Toronto is home to Canada's most active English language theatre scene, considered to be the third largest centre for English language theatre in the world, behind New York and London. It also enjoys a lively performing arts scene that ranges from small, independent productions to the hosting of large, international acts.
Five high school friends are stalked by two masked killers in this thematically confusing tribute to slasher films from Desk Rabbit Productions. Though I’m generally a fan of genre work on the stage, Oh (It Is Love) doesn’t seem entirely certain which genre it’s meant to fall under, wobbling unsteadily through bouts of comedy, romance, coming of age and, of course, horror. Far too much to try to cram into a feature film, let alone a one hour Fringe play.
Writers Warren MacDonald and Ryan Sero have crafted a stylistic tribute to the noir classics in their script for The Big Lie, presented by Audeamus, in which newshawk Danny Bell seeks to unravel the truth behind a mysterious mentalist who claims to communicate with the dead. Danny’s saucy editor and the Magnificent Bugiardo’s sultry assistant make up the femme fatales of this caper in which the truth is more mercurial than a hard boiled reporter is willing to admit.
Raven for a Lark, the dark, two-person drama by Elise Newman presented by quoi quoi quoi, is stirring, disturbing and deeply effective. In it, two actors play two actors talking about their opening night in Titus Andronicus. Of all Shakespeare’s tragedies, this one is generally agreed to be his most violent work.
Seven of Us, by Goldenberg Productions and currently on as part of the Toronto Fringe, is a mediocre musical whose success or failure depends mostly on the audience’s standards. Anyone looking for some unremarkable songs, plenty of kissing on stage, a few laughs and an evening’s distraction should be satisfied. If you’re looking for musical invention, consistent performances or dramatic poignancy, keep on looking.
Budding playwright Spencer Smith tackles tough material in A Rush of Blood to the Head, presented by Water's Edge Productions and currently on at the Toronto Fringe. He examines the value of every day moments, how the choices that don’t seem to matter wind up deciding who we are. The play follows a family through seemingly mundane days. Her boys grow up, decide what to do with their lives, fall in love and out of love. All of it happens within a moment, as a bullet pierces the head of the main character, Christopher. The question Smith raises is, who...
Despite the title, this play only skirts around Trudeau the man, featuring him in collage like tidbits, and instead focuses on the often sordid behind-the-scenes machinations of the FLQ crisis.
This condensed and selective bio piece about English bawdy poet Algernon Swinburne is a theatrical delight full of surprises, imaginative puppetry, and authentic tenderness.
Kissing Swinburne proving that perverts and puppets are a natural
Watercourse Theatre’s Dead Cat Bounce falls victim to the unfortunate circumstance of being a good story told at an unfortunate venue. A stock broker and aspiring musician make up the core characters in a classic opposites attract romance that is mediated, narrated and obfuscated by an ever-present hobo. The story unfolds on and around the patio of Kos Restaurant, which is positioned on an unluckily busy corner of Kensington Market.
Two purely positive traits cling to A Freudian Slip of the Jung: A true comedy. 1. A four-person cast carries the show with unfailing energy. 2. The title is clear and descriptive. Those are the best things that can be said about this comedy by Sean Fisher.
Soup Can Theatre selects a 1920’s Berlin cabaret as the setting for their contribution to the Toronto Fringe Festival, Love is a Poverty You Can Sell, a musical revue focusing on the legacy of composer Kurt Weill. Space gets a little tight in Bread & Circus with a ten piece orchestra providing accompaniment, but rubbing elbows with the conductor does cultivate the atmosphere of the underground cabarets of old.
