February sharpens the senses in Thunder Bay. The cold takes hold, camps sit empty, and the water and ice turn ominous. Magnus Theatre leans into this tension with the world premiere of On Thin Ice, a comedy thriller by Drew Hayden Taylor.

Set in the dead of winter and unfolding in a remote northern camp, On Thin Ice places strangers together in a situation where escape isn’t guaranteed — and trust is anything but certain. For Artistic Director Thom Currie, the appeal lies in the delicate balancing act between laughter and fear.

“All the best thrillers — and even the best dramas — have an element of humour,” Currie says. “The laughter is often there to relieve the tension.” He points to The Shining as a touchstone, noting how Jack Nicholson’s dark quips momentarily release pressure before pulling audiences right back into danger. “The challenge,” he adds, “is finding the balance between the chills, the jumps, and the laughter.”

That balance was something Currie knew audiences were ready for. After directing Gaslight in the 2024–25 season, he noticed just how hungry Thunder Bay theatre-goers were for suspense-driven storytelling. When Taylor sent over the script for On Thin Ice, the response was immediate. “By the end of Act 1,” Currie says, “I knew Thunder Bay would love this show.”

The setting, too, feels tailor-made for the city. “It’s cold. Most of our camps are closed up for the winter. We’re literally surrounded by water and ice,” he says. “What if we walked in on strangers who had taken refuge at our beautiful camp? What if there was no getting away — for anyone?”

As a world premiere, On Thin Ice arrives without a roadmap, giving the creative team room to shape the story in real time. The production is directed by Vinetta Strombergs, who has a long history of working with Taylor and has directed many of his first productions, both at Magnus and beyond. That familiarity has created a strong shorthand between playwright and director, while Taylor himself has remained actively involved throughout rehearsals.

“He’s been quite available,” Currie explains. “He’s continued to rewrite the play as questions and ideas have come up. It’s great to be able to reach out to the playwright directly and talk through how the story unfolds.”

For audiences, that evolving process translates into a show that keeps them guessing. Rather than a slow burn that gently tightens, Currie expects On Thin Ice to pull the rug out early. “By the end of Act 1, I anticipate the audience will have more questions than answers,” he says. “Like every show this season, it raises the question of who to believe — and who to trust.”

Beneath the laughs and shocks, Taylor’s writing also leaves room for deeper reflection. Currie suggests audiences may leave pondering how far someone might go to change their own life — or whether anyone in the story is telling the truth at all.

The cast, meanwhile, has played a major role in shaping the production. As the first actors to bring these characters to life, they’re setting the foundation for future interpretations. “On the first day of rehearsal, some of the Magnus staff were already gasping as the story unfolded,” Currie recalls. “That was incredibly exciting to witness.”

Still, comedy thrillers come with their own risks. “The biggest challenge is not spiralling into parody or camp,” Currie says. “It has to stay real. The audience needs to feel genuine jeopardy for the characters. Pulling that off is both the challenge and the reward.”

Within Magnus Theatre’s broader season, On Thin Ice reflects Currie’s ongoing commitment to variety. “I’m obsessed with giving audiences a different experience every time they walk through the door,” he says. “Whether it’s a musical, a comedy, or a drama, this is another fresh experience — and when it closes, we’ll move on to something completely different.”

As for what he hopes audiences are still talking about on the drive home?

“I’m hoping they got a few chills,” Currie laughs. “That they never saw the surprises coming. And that they don’t fall through the ice on the way home.”

There’s something about winter in Thunder Bay that sharpens every instinct. The silence, the ice, the sense that you’re never quite as alone as you think. On Thin Ice taps directly into that unease, blending laughter and suspense in a way that only live theatre can fully deliver — where every reaction is shared and every twist lands in real time. At Magnus Theatre, that collective experience is part of the point: gathering in the middle of winter to be surprised, unsettled, and engaged together. As audiences step back out into the February night, it’s a safe bet the questions won’t stay behind in the theatre — and that’s exactly where this kind of story wants to live.