March 16, 2026    

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The Cultch's website states: "The Search Party brings Duncan Macmillan’s irreverent, critically acclaimed play about a struggling actress whose life spins out of control to Western Canada for the first time." 

 

In my opinion, the play should've stayed in Eastern Canada. 

 

As I walked into the theatre and witnessed the simple but elegant stage, high hopes were in the air. The buzz around the play has been extremely high and I had expected to be wowed. By intermission, which took 90 minutes to get to, there was definitely a wow factor, but not in the good way. Duncan Macmillan has earned a reputation as bold and unflinching. I am unaware if he has actually been to group therapy, or struggled with addiction, but the way his story unfolded was in line with how someone might think therapy and addiction work, without doing any of the proper research.

 

While the play itself is structurally ambitious, blending fragmented storytelling, stylized staging, and moments of dark humor, the result here often feels more exhausting than illuminating.

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Tess Degenstein as "Nina" carries nearly the entire emotional weight of the piece, but she never fully anchors the story. Instead of revealing the complex vulnerability at the heart of the protagonist’s journey through addiction and rehabilitation, the portrayal tends to lean heavily on heightened intensity, making many scenes feel repetitive rather than revelatory. Without a grounded emotional core, the audience is left observing the character’s overly theatrical turmoil rather than connecting with her.

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On a positive note, visual and auditory effects, intended to reflect the protagonist’s fractured mental state, are interesting and done very well.

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- Vancouver Stage 

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