A collection of everything to do with the Toronto Fringe Festival, including reviews, features, press releases etc.
As the saying goes, ‘if these walls could talk…’, what would they say? Well, Les murs on des yeux (The Walls Have Eyes) by Le Collectif Les murs ont des yeux playing at the 2017 Toronto Fringe festival explores just that. Five rooms of a house are uniquely personified as they discover together the evidence of domestic violence within their walls. This show is in French with English subtitles. Passionate acting, clear concept, and a very real language barrier made for an interesting experience.
Not enough people are going to see This Is Not She , a site-specific offering of the 2017 Toronto Fringe Festival, and that is a shame. It’s great nerd-fun, well conceived and acted, understated and affecting. But between “Shakespeare” and “audience participation” in the program, I think people will imagine themselves forced to do terrible humiliating English-class things and stay home. They should not. This is good.
Continue reading This Is Not She (The Simian Assembly) 2017 Toronto Fringe Review
My grandsons were supposed to come with me today to see Bad Dog Theatre Presents: Animated (Bad Dog Youth Academy), playing at Toronto Fringe Festival Kidsfest 2017, but they got a better offer and are going to see it on Monday with their Mum. Luckily I was able to talk to three young people after the show to get their reactions. They all loved it and said they would recommend it to their friends. Judging from the reactions of the kids in the sold out audience, they all loved it too. So did I. Continue reading Bad Dog Theatre Presents: Animated! (Bad Dog Youth Academy) 2017 Kidfest Review
The Life Henri, produced by Still Your Friend and playing at the Toronto Fringe Festival, takes us on a vivid and touching journey through the life of nineteenth-century French painter Henri Rousseau. However, this show isn’t just for art lovers; performer Adam Bailey, directed by Laura Anne Harris, tells Rousseau’s story with great humour and humanity.
Continue reading The Life Henri (Still Your Friend) 2017 Toronto Fringe Review
Here’s the first thing I liked about Blink’s Garden at the 2017 Toronto Fringe Festival: the kids in it, of which there were a fair few, looked excited. I love when children’s theatre has actual children in it, and this multi-character epic delivered on that and much more during the completely delightful show.
Continue reading Blink’s Garden (Fat Blue Productions) 2017 Toronto Fringe Review