Mirvish presents the theatrical circus troupe 7 Fingers’ show Reversible in Toronto

Les 7 doigts de la main (the 7 Fingers), the scrappy Montreal-based contemporary circus arts collective has been steadily building its reputation in Toronto for its brilliant, wildly creative, artist-driven performances. Following recent runs of their shows Traces and Cuisine and Confessions, Mirvish has brought the company back to present Reversible.  Continue reading Review: Reversible by The 7 Fingers (Mirvish) →

Cirque du Soleil brings its show Corteo to Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena for the Holidays

The Canadian entertainment juggernaut Cirque du Soleil is back in town with their classic show Corteo—playing a short run this week at the Scotiabank Arena (formerly the Air Canada Centre)—just in time for the holidays!

Corteo originally played a longer run in Toronto back in 2005. Cirque du Soleil has taken to adapting their older shows—ones which have already toured the world in their signature tent—to enable them to play in arenas allowing them to profitably run in smaller markets and in cities like Toronto during the cold winter months. Continue reading Review: Corteo (Cirque du Soleil) →

Experience an immersive theatre celebration of Christmas through the lens of Italian culture in Toronto

For the second year in a row DopoLavoro Teatrale (DLT), one of Toronto’s leading immersive theatre companies, has created a Christmas-themed show. Following last year’s An Italian Christmas Carol, a reimagining of the Dickens story performed for a solo audience member, the company is presenting If on a Christmas Night, an immersive theatre experience designed for a larger audience, written and directed by DLT’s Artistic Director, Daniele Bartolini. Continue reading Review: If on a Christmas Night (DopoLavoro Teatrale/Villa Charities/The Columbus Centre) →

After 25 years on tour Russian clown Slava Polunin’s acclaimed show returns to Toronto

Winter can be a pretty depressing time in the city; tall buildings turn our roads into wind-tunnels channeling the bitter cold into our faces, the sidewalks are covered with brown slush, and the days are so short we seem to live in perpetual darkness. Even so, every year when that first snow flurry blankets everything in a fluffy, white coat, it still feels like magic. Now, if you could take that mix of emotions, bundle it together and put it on stage, you’d have something akin to Slava’s Snowshow. Continue reading Review: Slava’s Snowshow (Show One Productions/Civic Theatres Toronto) →

A new play by Toronto’s Silk Bath Collective is chilling, timely and relevant

I remember being stunned speechless at the end of Silk Bath; a searing, satirical play about the experiences of Chinese-Canadian immigrants by Bessie Cheng, Aaron Jan, and Gloria Mok, which enjoyed successful runs both at the 2016 Toronto Fringe Festival and the Next Stage Festival. The three playwrights have taken that raw, pointed play, refined it and adapted it into a new work: Yellow Rabbit. Continue reading Review: Yellow Rabbit (Soulpepper/Silk Bath Collective) →

Canadian Stage presents the premiere of Red Sky Performance’s new dance piece in Toronto

I only became aware of Red Sky Performance about a year ago when I saw them perform with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. I became an instant fan not only because of the company’s unique Indigenous approach to contemporary dance but also because of the breathtaking artistry and sheer physicality of their performance. 

I’ve sought out their performances ever since so when I learned Canadian Stage was presenting the world premiere of the company’s new show Trace, I jumped at the opportunity to see it. Continue reading Review: Trace (Red Sky Performance/Canadian Stage) →

A new play about the internment of Japanese-Canadians during WWII is presented in Toronto

Canadians are often guilty of a kind of smug, exceptionalism when it comes to issues of diversity and inclusion, especially when we compare ourselves to the giant dumpster fire that is the US. Rarely do we acknowledge or critically examine our own dark history. 

Events like our government’s forced internment of thousands of Canadians of Japanese heritage during World War II remain untaught or under-taught in our high school history classes. That’s why works like Japanese Problem are so vital if we are to truly understand who we are as a country.  Continue reading Review: Japanese Problem (Soulpepper/Universal Limited) →

Canadian Stage presents the premiere of Lucy Kirkwood’s new play in Toronto

The Children is a new play by Lucy Kirkwood that has recently played both on Broadway and in London’s West End. The British playwright often takes a cerebral approach to her writing and tackles complex issues in her work. Canadian Stage previously produced her dazzling US-China political-thriller, Chimerica, in 2016. Continue reading Review: The Children (Canadian Stage/Centaur Theatre) →

A cult leader’s funeral is the setting for a new musical by Toronto’s Anika and Britta Johnson

There’s definitely an air of mystery around Dr. Silver: A Celebration of Life; a new, immersively-staged musical taking over Heliconian Hall in the heart of Yorkville. The casual theatre-goer would be forgiven if they had no clue what Dr. Silver was about from the show’s deliberately sparse website which only hints that it centres on the funeral of a charismatic nouveau-spiritual leader and doesn’t really provide much more detail than that. Continue reading Review: Dr. Silver: A Celebration of Life (Outside the March/The Musical Stage Company) →