Gothic play takes to the Toronto stage

On Thursday Night I saw Deborah Ann Frankel’s play, Gripless, at the Red Sandcastle Theatre.

Have you ever been to the Red Sandcastle Theatre? It used to be a store and it’s quite long and narrow. It’s a small space that seats about 50 people in three rows along the long wall. The stage isn’t raised at all–it’s what’s left over after the seating. It makes for very intimate theatre, and was perfect for this gothic piece set in the middle of nowhere. Continue reading Review: Gripless (Deborah Ann Frankel/Red Sandcastle Theatre) →

George Bernard Shaw classic takes to the outdoor stage in Toronto

It’s summer, and once again I am rhapsodizing about the joys of outdoor theatre in Toronto.  The city truly has a wide variety of choices when it comes to experiencing theatre en plein air. The Guild Festival Theatre’s production of Pygmalion, currently being performed at Guild Park and Gardens in Scarborough, is yet another reason to grab some insect repellent and head outside for some great performances in a lovely setting. Continue reading Review: Pygmalion (Guild Festival Theatre) →

Toronto audiences get to know musical classic in a surprisingly thoughtful revival

It is 2018 in Toronto, one of the world’s most multicultural cities, and we are watching The King and I, an American musical about an Englishwoman in Siam (now Thailand), onstage at the Princess of Wales Theatre. For a Mirvish-presented blockbuster-musical, that’s a lot of cultural lenses to gaze through. However, it actually does the show a favour by enriching its themes of overcoming prejudice, friendship and unity — ideals which matter now more than ever.

Continue reading Review: The King and I (Mirvish) →