Review: Peerless

Ensemble Theatre Company’s production of Jiehae Park’s Peerless is undeniably compelling. There are elements in both the production and the script that don’t totally work for me, sure, but as I left the theatre my main thoughts were of all of the pieces that absolutely do work. It takes a little while to find its groove, but once it does it becomes a rich and engaging piece.

Peerless is a loose adaptation of Macbeth set in the world of highschoolers gunning for spots in elite colleges, but that pitch undersells how interesting this show actually is. It follows twin sisters M and L (this play’s version of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth) as they plot to take out a classmate who got a spot in a school that they feel should have been theirs. The show moves from dark comedy to thriller to something verging on horror in a tricky tonal balancing act that it pulls off impressively well, bolstered by remarkable performances from its cast and smart direction from Keltie Forsyth.

I want to get this out of the way: Peerless doesn’t put its best foot forward, either in its script or this production. After a few very brief mostly visual moments of story setup, we begin with a scene of M and L discussing their unfavourable college application results. From a script perspective this scene feels out of place in that it seems to be aiming for an edgier tone than the rest of the script, and although some of its writing is funny it also put me on guard. What brought me more hesitation was the direction of the performances here. The sisters speak in short sentence fragments, cutting each other off back and forth. In this first scene, the delivery is stilted: I felt as though I could see the script in front of me rather than being brought into a lived-in relationship between characters who know each other so well that full sentences aren’t necessary. Certainly, this stiffness may have been a side effect of an opening night show, but regardless I started the show a bit worried. Thankfully, as the show continues it finds its flow. The script moves away from the shock comedy of its opening exchange, characters are given more room to breathe, and the performers settle into the clipped dialogue, providing the connection that I was missing in the opening.

In fact, as I mentioned earlier, once those performances settle in they really are remarkable. Alison Chang’s work as M and Hazel 한결 Kang’s work as L are especially impressive as they navigate their characters’ knotty schemes. Despite what the previous paragraph might suggest, once they find their rhythm the scenes between these two are the highlight of the show. They bring intensity and tension to their exchanges that becomes almost hypnotic during precisely the kind of snappy back-and-forth dialogue that I struggled with earlier. Keane Faye’s work as D is a standout as well. Their portrayal of an awkward but basically well-meaning kid is sweet and funny, with a physical performance that elevates the characterization a huge amount and pays off with a genuinely difficult-to-watch moment that I won’t spoil here. Jakobe Jenkins gives an effectively grounded performance as BF, and that groundedness again pays off in a later moment of striking unreality. As the off-putting DG, Emma Soothill turns in dynamic, committed work, bringing out the best of a difficult part.

It’s that dynamism from the whole cast that gives the show its momentum as its tone changes. Once the play moves into horror-thriller territory, the tension is incredible. The actors bring out a sense of paranoia that I don’t often see in theatre but that is, of course, totally at home in a twist on Macbeth. That paranoia plays out through shifts in how the characters relate to each other. The relationship dynamics here are complex and interesting and good fun to think about after the show, especially when put into conversation with their Shakespearean counterparts. That’s a credit to the script, certainly, but it’s also a credit to the director and cast who navigate the shift admirably and bring out the characters’ nuances.

Regardless of any gripes that I have, Peerless does what all transformative adaptations ought to do. It uses the familiar work as a jumping off point to explore new ideas, and in turn uses those new ideas to examine that familiar work in new ways. What’s more, it accomplishes this while presenting a story that’s compelling on its own, even without its Shakespearean connection. From that perspective, this production is a triumph, and certainly a worthwhile watch.

Rating: 4/5

Date watched: July 10, 2026

Location: Jericho Arts Centre, Vancouver BC

Review by: Oliver Spilsbury