Between Shifts' first theatrical production of The Princess Bride was not inconceivable. It was incredible.
The Princess Bride book by William Goldman was brought to the big screen in 1987 and on Thursday (March 10), it took the next big step when the cult classic fairy tale was brought to life in Squamish's own Brackendale Art Gallery (BAG).
Opening night for the show was packed to the brim and the audience waited in anticipation, ready to laugh, cheer, gasp and boo in all the right places.
There were three stages in the venue - interspersed with the audience - making the guests feel as though they were part of the play themselves.
The connection between Darcey Kirkpatrick as Westley and Megan Fletcher as Buttercup was undeniable, and even the most satirical lines were made believable by their earnest expressions - "I will never love again" and "This is true love - do you think this happens every day?" to name a few.
Even diehard Princess Bride fans who thought the movie would "never see its equal" were more than impressed.
"The voices were almost the same, the sarcasm was almost the same and the adventurous nature of the play, despite being confined to a room, was tangible," said audience member Mallory Waterson.
"I didn't think it possible to do the movie justice - but they did."
The sets and sound effects created a perfect backdrop for the extraordinarily talented cast who took the stage.
Vizzini, played by Randy Marohn, exuded incredulous arrogance, hot-tempered frustration and giddy excitement in a manner that made the audience erupt in laughter time and time again.
His cries of "inconceivable" had the audience joining in and even as the enemy character, it as almost sad to see his demise after the "battle of wits."
The sword duel between Westley and Inigo Montoya, played by Maclean Falkins, was a testament to the hours of rehearsing put into perfecting the battle.
Swords clashed and the audience gasped as Westley said, "There's something I ought to tell you I'm not left-handed either," throwing Inigo backward as he cast his sword into the air, caught it with his right and easily bested Inigo with his impressive swordplay.
The attack from the rodent of unusual size, played by Keith Reed wearing a metre-long rat head, was both comical and frightening, and Buttercup's convincing disappearance into the lightning sand had the audience craning their necks to see where she went.
Laughter absolutely erupted later in the movie when Paul Fletcher, after 12 years of behind-the-scenes work for Between Shifts, took the stage as the impressive clergyman.
"Mawwage. Mawwage is what bwings us togethew today," said Flether with the utmost sincerity.
"Mawwage, the bwessed awwangement, that dweam within a dweam."
The opening-night performance was followed by thunderous applause, a standing ovation and bouquets all round.
Director Carla Fuhre and producer Patricia Heinztman have been "dweaming" about making the play a reality for decades and their expressions were positively radiant after the production.
"It's been phenomenal," Heintzman said. "It's been unbelievably well received and the audience leaves the play with smiles on their faces."
Heintzman said she and Fuhre knew the production would be popular because the iconic and beloved movie has such a dedicated fan base, but "it's great to know you have such a solid performance to deliver."
"It's impossible to pinpoint one aspect that's made the production so successful," she said. "The behind-scenes people, the set people, the actors - everyone stepped up to create the performance that everyone's enjoying so much."
All six original performances sold out and an added Wednesday (March 16) performance was sold out as well.
To accommodate those who didn't get a ticket, there will be a Princess Bride matinee Saturday (March 19) at 2 p.m. It's likely that tickets to that show will have been snapped up by The Chief's press time, but if any are available, they'll be fore sale at Billie's Bouquet.
All proceeds from the performances go to Between Shifts for future productions.
