Rob Corbett and I go a long way back.

It was back in the late 1980s, when I was fresh out of Queen's Faculty of Education and starting my career, that I met Rob Corbett. He had directed a production of THE WIZARD OF OZ for The Whitby Little Theatre at that time.

I had the chance to attend the reading of his play Outside the Lines at Port Perry's Theatre on the Ridge during the time of that dreaded 'C' work back in 2020/2021.  When I received a press release from Rob about his newest play for the Toronto Fringe this year, called 'Jack'd,' I wasn't sure if he'd remember me from 2020 or 2021.

Rob said the same thing. He recognized my name when he saw the list of reviewers and bloggers, but he didn't know if I would remember him.

We've come full circle, Rob.

For Toronto Fringe 2025, Rob's play 'Jack'd' takes some well-known fairytale characters from 'Jack and the Beanstalk' and puts a spin on them. The spin: a thief, a murder, some sex and a beanstalk. This description alone will bring a few curious to the theatre.

In an email conversation, Corbett shared 'Jack'd' started at storytime with his daughters. He doesn't want to spoil the plot but shares some tidbits to garner interest. Rob found himself wondering why this kid, Jack, was the hero. Jack breaks into the Giant's house, steals his stuff and kills him. The more he looked and thought about this fairytale, the more Corbett had questions:

Why does the Giant's wife keep letting this young man in to steal her husband's stuff?
Why does a family who lives off the milk from a single cow get a bag of gold and then need more?
Why do none of the women in this story have names?

Rob's a thinker. I would never have thought of these questions. Instead, I would take the story of 'Jack and the Beanstalk' at face value.

Now, when he added into the title: a thief, a murder, some sex and a beanstalk, hmmm… are we getting into some adult nature? Will there be a family version?  Port Hope's Capitol Theatre, for its annual panto, performs a naughty version along with the family. Will there be a naughty Jack?

Rob confesses:

"We're not, but I LOVE that idea. Wished I thought of it. For the Fringe, we're 16+ only. There's definitely a very adult hit to this piece. I think I was working on touching base with my inner adolescent when I was writing the first draft, and a lot of that silly, naughty energy is still in the piece. It's certainly a cheeky romp, but I'm hoping the audience will also walk away with a few things to think about."

Rob says 'Jack'd' will question how we see and treat people who are "different" – both oversized puppets play the Giant and the Harp; they're great fun, but also "other." The actors also ask the audience to think about (possibly even question) the stories we know.

Corbett's pleased with the cast he has gathered to tell the story. Rehearsals are well underway and progressing smoothly. The biggest problem the cast faces is they keep getting the giggles when someone does or thinks of something silly to do. Henry Oswald Pierson (whom some will know from Port Perry's Theatre on the Ridge summer performances) is the shape-shifting Narrator who plays all the more minor roles. Rob has forgotten how many of them there are. Nabeel El Khafif is the Giant (the biggest role in the 2025 Fringe), Carmen Gillespie as his wife (bigger isn't better, trust her on this), Ashley Hughson as Jack's mom (she has a name, not that you ever asked) and Brandon Kulic as hero Jack (we might need better heroes).

Knitting strongly influences the design element of the play. The beanstalk, the goose, the cow and a few other props are all knit and crocheted. The beanstalk has been a fascinating evolution. When members of his church, the Neighbourhood Unitarian Universalist Congregation on the Danforth (where the show is mounted), found out that the beanstalk was going to be knitted, Rob suddenly had leaves, vines, and bean pods made by the congregation. To date, the beanstalk leaves have been made by 7 (and counting) members of the congregation. For that reason, Rob says he's a big fan of the Leafs. (drum roll)

He's also a punster, can you tell?

How's he feeling about the performing arts/theatre industry currently after so much change and upheaval:

"Change is inevitable; we can embrace it or fight it, but we're not going to stop it. We also can't avoid being influenced by it. As the world seems increasingly intent on becoming uglier, it's more important than ever to work to create something joyous and beautiful. As we lose the middle ground and people with different opinions seem to be less and less interested in listening, it becomes more and more important to show a different perspective; as the world gets more stressful, it becomes an act of survival and even protest to come together to share laughter, thought-provoking ideas and art."

How does Rob envision the twenty-first-century actor and performing artist?  He believes he/she/they need to be able to establish character and relationships almost instantly. The actor in character needs to hit the ground running from their first moments on stage or screen.

As we concluded our email conversation, I asked Rob what his next steps were. He said he's never quite sure. 'Jack'd' is his 12th script, and he'd love to see it have a life beyond Toronto Fringe (Hamilton Fringe, are you listening?)

Corbett's also an appreciative fellow. He calls the preparation for writing and rehearsal a fantastic road that gets the show to the Toronto Fringe. Something tells him this isn't the end of the road for Jack and the crew.

Beyond 'Jack'd,' Rob is excited for the surprises life is going to throw his way.

To learn more about 'Jack'd: A Thief, A Murder, Some Sex and a Beanstalk,' go to www.torontofringe.com to check out performance dates. I'll be reviewing the show, and you can look for my review.