Red Like Fruit

The Cultch Historic Theatre to February 22, 2026

Tickets from $35 at 604-251-1363 or www.thecultch.com

Posted February 19, 2026

You know when knots of people hang around talking in the theatre after the curtain falls that something really exciting has happened in the last 90 minutes. Ushers had to ask us to move our conversations out of the theatre and into the lobby.

What happened in The Cultch’s Historic Theatre on opening night was – and is, until February 22 – Red Like Fruit, a brilliantly provocative new play by Hannah Moscovitch.

In a February 12, 2026 interview with Stir magazine, Moscovitch says, “I like formal experimentation – yes, I do. But this [Red Like Fruit] seemed to go much further to me than most of my other projects.”

How much further? Well.

Lauren (Michelle Monteith) and Luke (David Patrick Flemming) walk onstage. They are dressed casually. Lauren introduces herself and then introduces Luke. She mounts a very low platform and sits on a plain wooden chair. He moves stage left to a stand. Lauren tells us that she has written everything down and has asked Luke to read it to us. For the most part Lauren remains quiet while Luke reads although she does react now and then; and sometimes Luke asks her if she’s alright, does she want to proceed. And she says she does.

Lauren is a journalist on assignment. Her subject is the sexual assault of a woman (Brittany) by Andrew (a colleague, a Liberal party executive). He loses his job over being found guilty but is quietly rehired. Brittany is not.

At issue are the conflicting reports about how Brittany sustained her injuries. Did she fall after Andrew “slapped” her (Andrew’s story) or did he “punch” her (Brittany’s story)? Two teeth were knocked back into her palate requiring months of surgery and implants.

Lauren interviews all the relevant people: Andrew, Andrew’s boss, Brittany, Brittany’s mother, the ER doctor who treated Brittany, neighbours of Andrew and Brittany and more. So, who controls the narrative? Who do we believe? Does society trust men more than women to be truthful? Is that why Lauren chooses Luke to tell her story?

As Lauren continues her investigation, Brittany’s story triggers Lauren’s own sexual experiences going back to when she was seventeen and then, even earlier, on a holiday with her family. And here’s where Red Like Fruit gets even more interesting. What constitutes sexual assault? Where does groping fit in or a man exposing himself to you? What is just “normal” or culturally almost acceptable behaviour and what is not? Is it stupid behaviour or criminal behaviour and how do girls and women navigate those waters?

Under Christian Barry’s impeccable direction, Monteith and Flemming keep us transfixed. Interestingly, while the story is Lauren’s, I was almost completely focussed on Luke: words matter. Monteith signals Lauren’s anxiety but never loudly or overtly. Flemming, as Luke, often seems embarrassed or apologetic about the story he is required to read.

This is such fascinating territory. Every woman has had to figure this out beginning at a very young age. Sitting on the knee of a family friend when you’re four. Having your butt touched on SkyTrain when you’re a pre-teen. Or later, having sex when you really didn’t want it. When do you blow the whistle when women are so socialized to keep the peace?

Again, from the Stir interview: “I’m older, and I give less of a shit,” [Moscovitch] adds with a laugh. “And I don’t make my money doing theatre, so I don’t rely on it. I am so free in theatre – and I have also written a lot of plays, so I feel like I can fuck with the medium in ways that, even for me, are pushing an audience to come with me on this journey.”

Don’t miss Red Like Fruit if you like being pushed. And if you don’t like being pushed, maybe you should see it. Moscovitch: “I felt like it was a journey to the edge, but it felt worth the experiment.” Definitely.

Correction: Andrew has been convicted of physical assault not sexual assault.