To call Belle Moral Ann-Marie MacDonald’s newest play is a bit of a misnomer, since it began life as The Arab’s Mouth and had a run at Toronto’s Factory Theatre in 1990. Since the idea of evolution is at the heart of the work, it’s only fitting that the play has morphed from an earlier prototype into a sophisticated work that challenges scientific theories and social sensitivities.

It’s 1899 and the modern world is knocking on every door, including those found in remote Scotland. Belle Moral is not only the coastal estate of the MacIsaac Clan, whose fate is contained within the will of the recently departed Master Mac-Isaac, it’s also a state of mind. Pearl, a headstrong girl with a penchant for science, needs Victor, her wayward (that’s Victorian for artistic) brother, to arrive so they can read their father’s will. The minute he sets foot in the place, all hell breaks loose, as the will bequeaths a lot more than just property. Pearl, Victor, an assortment of house servants, a doctor, a lawyer, a dog, and a curious scientific specimen all have to deal with the consequences. Easier said than done, but that’s where all the fun comes into play.

MacDonald has a great sense of fun, intellectually and theatrically, as well as a flair for the absurd, as she unravels her turn-of-the-century tale. She serves up modern intellectualism on a Shavian platter, with dashes of Wilde, Stoppard, and Kafka, and sizable dollops of her own humour and wit (complete with translation and punctuation guides for Scottish terms), while tipping her hat to another brave modern gal, Mary Shelley.

Belle Moral is a potent concoction. Sure, it leaves lots of unanswered questions, but isn’t that exactly what Mr. Shaw and his pal Ibsen wanted? Victor bemoans the pointlessness of it all while Pearl continually digs for answers – who is to say which is the right approach? MacDonald considers all options, and while Belle Moral may not always be up to the calibre of the playwrights she honours, it sure is a gallant attempt.