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Lifeguard

 
Nicholas Abrams Review by Nicholas Abrams 3 Published: 4 Jul 2026 585 Dundas St E Show Dates: 4 Jul 2026-11 Jul 2026

Some people are simply good at telling stories. They can take an everyday memory, add a few well-placed observations, and have an audience hanging on every word. Kathryn Haggis is undoubtedly one of those people. Lifeguard is full of stories I’d happily have listened to over another drink after the show.

Kathryn Haggis proves she’s a born storyteller

Haggis, who explains that she balances acting with working as a lifeguard, uses that job as the thread connecting a series of episodes from her life. Whether every story is entirely true almost feels beside the point. They certainly feel lived-in. We hear about her father’s terminal diagnosis - which unexpectedly turns into a cocktail party when he stubbornly refuses to die on schedule - the tragic loss of her sister in a car accident, the drowning of a close friend, and the strange ways grief has shaped her life. Unsurprisingly for a show about mortality, there are an awful lot of deaths. Thankfully, Haggis has enough warmth and humour to stop the evening becoming overwhelmingly bleak.

As a performer, she’s immediately likeable. Opening-night audiences can sometimes take a little coaxing, but not here. There was an easy rapport between Haggis and the audience from the outset, and it was clear they were enjoying every twist and digression. Directed by Tracey Erin Smith, the production is clean and unfussy, allowing the stories to remain the focus.

The difficulty is that the stories never quite become a larger narrative. Individually, they’re engaging, funny and often moving. Collectively, they feel more like a collection of anecdotes than a fully formed piece of theatre. The recurring lifeguard motif provides a loose framework, and occasional reflections on artificial intelligence and the value of human connection are introduced, but neither develops into anything particularly substantial. The result is a show that’s consistently enjoyable without ever quite building towards a satisfying whole.

There are also moments where Haggis seems slightly tentative. A few lines are lost, and occasionally it feels as though she’s concentrating on reaching her next mark rather than simply using the space. They’re small issues rather than major distractions, but enough to interrupt the otherwise conversational ease of the performance.

The final reflection - that while acting hasn’t given her children or a conventional family, the community at her swimming pool has - clearly aims to leave the audience with an uplifting message. Instead, I found it unexpectedly melancholy. Perhaps that’s fitting. After all, this is a show that spends much of its running time exploring loss as much as resilience.

The publicity describes Kathryn Haggis as a seasoned storyteller, and it’s difficult to argue with that. The stories themselves are well chosen, thoughtfully delivered and genuinely engaging. I simply wished they added up to something greater than the sum of their parts.

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The Blurb:

Lifeguard, turned actor, turned lifeguard, turned actor once more. This seasoned storyteller (think Graywatch not Baywatch) offers a poignant reflection on the importance of water in her and our everyday lives. This story is for anyone that has stood watch over others while quietly trying to keep their head above water. This comedic yet-soul bearing solo show dives deep into human connection. Reminding us machines can process data but only a real person can pull you to safety.