All posts by Madeleine Copp

Madeleine Copp saw her first show when she was four years old and it was love at first sight. She pursued a bachelor’s in theatre production and design and English literature, culminating in a love for flexible, innovative, and diverse theatre artists that challenge all our preconceived notions of the stage. Her thesis, Printed Voices: Women, Print, and Performance pushed for new interpretations of closet drama from the early modern to modern period in the hopes of seeing more female playwrights included in the performance canon. Since graduating, Madeleine continues to seek out unexpected, startling, and challenging works that leave her angry, speechless, and wonderfully confused.

Who Killed Gertrude Crump? (Monster Theatre) 2014 Toronto Fringe Review

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There is only one question that needs to be answered in the premiere of Monster Theatre’s Who Killed Gertrude Crump? at the Toronto Fringe Festival, and I’m sure we can all guess what that is. Speaking from beyond the grave, puppet master Agatha Christie, played with delightful madness by Tara Travis, unravels an unpublished murder mystery from her early days.

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Great Battles in History (Mark Shyzer) 2014 Toronto Fringe Review

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If I had to sum up Great Battles in History by Mark Shyzer at the Toronto Fringe Festival in one word, I would call it an experience. This touching, hilarious, one-man show tells the story of a failed collaborative project that examined great historical battles from a futuristic perspective. Without giving much away, the story of the steadily declining production crew coupled with historical tidbits about past warlords reveals the significance of individual losses.

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Review: Left Hander in London and The Get Happy Hour with Judy

Left Hander

 

World Pride Double Bill Takes the Stage at the Revival Bar

The double bill Left Hander in London: The Earthquake and The Get Happy Hour with Judy at the Revival Bar are two very different performances with a lot to unpack. One is an examination of the significance of diversity, while the other is about the joy of celebrity nostalgia.

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Review: A Clown’s Life in 2 acts

On stage in Toronto, the absurdist tragicomedy A Clown’s Life cracks many a joke but not all hit home

A Clown’s Life in 2 acts, playing at the Helen Gardiner Phelan Playhouse, sets a hard goal for itself. A tragicomedy following the lives of a clown (Christian Glas), an agent (Rocky Keller), and a starlet (Lauren Goodman) in the world of show business where a small mix up changes the course of their lives. The production is inspired by the absurdist plays of Samuel Beckett, Eugene Ionesco, and the comedy troupe Stella—tough acts to follow.

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