REVIEW: Anywhere simmers with tension at the Assembly Theatre

Her work conference is over — now, Liz just wants to go to bed and forget this trip ever happened. She already has a head start, considering she can’t remember what exactly transpired when she got blackout drunk with her host Joy last night. But when she arrives at the Airbnb to Joy waiting up for her, Liz realizes that catching her Greyhound home will be anything but easy. 

Michael Ross Albert’s Anywhere, playing at the Assembly Theatre in a co-production between One Four One Collective and Leroy Street Theatre, follows the conversation that unfolds as Liz tries to piece together the events of the night before, with little help from Joy. The show is directed by Cass Van Wyck, who originated the role of Joy in the play’s Patron’s Pick-winning debut run at the Toronto Fringe Festival back in 2018.

The two-hander features Anne van Leeuwen and Kaitlin Race, who previously worked together on Patty Picker (also directed by Van Wyck) at the Toronto Fringe Festival in 2024. The back and forth between Race and van Leeuwen is exhilarating to watch — the two actors are able to match each other beat for beat, feeding off each other’s energy while also holding their own.

What’s unique about this run is that Race and van Leeuwen alternate roles from night to night. While the text remains the same, the show should feel completely different as the characters are embodied by different performers with their own bodies, voices, and character choices. The night I attended, Race played Liz and van Leeuwen played Joy.

Race’s Liz holds herself with the self-assuredness of someone who knows exactly who she is. For someone who always knows where she stands, her discomfort is evident at the top of the show when she doesn’t know what happened between her and her host. As the play unfolds it’s fascinating to see how she transforms from someone tip-toeing around, to someone standing her ground.

In contrast, van Leeuwen’s Joy feels unmoored, someone you can’t quite figure out. From the moment she appears on stage it’s clear she’s hiding something. As Joy’s desperation grows, her innocent mother act begins to crack in favour of what she thinks will trigger Liz. Toward the end of the show, Joy frequently turns on a dime, sometimes unprompted. Van Leeuwen plays this instability naturally, with the mood swings coming off as genuinely spontaneous.

Amelia Mielke-O’Grady’s set design transports the viewer into Joy’s living/dining/leisure room. It’s decorated with a mix of cheap Ikea furnishings and wooden heirloom pieces, indicative of Joy decorating on a budget. Toys are strewn everywhere — clearly some little one has trouble cleaning up. The set feels like a painting of a young family’s home frozen in time, which makes it all the more surprising when items are brought out of the backdrop and into the action.

Albert’s writing takes the audience on a tense ride from the first moment to the chaotic conclusion. While witty one-liners and comedic moments provide levity, the relief is short-lived. The fast-paced dialogue constantly results in tonal shifts before the audience can catch their breath. With a runtime of an hour, the production follows the night’s events in real time, which makes the pace of the show extremely unnerving as things snowball out of control.

The sound design, by Van Wyck, adds to the tension. As the lights first rise on Joy waiting for Liz to come home, tense music plays, turning what could be an innocent act of sitting on the couch into an ominous one. Throughout the rest of the play, the sounds of rain, wind, and emergency vehicles abound, as a constant reminder of the storm that mirrors the one happening indoors.

Van Wyck’s direction allows the set and the actors to shine. The use of space in the small theatre immerses the audience directly into the domestic setting. For example, there is a window at the back of the stage through which the audience first sees Liz, as she stands outside in the rain and prepares to come in.

Anywhere plays with the balance of power between hosts and guests, as well as people of different classes, while embracing complexity. There are no straightforward or easy answers. In Albert’s dog-eat-dog world, we all must do what we can to survive.

Anywhere runs at the Assembly Theatre until April 2. More information is available here.

Intermission reviews are independent and unrelated to Intermission’s partnered content. Learn more about Intermission’s partnership model here.

WRITTEN BY

Shivani Nathoo

Shivani (she/her) is an engineer and an interdisciplinary artist. Growing up, she floated between many mediums, including fibre and beading arts, music, and writing. As an adult, she carries this curiosity with her, continuously trying new things and growing her artistic practice. She was a participant of the Toronto Fringe’s New Young Reviewers program in 2025. She also runs the blog Arts in the City, where she publishes reviews and essays on the Arts scene in Toronto. She is passionate about equity in the arts and STEM, and an avid fan of live performance. When she’s not working, you can find her in the audience at a theatre or concert hall.

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