Okie Dokie

Physically Speaking—Cre8ery

Often the best humour is the kind where no words are required (Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, etc.). This is where the clowning talents of the actor carry the action, and the humour emerges. This is the case with “Okie Dokie”, a largely non-verbal bit of physical comedy from the talented and enthusiastic Ardyth Johnson. Using only a few words of dialogue, sound cues, and her amazingly adept facial expressions, Ardyth tells the story of a lonely woman inadvertently assigned the task of raising a completely unseen (but nevertheless very present) alien baby. Madcap insanity abounds, and she takes us on a journey which is both frantic and endearing, all without ever leaving the confines of the intimate stage setting. It’s difficult to sustain this sort of thing over an extended period of time, but Ardyth is a seasoned performer with fantastic skills; it’s hard not to become wrapped up in the (deliberately) cartoony adventure. There’s even a surprisingly touching and heartfelt conclusion. Just like its hapless heroine, “Okie Dokie” deserves some love. Go and check it out.

Mike Seccombe