Jonas And Barry In The Home At Drayton Entertainment
Jonas and Barry in the Home is Norm Foster at his sprightliest and it is getting a superlative production at the Hildebrand Schoolhouse Theatre in St. Jacobs, the smallest in Drayton’s portfolio.
Long-time divorcee Barry (Lee MacDougall) is settling in uncomfortably on the patio of the the Gateway Gardens senior residence. His daughter Rosie (AJ Bridel), who manages activities for the residents, has brought him there, concerned that at the age of 65, with a family history of heart problems, he should no longer be living alone.
Barry is a dentist whose marriage ended when he fell in love with a patient and left Rosie’s mother. It was a mistake, she dumped him, and he realizes he still loves his estranged wife. Meanwhile, we learn Rosie, too, has been abandoned by her husband and for similar reasons.
Enter 70-year-old Jonas (Terry Barna), a gregarious man about town, full of joie de vivre, who is independently wealthy thanks to a monumentally successful hit song he wrote years ago about lost love. It was the only song he ever wrote.
Jonas hardly seems a candidate for a rest home. Between forays in which, among other things, he beds the very rich owner of Gateway Gardens, Jonas gradually teases Barry out of his reticence and, by play’s end, completely turns his life around.
That’s the simple plot of Jonas and Barry in the Home into which Foster weaves, not only plenty of laughs, but some telling insights into ageing, sex among the grey-haired set, the heartbreak of infidelity and the bitterness of divorce, father-child relationships, and living life to the fullest.
Director David Nairn as done a wonderful job of bringing this all to life, although with this cast it’s hard to imagine he had to work too hard.
The lovely AJ Bridel absolutely scintillates as Rosie, so much so that it took a certain willful suspension of disbelief to accept that any man could be dumb enough to dump her. Lee MacDougall brings an endearing gormlessness to Barry that makes his transformation great fun to watch unfold.
Jonas is the star of the show and Terry Barna, who seems to make something of a specialty of playing Foster characters, brings him to vibrant life. He is an accomplished comic actor and has an ingratiating way of letting you know he is having the time of his life in the role without ever resorting to shtick.
Beckie Morris has outdone herself with her evocation of the terrace of Gateway Gardens. It would be impressive in any theatre but in the intimate confines of the Hildebrand (capacity 100) it is especially impressive. Costume designer Joanna Lee does a nice job of expressing Jonas’ style and Barry’s transformation.
Jonas and Barry In The Home is one of Foster’s best plays. If you can make it to St. Jacobs, by all means do.
Jonas and Barry In The Home continues at the Hildebrand Schoolhouse Theatre through November 8, 2026. For more information and to purchase tickets visit the Drayton Entertainment website.
Footnote: Norm Foster has written another play, Doris and Ivy in the Home, that has a similar setting but an entirely different plot. It is every bit as funny as Jonas and Barry in the Home. Like many of Foster’s best works it is revived frequently and is worth seeking out.
[image: Drayton Entertainment]
For a complete index of reviews CLICK HERE.
Don’t miss another review or blog post! SUBSCRIBE HERE
