Author Archive
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.
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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.
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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.
Review: The Great American Trailer Park Musical (Hart House Theatre)
By George Perry
Hart House Theatre kicks off its new season with the Toronto premiere of The Great American Trailer Park Musical. This play and venue provide a healthy dose of smiles and a million laughs.
Review: Church Girl (Profile Entertainment)
By George Perry
Church Girl is a very ambitious play. Toronto’s Sony Centre For The Performing Arts hosted this important example of urban theatre on Labour Day Weekend. Church Girl is a play with a positive message. It is a very hopeful and life-affirming play.
Church Girl is a big and splendid production. It is the true story of a pastor’s daughter with a dirty secret. It was the first time I’ve been lucky enough to attend an urban theatre stage play. Hopefully it won’t be my last.
Review: Dirty Pakistani Lingerie (Masala! Mehndi! Masti!)
By George Perry
Dirty Pakistani Lingerie was one of the highlights of the fantastic Masala! Mehndi! Masti! Festival at Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre.
Aizzah Fatima plays six Pakistani-American women in her solo performance. The women vary in ages and life stages, but Fatima makes them all believable. She finds common thread between the very different women and cultures.
Danforth (Black Tea Productions) SummerWorks 2011 Review
By George Perry
The Danforth is a vibrant Greek neighbourhood in Toronto. Danforth is also the name of a play debuting at SummerWorks, written by Adam Hunter Collier.
Danforth is a “day in the life”, a snapshot of a tightly knit group of friends and family. Most of the characters are young males. As a result, there’s a lot of chest-thumping and locker room humour. There are lots of boys talking about cars too.