Disney Princesses remind Toronto audiences that fairy tales aren’t real in a dazzling musical

Once upon a time (a few hours ago), I brought my favourite Princess (Caryhn) to a magical place (The Randolph Theatre) to see a show about some other Princesses (of the Disney variety). It was called Disenchanted!, and we were both dazzled by it!

Disenchanted! (by Starvox Entertainment) is sort of the After part of the Princesses’ Happily Ever After stories, as told by them. It reminds us—through song and humour—that fairy tales aren’t real, history is often re-written, and most importantly: There is more to life than being pretty and married.

Continue reading Review: Disenchanted! (Starvox Entertainment) →

Bonds Beyond explores a dystopian future where life exists after death

It has often been said that we don’t appreciate something – or someone – until it’s gone. Bonds Beyond, the new work by Glass Reflections Theatre Collective, explores a dystopian future where life exists after death by uploading your consciousness to the Cloud.

Bonds Beyond – on stage at Toronto’s Array Space – is a thought-provoking piece from playwright Colleen Osborn that examines themes of love, loss, and mortality as they relate to the way in which technological advancements are undoubtedly changing the socio-economic balance between rich and poor.
Continue reading Review: Bonds Beyond (Glass Reflections Theatre Collective) →

Eldritch Theatre’s charming puppetry delves into darkness for Toronto audiences

Over the past few months I’ve been on a horror binge, and I’ve often found myself thinking that it’s a shame we don’t see the genre in the theatre very often. So you can imagine how excited I was to have the opportunity to review The Harrowing of Brimstone McReedy, being put on by Eldritch Theatre at the Red Sandcastle Theatre.

I don’t usually get my hopes up for shows I’m reviewing, and I was nervous going into The Harrowing, thinking that maybe I’d jinxed it. But I am so pleased to say that this production was every bit as fun as I hoped it would be.

Continue reading Review: The Harrowing of Brimstone McReedy (Eldritch Theatre) →

Shakespeare classic gets a Diwali-themed makeover in Piya Behrupiya, on stage in Toronto

I arrived at the Yonge Centre for the Performing Arts to see The Company Theatre’s production of Piya Behrupiya (Twelfth Night) on a dark, cold, and gloomy evening. But once I was inside, I was surrounded by colour, warmth, and joy.

Piya Behrupiya is being co-produced by Why Not Theatre and Soulpepper in celebration of Diwali, the Indian festival of lights, and it certainly brightened my day.  Continue reading Review: Piya Behrupiya (Twelfth Night) (The Company Theatre) →

The Circle brings teenage archetypes and a suburban garage to Toronto’s Tarragon Theatre

I was excited for The Circle, currently on stage at the Tarragon Extraspace, as I thought it was going to be a modern Breakfast Club experience. While the two stories share a couple of characters and themes, The Circle is a darker look into modern teenage life with the characters’ need for home, acceptance, and familial belonging at the forefront.

The Circle brings together teenage archetypes Amanda the genius (Vivien Endicott-Douglas), Ily the drug dealer (Jakob Ehman), Mutt/Tyler the mess (Brian Solomon), Kit the runaway (Nikki Duval), Will the kid with ADHD (Daniel Ellis), and Daniel the son of a priest (Jake Vanderham) for a garage party that isn’t supposed to be a “party”. Continue reading Review: The Circle (Tarragon Theatre) →