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FINALIST for the 2022 RELIT AWARDS

Synopsis

The Trouper-Royale Orpheum Galaxie Theatre is a jewel in the entertainment crown of Niagara Falls. At least, that’s what the marquee out front says. To the Fabulous Trouper Quintuplets, their family’s old theatre is the crown of thorns of their adolescent memories.

Under their famous child-actor-turned-director father’s narcissistic and overbearing eye, the quintuplets were raised on a strict diet of Golden Age entertainment and homeschooling designed to mold them into the best actors of their generation. But through a series of hilarious and tragic events, the siblings began to develop their own personalities and ambitions, rebelling against their father’s aspirations for them. The tension rising from the quintuplets’ newfound individualism sparked an onstage brawl during a performance on their eighteenth birthday that changed the trajectory of all of their lives.

Twenty years later, the quintuplets reunite for the reading of their father’s will and his demand for one last performance.

In The Troupers, Richard Scarsbrook creates a family like few others. I mean how many parents are blessed with five children born on the very same day? Each of the quintuplets has their own personality, quirks, and crosses to bear as they are molded by their flawed father and family patriarch, the legendary actor, John Lionel Trouper.

By turns hilarious and heartrending, this brilliantly written tale is one wild ride that will stay with you long after the curtain falls.

— Terry Fallis

two-time winner of the
Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour

I highly recommend The Troupers – it is entertaining in a moving way that stirs up your insides. It’s fascination with and dedication to the Silver Screen is commendable, so anyone who loves old movies will love this story. The characters are real and sad and hopeful, and Richard’s clever wit dips into the dark in a way still makes room for the light.

— Vanessa Shields

writer, poet, proprietor of Gertrude’s Writing Room

The Troupers is so much fun… Scarsbrook keeps the narrative tight – inserting actual scripts to convey scenes happening on stage… Combining the best elements of theatre, mystery and cinema, The Troupers will keep you engaged until the credits roll.

— Wilma Aalbers

What is Ms. Albers Reading?