Theatre review: Sinners' fast-flying farce is full of naughty fun
At Metro Theatre, Norm Foster’s dark comedy features juicy twists and guilty pleasures

Jasmine Eadie and Josh Zumstien in Metro Theatre’s Sinners.
Sinners runs at Metro Theatre to February 15
SOMETIMES IT FEELS SO good to be bad. That’s why Metro Theatre’s production of Sinners hits in all the right ways.
For the duration of Canadian playwright Norm Foster’s two-act play, audiences get to enjoy politically incorrect jokes and plot points without feeling guilty. Under the direction of Angie McLeod, Sinners is a dark comedy full of juicy twists and so much suspense you’ll find yourself on the edge of your seat.
At the top of the show, we meet Monica Lloyd (Jasmine Eadie), the wife of the town reverend, welcoming Peter Kramer (Josh Zumstien) for a visit. The pair are having an affair, and with the minister scheduled to be out of town for a few days, Monica is sure that she and Peter are in the clear to have fun together. However, Peter has an uneasy feeling and his instincts will prove to be correct, with a number of surprising turns set to shake up the pair’s night. And despite the dark nature of some of these surprises, it’s all such riotous fun.
Nervous and rational, Zumstien’s Peter is a perfect foil to Eadie’s charismatic yet impulsive and reckless Monica. Both have sharp timing and ample physical-comedy skills. Equally engaging is the innocence of Colleen Brow as local townswoman Diane Gillis, who has some news to deliver that will, unbeknownst to her, have a major impact on the situation.
There’s a huge plot shift in the second act, and Foster’s script keeps you glued to the action as the details are gradually revealed. The addition of nosy Carolyn Cavanaugh (Deborah Tom) and her husband, police chief Roy Cavanaugh (Liam Reitsma), thickens the plot. Tom is fun to watch as she rifles through things, digging for dirt. And with his deadpan, matter-of-fact demeanour, Reitsma delivers some hilarious one-liners: “I’m the chief of police, I don’t have time for community involvement,” he says at one point, later explaining that running for mayor is “the next best thing to retirement”.
McLeod keeps the farce’s rhythm quick-paced, never letting the proverbial ball drop. The cast keeps that momentum up, volleying a nonstop onslaught of jokes. All of this is played within Kathleen Hilton’s gorgeous and functional set, which uses a clever layout that keeps the house’s bedroom and living room in sight at all times. Some elements are intentionally tacky (the eyesore of a couch plays a big part of the show’s humour) or cheeky (a giant cross on the livingroom wall). However, the overall aesthetic is pleasing, including a glowing moon outside the home. Kelsey John Torok’s subtle lighting effects add an effective touch, helping to shift the action from one room to another.
Sinners is a wild and silly ride—a definite guilty pleasure. So, go ahead and indulge. This is your “hall pass” to revel in some naughty, mischievous fun.
Vince Kanasoot is a former professional dancer and musical theatre actor who performed for Princess Cruises and Royal Caribbean, as well as in musicals across Canada. He left the stage to pursue his love for writing, and now works full time in corporate communications, while also working on his first novel. Follow his adventures on Instagram @VanCityVince.
Related Articles
Facilitated conversations with directors take place before matinee showings of four Bard on the Beach productions this season
Core elements of this audience favourite remain in a production full of touches that feel unmistakably contemporary
Vancouver’s Neworld Theatre is producing and administering nationwide initiative in search of experienced arts writers who are IBPOC or face other barriers
This year’s event, on from August 7 to 17, also features a standup comedy show by YouTube star Manpreet Singh and all-ages dance workshops
Young cast fuels this new production of the Roald Dahl classic with over-the-top silliness and sheer song-and-dance talent
New production of Jessica B. Hill’s witty play reclaims the lost history of poet Emilia Bassano
From revealing performances to spot-on costumes and sets, this new production conjures all the atmosphere of the play’s old London home
Western Gold Theatre fundraiser features the U.K.–born Canadian artist in an intimate, informal setting
In Bard on the Beach’s new production, retro pastels and power suits map surprisingly well onto the chaos of Shakespeare’s sometimes troublesome original
Neworld Theatre in collaboration and SFU’s School for the Contemporary Arts humanizes the issue by drawing on real, lived memories of fires, floods, and heat waves
With audiences sworn to secrecy over a decades-long run, the mystery at the heart of author’s most famous whodunit endures
With modernized touches and strong performances, this adaptation renews the wit and scheming of Shakespeare’s classic comedy
Rachel Drance’s poignant performance mixes well with choreographic and design innovations in new rendition of musical at the Stanley
Sean Bayntun and Eliza De Castro sound off on bringing to life the bold characters of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Legally Blonde: The Musical
Kat Sandler’s Wildwoman and Axis Theatre’s Where Have All the Buffalo Gone? round out the stage offerings
The first female published poet in England interacts with Shakespeare in Jessica B. Hill’s witty, complex love story
Designer Carmen Alatorre draws on old photos, film stills, and her own pastel-hued memories for Shakespearean comedy’s retro setting
An energized live band accompanies the new rock musical, but the songs don’t always serve the storytelling
Creator of Arts Club hits like A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline, Red Rock Diner, and the Stanley-opening Swing passed away at 87
Johnna Wright directs the idyllic, Mediterranean-set Shakespeare play that revolves around two vastly different couples
Vancouver-raised performer pours her heart and soul into hit Arts Club musical about women supporting one another and the healing power of pies
Directed by Mark Chavez, a rotating cast of hilarious theatre artists act out all of the Bard’s comedies, histories, tragedies, and sonnets
Documentary-style production creates call to action by integrating lived experience of climate disaster into an innovative hybrid of theatre and journalism
The overall effect is a bit like Zoolander crashing into a circus sideshow with an apple cart full of gaudy fabric
Multimedia rink show gets its glide on when it mixes surreal imagery with innovative skating and high-flying choreography
Company to pause programming starting January 2026 while the Holy Trinity Anglican Church fixes water damage and mould in the 1912 site
The Dust Palace’s cabaret send-up stars a visionary fashion designer who sews costumes live onstage at The Cultch
At the Firehall Arts Centre, Cree theatre artist journeys through her childhood memories, incorporating cheeky crowd work
All-ages show by Cause & Effect Circus incorporates high-level skills, inventive lighting, and fun sound effects
Justin Anthony directs the show about a group of survivors navigating the aftermath of a cataclysmic event