The Specials in 9/11/11 is a sketch comedy show that follows the stories of various individuals and is predominantly set in Toronto. The style of humour is not exactly my preference, but others in the audience were heartily laughing throughout the play. The duration is about two hours with a 10-minute intermission, which begins to get a bit tedious for me and my guest. Despite the constant introduction of new characters there is a repetitive nature to the jokes.

Set in Toronto, the main theme was about the gentrification that is occurring rapidly, with condo buildings erecting everywhere. The play was laden with cultural jokes which, in my opinion, were too obvious and stereotypical.

There is also a story that focuses on the issues surrounding the tenth anniversary of 9/11. The lighthearted approach on this matter could be considered taboo, but I found it to be slightly irrelevant and trying a bit too hard to be taboo.

There are only four actors in this play and each plays numerous characters. Each character is unique and the actors capture this very well. I was also really impressed by the amount of costume changes, and how they transformed the actors.

In my opinion there was a lack of depth in the content of this play. My guest agreed with my opinions, although the audience was heartily enjoying the performance, neither of us could quite understand why they were laughing so hard.

Details:
–The Specials in 9/11/11 plays at Scotiabank Studio Theatre (6 Noble St.)
– Runs from September 9-11 8pm
– Tickets are $20