Get a Glimpse Behind the Habits of Monks
Residing in a hilltop Spanish Monastery, the monks Brother (Veronica Hortigüela) and Brother (Annie Luján) are brothers, and today they have guests for the first time in five years. On this special occasion they have big plans such as watching the donkey graze in the field and doing nothing… they just have to make sure to do so before the Abbot returns via the Glenora Ferry.
I have ventured once again to Prince Edward County, this time to catch County Stage’s precursor to their repertory season: Monks in the Red Barn at the Eddie. After three acclaimed runs in Toronto (Toronto Fringe, Crow’s Theatre Cabaret, and The Theatre Centre) as well as being named both a Critics’ Pick by The Globe and Mail and one of Intermission Magazine’s top theatre productions of 2024, the visit is undoubtedly from some of Toronto’s hottest theatre artists.
The space opens only 10 minutes prior to the show, but while waiting outside patrons are able to order drinks, and all of the staff and volunteers manning the theatre are proudly wearing monk wigs that match those of the performers. When the space does open, recorded Gregorian chants echo through the barn as Luján roams the room draped in a brown habit with a cowl concealing her face. By cutting through the aisles, she makes it immediately clear that no matter where you sit, you will not be safe from interaction.
The show is described as a “shockingly dumb interactive clown show,” and most of those adjectives appear within the first moments of the performance as Hortigüela rapidly hands out fistfuls of lentils to audience members while Luján greets the audience. I was wearing a flatcap to the performance, and so was greeted as “Brother Newsies.” Other attendees were greeted similarly with “Brother” followed by a defining characteristic of their outfit or grooming (“Brother Sunglasses,” “Brother Bangs,” and “Brother Basic Tee,” to name a few). The dumb humour is extremely charming, and the two performers know exactly when to move on from one bit to another, having it down to a science. Each section ends with the sound of the monastery’s bells, summoning them in a trance-like state back to the front of the room to begin their next segment.
The mix of audience interaction with the unhinged personalities of the characters had the entire experience feeling somewhat like a rollercoaster, my adrenaline constantly pumping as my body and mind tried to prepare for what was next to come. It was exciting and slightly unnerving in the most delightful way from start to finish, and perhaps the most impressive element of it all was that I never felt like I was unsafe. Hortigüela and Luján are masters of audience interaction. They feed off every unique thing the room of onlookers has to offer, but they manage to curate an environment that is caring; although there is a perpetual worry you’ll be dragged into the chaos, you know without a doubt that you will make it out alright.
The “clown” aspect of the show differs greatly from the oversized shoes and pancake makeup the term may bring to mind. Here, the clowns have traded in their red noses for Roman tonsure, and the bright oversized clothing is replaced with shabby brown habits, but outside of appearances, there is no doubt you are watching adept clowns at work. Leading up to the show’s 2024 Toronto Fringe premiere, Hortigüela and Luján studied numerous kinds of clown performance for six years, and their dedication to the craft is evident from the laughter following and interrupting each moment. Their wit is fast, their physicality is hilarious, and they also manage to create moments of strange beauty amidst the mayhem. By the time the final bell rang to signal the Abbot’s return, I had gone through so much nonsense with Brother and Brother that I was not quite ready to return to dull reality, but rest assured these monks know how to say goodbye in an uproarious finale.
County Stage has demonstrated the high caliber of theatre they are striving to provide, early in their 2025 season. Monks should be considered a piece of Canadian Theatre that is not to be missed, and this past weekend it landed just over an hour’s drive from Kingston. Festivals across the country should be clamouring to program what is an undoubtedly thrilling evening with two of the most talented young clowns I have had the chance to see.
‘Monks’ by Veronica Hortigüela and Annie Luján was presented by County Stage in the Red Barn at the Eddie on July 12 and 13, 2025.
