Author Archive
Fairy Tale Ending (Roll Your Own Theatre) – 2010 Toronto Fringe Review
By Amber
By Amber Landgraff
If you are looking for a Fringe show that is both kid and adult friendly, look no further than Fairy Tale Ending, presented by Roll Your Own Theatre. This little gem, tucked away in the FringeKids! listings is fun for all ages.
The story starts with the revelation that there is something wrong in Fairy Tale Land. The endings to all of Jill’s favorite fairy tales are changing. Using well known fairy tales like the Three Little Pigs, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and the Billy Goats Gruff, the show offers surprising twist unhappily ever after endings.
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Die Roten Punkte – KUNST ROCK (ART ROCK) (Die Roten Punkte) – 2010 Toronto Fringe Review
By Amber
By Amber Landgraff
When I saw that Die Roten Punkte were going to be in this year’s Fringe with Die Roten Punkte – KUNST ROCK (ART ROCK) I was so excited. I saw them perform during their Super Musikant Tour in 2008 and instantly became a fan. KUNST ROCK may be more arty than Super Musikant but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t just as much fun.
The show involves a rollicking performance by brother and sister duo Otto and Astrid Rot. Orphaned at a young age when their parents were killed by a train on the way to the zoo, they only have each other and their music.
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Wisdom: Part One (Jimmy Hogg) – 2010 Toronto Fringe Review
By Amber
By Amber Landgraff
The thing about performing comedy is that audience response is a big part of the overall experience of a show. I am assuming this is as true for the performer as it is for an audience member. Tonight I went to see Wisdom: Part One, presented by Jimmy Hogg, and I found myself spending a lot of the performance marvelling at my fellow audience.
The 60-minute show features the comedy stylings of Jimmy Hogg. Hogg is best when he is being self-aware of his performance. He begins the show with a dialogue about the pitfalls of presenting comedy at the Fringe, making jokes about the possibility for small or inattentive audiences. He also describes the very real problem of telling a joke that falls flat, and then trying too hard on the next joke in order to make up for it, only to succeed in making that joke fall flat as well.
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Raven For a Lark (quoi quoi quoi) – 2010 Toronto Fringe Review
By Amber
By Amber Landgraff
The thing about Fringe shows is that often you find yourself picking shows to see based on short descriptions. These descriptions of course can never do justice to the intricacies and layers that are possible in a show. I have to admit that the description of Raven for a Lark, presented by quoi quoi quoi, had me picturing a very different play than the one that I experienced this afternoon.
The description of the play stated two actors are sucked into the twisted world of Titus Andronicus, Shakespeare’s bloodiest tragedy. I have to admit I was imagining a play where two actors were physically sucked into the world of the play. Perhaps it was the use of the words darkly funny that had me picturing such a wacky scenario.
Everybody Panic! (Apocalypse Later) – 2010 Toronto Fringe Review
By Amber
By Amber Landgraff
When picking shows to see at this year’s Fringe I tended to gravitate towards comedies. I can always do with a good laugh and Everybody Panic!, presented by Apocalypse Later, was a comedy after my own heart.
The four-person cast featuring Jocelyn Geddie, Marcel Dragonieri, Ann Pornel and Brandon Hackett, was strong all around. They knew how to play off of each other and had great energy. The audience was laughing from beginning to end.
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Heart-Strings: Tanya Elchuck – 2010 Toronto Fringe Review
By Amber
By Amber Landgraff
Have you ever wondered why our hearts do the things that they do? Have you ever felt the extreme emotions of a break-up and thought that you’d be better off without a heart to break? Heart-Strings, created by Tanya Elchuck and Amy Crnkovic, uses physical theatre and clown influence to explore the story of one Girl and her Heart.
Girl bemoans the fact that her Heart didn’t come with instructions, and looks for answers about why it acts the way it does. Eventually, tiring of the emotional ups and downs that come with having a heart, Girl decides that she would be better off getting rid of Heart altogether. She discovers that getting rid of your Heart isn’t that easy after all.
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Review: The 7th Annual Cooking Fire Theatre Festival
By Amber
By Amber Landgraff
The 7th Annual Cooking Fire Theatre Festival is a great and inexpensive way to spend a warm summer evening. Five short plays are scattered throughout Dufferin Grove Park making spectacular use of the outdoor location.
The evening started at 6:00 PM with a delicious and filling dinner for only $6.00. All the food was made using locally grown ingredients on-site by volunteers. I had the vegetarian option for the evening, and my friend Manda tried the meat dish, both of which were served with sides of bean salad and a green salad. For the picky eaters and children in the audience they also offered mini pizzas and hot dogs.
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Review: The Soldier's Tale
By Amber
By Amber Landgraff
When I went to see The Soldier’s Tale I wasn’t sure what to expect. Described by the Open Corps Theatre company as a spoken word opera, the piece uses the Casa Loma stables as a backdrop for an entertaining show combining dance, spoken performance and music.
The Soldier’s Tale follows the story of Joseph, a soldier on leave, who meets the devil in disguise while on the road. Joseph ends up trading his fiddle for a book that promises untold wealth. Joseph eventually realizes that wealth doesn’t equal happiness and he has to fight the devil to regain what he has lost.