Author Archive
Review: The Who’s Tommy (UC Follies)
By George Perry
UC Follies and Tommy discover “miracle cure” for winter blahs!
If David Letterman were to see The UC Follies’ version of The Who’s Tommy, he’d leave Hart House Theatre and shout up and down the streets of Toronto. “That’s it! That’s the way to blow the roof off the dump!”
Review: Red Snow (Red Snow Collective)
By George Perry
When I first learned of the play Red Snow, now onstage at Toronto’s Theatre Passe Muraille, I was full of emotions.
At first I was furious to learn that on December 13, 1937, the Japanese military captured the Chinese city of Nanking. They killed 300,000 people and raped tens of thousands of girls and women. I was also ashamed that I hadn’t heard of The Rape of Nanking before.
Red Snow was a play I HAD to see. Read the rest of this entry »
2012 Next Stage Theatre Festival Review: The Washing Machine (Red Betty Theatre)
By George Perry
The Washing Machine is a play about culture clashes. It’s currently playing as part of Toronto’s Next Stage Theatre Festival.
It’s the story about “Isabelle”, played by Cydney Penner. She is a woman raised in England who returns to India and presides over a coconut farm. Read the rest of this entry »
2012 Next Stage Theatre Festival Review: Loving the Stranger or How to Recognize an Invert (Ecce Homo Theatre)
By George Perry
I listened to Frank Sinatra on a crowded streetcar on the way to Factory Theatre to see Loving the Stranger or How to Recognize an Invert. I didn’t feel unwelcome but I did feel out of place.
A visit the McAuslan Heated Beer Tent before the play reminded me that I was amongst warm, friendly people. The Next Stage Theatre Festival is a vibrant community. A visit is always a rewarding journey, more than “just” a play. Read the rest of this entry »
Review: A Very Lupe Xmas (Fault Line Theatre)
By George Perry
A Very Lupe Xmas is currently spreading holiday cheer at Toronto’s 918 Bathurst Centre. It is better and way more fun than any big-name holiday special on “the boob-tube”.
This festive performance provides laughs, smiles and tasty Timbits! A Very Lupe Xmas will have you laughing out loud and cheering the characters. It’s a great night out and sure to raise your holiday spirits.
Read the rest of this entry »
Review: Jesus Chrysler (Praxis Theatre)
By George Perry
Jesus Chrysler is currently onstage at a re-imagined Theatre Passe Muraille Backspace. It is an important Toronto story about our history.
My jaw dropped and I said “wow” out loud when I entered the transformed theatre. I was immediately transported into another world and welcomed by fellow comrades. It was like a child seeing Santa’s Village at the mall for the first time. Scott Penner has done a great job designing the set and costumes.
Read the rest of this entry »
Review: Fake News Fangirl (Good Humour Productions)
By George Perry
Fake News Fangirl is a LOT of fun. It’s also thought-provoking, inquisitive and currently onstage at Toronto’s Red Sandcastle Theatre. It’s part of the Love & Obsession Theatre Festival, and a LOT of fun!
The play is a one-woman show. Sharilyn Johnson shares the story of her journey from Winnipeg to big bad Manhattan, via Toronto.
Review: The Life And Times Of Mackenzie King (VideoCabaret)
By George Perry
The Life and Times of Mackenzie King is currently onstage at The Cameron in Toronto. It is the story of Canada in the two decades between the World Wars, “The Roaring Twenties” and “The Dirty Thirties.”
Written by Michael Hollingsworth, The Life and Times of Mackenzie King premiered in 1993. It is a highly-acclaimed play, the winner of many prestigious awards and often described as “mind-blowing.”
Review: The Gentleman Caller (Zadkiel Productions)
By George Perry
The Gentleman Caller is the second play of the season at The University of Toronto’s Hart House Theatre. It is a fictional account of the private life of famed playwright Tennessee Williams.
I openly and freely admit that I am not very familiar with Williams’ work. I was literally in the dark while waiting for the TTC on the way to the play. Sadly, a streetcar was not included as part of my journey.
Review: The Winslow Boy (Stage Centre Productions)
By George Perry
The Winslow Boy is currently on stage at Toronto’s Fairview Library Theatre. The play was written by Terrence Rattigan and is based on real life events. It is the story of a father who risks everything to prove the innocence of his young son.
I’d never been to community theatre before, which is a shame. Stage Centre Productions is a company of volunteers. If words like “community” and “volunteers” make you imagine inferior quality, think again. The Winslow Boy is their first play of their 35th season.
Stage Centre Productions do things right, and they’ve been producing great theatre for a long time!
Don Mills and Sheppard, the location of The Fairview Library Theatre, is a different world than I am used to. Together with the excellent production I really WAS transported across the pond to pre-war London.