Fortune of Wolves is a newly produced, multi-episode podcast launched by Theatre New Brunswick with audio produced by Big Noise Audio Collective. It was released on January 28, 2022 after making its local debut in 2017 at the Open Space Theatre on 55 Whiting Road in Fredericton. The play’s manuscript was published by Playwright Canada Press in 2019.
Fans of drama and mystery rejoice; Fortune of Wolves is playwright Ryan Griffith’s third published work and remains a compelling and twisted narrative. Wolves rejects the traditional style of delivering a play, and chooses instead to develop its story through a collection of more than 60 characters, each with their own stories, dialogues, and personalities.
Here’s how Theatre New Brunswick summarizes the play on their website:
“For our production, four actors divided the play’s many characters between them. Some were constant. Others, fluid. Each night, prior to show time, the evening’s characters were chosen at random (we may have rolled dice) and the show was performed. This created a world in which no two performances of the play featured the same cast of characters.”
Fortune of Wolves is an eccentric (and eerie) walk down memory lane and is set in an apocalyptic-like world based on modern-day Nova Scotia. Wolves oozes darkness, and each character often feels untrustworthy in their own right.
Currently, the worsening effects of the pandemic do not permit theatres or actors to hold their own public performances. The Fortune of Wolves podcast was created to provide easy access to an online audience, giving New Brunswick’s theatre community a creative outlet during this difficult time.
The play is normally carried out with characters being chosen at random prior to each performance. As an alternative medium, Wolves’ podcast version includes all 66 dialogues and characters over the span of 13 episodes. Currently, the podcast has released two episodes, and each runs approximately 30 to 40 minutes – the perfect amount of time for you to relax and momentarily escape reality.
If you think the Fortune of Wolves podcast is right up your alley, be prepared to learn about some very intimate stories, including: a man named Jim and a headless body; Scott and his downtime crisis; and Laury and her time flying the capitalist kite. There are so many other great characters and scenes to be discovered. Make sure to tune in to the bizarre world that Griffith, the production company, and the cast have meticulously built.
For more information on Theatre New Brunswick or to listen to the Fortune of Wolves podcast, please visit https://www.tnb.nb.ca/podcast-fortune-of-wolves/. You can also listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.