PROPHETESS - REVIEW OF 2026 TARRAGON THEATRE PRODUCTION

Reviewed by James Karas Prophetess is a fascinating and complex new play by Ho Ka Kei (Jeff Ho) that premiered at Tarragon Theatre in Toronto. Its central character is Margaret, the Chairwoman of English at York University who makes a powerful presence as the Queen of Etymology and a woman with a complicated past and present.

Played by Karen Robinson in a bravura performance, the stentorian Margaret gives a lecture on the etymology of the “f” word. She and the play are not shy about using the word and its cognates from Latin to today, but it behooves me to be less graphic than Margaret. In the classroom and everywhere else Margaret speaks effusively, fearlessly and keeps the class (us) under complete control.

She meets Anne (Natasha Mumba), a new instructor, on her first day at York and slaps her across the face. Did she see or imagine seeing a spider on Anne? Elizabeth (Christine Horne), the diffident Human Resources person, tries to settle the problem arising from the incident and get Margaret to apologize. Not a chance.

We perceive that Margaret for all her powerful personality and academic superiority may have problems that go beyond the immediately apparent. We meet Henry (Rick Roberts), her husband, in the opening scene and start scratching our head about him. There is mention of a son, Edward, who died in childhood.

Anne was invited by Margaret to go for dinner but after the slap was not expected to show up. She did. Elizabeth also shows up, uninvited, with her husband Richard and a large bouquet of flowers. The situation becomes tense and then Margaret explodes into an emotional outburst, striking everything with the flowers and losing consciousness. Elizabeth’s husband looks exactly like Henry and we know he is not what he seems to be and the same may apply to Richard.

Karen Robinson & Natasha Mumba (Photo by Jae Yang)

The fine acting is praiseworthy and I want to give kudos to the actors aside from Robinson whom I have already lauded. Roberts is timid and hesitant both as Henry and as Richard. We are not sure about him or his existence as a human being. Is he the figment of someone’s imagination? A ghost? Well done by Roberts. Horne as Elizabeth and Mumba as Anne are caught in a situation with a woman who comes on like a bulldozer and they try to hold on to their position with fine acting.

The set by Jawon Kang represents a well-appointed room with books and tables and it serves as Margaret’s home and the University classroom.

The program tells us that the play is “Inspired by Shakespeare’s History Plays…. Prophetess excavates etymology to ask: What does it mean to curse or bless oneself?’ etymology fascinates me but I had no idea it has archeological facets that can be excavated. The lecture on etymology in the play is fascinating but the question of what it means to  curse or bless myself did not occur to me.

What interested me most is the idea that the play is inspired by Shakespeare’s History Plays. We have Henry IV, (2 parts), Henry V, Henry VI (3 parts) and Richard III. That is seven plays covering a swath of English history.

The heroine of Prophetess is called Margaret Anjou and there is Margaret of Anjou in the History Plays. She appears in Henry VI and Richard III and is nicknamed the Warrior Queen. Elizabeth’s husband is called Dicky but we can call him Richard and relate him to the rudely Richard III. The Prophetess Margaret’s husband is named Henry and we have lots of choices for him from Henry IV to Henry V to Henry VI. There is also Lady Anne, Duchess of Gloucester in Richard III. I lack the leap of imagination from Prophetess to the History Plays to find a connecting string and wish that  Ho Ka Kei (Jeff Ho) had provided some hints about the possible disparate connections

Prophetess has many virtues as a play but it has some creaks as well that need some attention. With the superb performances of the cast and Mike Payette’s sure-handed direction it makes for fine theatre. But I notice that Payette acted as dramaturg as well and there is room for improvement in that regard.  
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Prophetess by Ho Ka Kei (Jeff Ho) continues until October 29, 2026, at the Tarragon Theatre, 30 Bridgman Ave. Toronto, Ontario.  www.tarragontheatre.com 

James Karas is the Culture editor of The Greek Press, Toronto