Author Archive
Review: A Chorus Line (Toronto Youth Theatre)
By Michelle Barker
It’s a show about what happens before the show can happen. 17 dancers stand on a white line downstage and wait anxiously to be told whether or not they’ve made the cut.
I’m going to be honest, I went into the Lower Ossington Theatre tonight without ever having seen A Chorus Line and expecting to hate it. I don’t love musical theatre. I’ve noted it before and I’ll probably note it again… it’s not my thing. And the way my roommate, Rodney (a dancer himself), described the show, I thought I would be forced to hide eye rolls for the duration of its two-hour running time. Read the rest of this entry »
Review: The Apology – (Rabiayshna Productions) – Next Stage Theatre Festival
by Michelle Barker
George Byron, Percy Shelley, Claire Clairmont, and Mary Shelley. They’re all names you’ve probably heard. But… you’ve probably never seen them like this.
The brilliant Darrah Teitel has created an incredible play based on what these four young people might have experienced and done while writing the masterpieces for which they came to be known. The Apology, currently playing at Factory Theatre, isn’t an historical account of their time in Switzerland, but it’s definitely engaging and definitely sexy. Read the rest of this entry »
Review: Richard III (Hart House Theatre)
by Michelle Barker
Ladies and gentlemen, in no way is this your average production of Richard III. It’s more violent, more complex, and compact for your convenience.
For those of you that aren’t familiar with this particular history play, here’s a quick rundown: Richard III picks up after King Henry VI part III after the wars of the roses and continues the story of the struggle for power between the Yorkists and the Lancastrians. Richard Gloucester, the misshapen and maniacal brother of the reigning King Edward, lays plots to take the throne by any means necessary. Filled with seduction, murder, wit, and clever asides, Richard is known as one of Shakespeare’s most ruthless villains. Read the rest of this entry »
unADULTeRATED me (Rachelle Fordyce) – 2010 Toronto Fringe Review
by Michelle Barker
Clown striptease: a new genre at the Toronto Fringe
Clowns just want to be loved. Unfortunately for Fizzy Tiff, her nerves make it very difficult to have a successful date, relationship… or sex life. Read the rest of this entry »
Rochdale: Livin’ the Dream (Hey, How Ya Been?) – 2010 Toronto Fringe Review
by Michelle Barker
Reaching a higher state of mind in Rochdale circa 1969
The plot of Rochdale: Livin’ the Dream at Tarragon is established pretty quickly when you walk into the Main Space; the set is made up of a radio station in one corner, some egg crates, and a graffiti wall featuring pictures of all things psychedelic: flowers, poetry, and lots of drugs. Read the rest of this entry »
The Aquarium (Good Egg and Triple Take Productions) 2010 Toronto Fringe Review
by Michelle Barker
The story of an ex-playwright cursed with a farcical life comes to the Toronto Fringe
I really thought that this show was going to be a drama when I went to see it. Something about the definite article The just screams drama to me. The Aquarium is actually a romantic comedy. And it’s making audiences laugh and feel romantic at Factory Theatre right now. Read the rest of this entry »
Big in Germany (Ten Foot Pole Productions) – 2010 Toronto Fringe Review
By Michelle Barker
A band that Canadians have never heard of hits the Toronto Fringe
You’ve probably never heard of the band All Powers, but they’re really big in Germany. Ten Foot Pole Productions, known most recently for their production of Fucking Stephen Harper, has returned to the Toronto Fringe with another show to amuse, entertain, and potentially offend men and women of all ages.
At its heart, Big in Germany is a classic rags-to-riches, coming-of-age, coming out story with subplots about pornography thrown in. The play’s main characters, Alex and Bruce, set out to become international Rockstars in hopes of obtaining loads of cash, loads of women, and fame. Unfortunately for them, their music isn’t appreciated outside of their German-based fanbase.
The Centre of Everything Civilised (Winterbird Arts) – 2010 Toronto Fringe Review
by Michelle Barker
Poetry and prose blend seamlessly to tell the tale of a passionate summer affair.
The heat outside of Theatre Passe Muraille’s Extra Space was pretty unbearable this afternoon, but it was completely worth enduring in order to enter the world that the company of The Centre of Everything Civilised created. Read the rest of this entry »
Review: The World Is Ending… And It's All Your Fault – The Experts Collective (Toronto Festival of Clowns)
By Michelle Barker
The world may be ending, but The Experts have arrived at the Toronto Festival of Clowns just in time to save us all
Four clowns are trying to avoid death and total world destruction by an unnamed force that seems to be linked to earthquakes, the ‘swan’ flu, and meteors. That’s the premise of The World is Ending… And It’s All Your Fault, an hour-long play created by The Experts Collective as part of the fifth annual Toronto Festival of Clowns. Read the rest of this entry »
Review: Fucking Stephen Harper – Ten Foot Pole Productions
By Michelle Barker
A man’s memories of sexually assaulting the 22nd Prime Minister of Canada return to the stage after a successful run in the 2009 Toronto Fringe
Trust me when I say I do not need to explain the premise of this one-man show. No hidden agenda here; Rob Salerno stands on stage with nothing but a stool beside him and a powerpoint presentation behind him. Exactly as the title suggests, Salerno has stopped by Buddies in Bad Times Theatre in Toronto on his “book tour” for his latest work, Fucking Stephen Harper, the story of how he sexually assaulted Prime Minister Stephen Harper while attempting to secure an interview. Read the rest of this entry »