? A few moments felt forced. Occasionally a character over-explained a concept, or the movement in a dramatic moment was over the top. The dancing was there mainly to accompany the music, with fairly simple choreography – stomping, lunging, swishing skirts. Yet the actors’ handling of multiple accents and languages, including Cree, Czech, English, French, German, Polish, and Romanian, both spoken and sung, was impressive.
“The Invisible” was reminiscent of other wartime musicals like “Les Misérables” and “Hamilton”, featuring a chorus in riding pants, bodices and thigh-high boots, with a soundtrack of morse code, explosions, thunder, and the drumbeat of war. Melissa MacPherson as Miss Ash gave us strong Édith Piaf vibes in her solo following intermission. Designer Bretta Gerecke used light and wooden chairs to create different spaces and moods on the sparse stage. At one point the cast appears behind a black screen, bathed in red, at another they are each lit by a single footlight. Projections on the three panels that form the back wall depict maps and coded messages.
This work is both powerful and timely as we watch current events unfold in Eastern Europe – many now have to ask themselves the same questions that these agents did eighty years ago.
“The Invisible: Agents of Ungentlemanly Warfare” is playing at The Cultch’s York Theatre until May 7, 2022. Get your tickets here!
– Kristen Lawson