A collection of everything to do with the Toronto Fringe Festival, including reviews, features, press releases etc.
I took my grandsons – Max, eight, and Desmond, almost six – to see Death Meets Harlequin produced by Unspoken Theatre Company playing at the Toronto Fringe Festival. They both really enjoyed it although during the show I would have bet that Desmond didn’t like it at all. He used my hand to hide his eyes for at least half of the performance. You never can tell with kids. Continue reading Death Meets Harlequin (Unspoken Theatre Company) 2017 Toronto Fringe Review
It’s the most wonderful time of the year: the Toronto Fringe Festival starts in two days and surely all you savvy theatre-goers are getting the jump on the crowds and checking out the 160 shows on offer, right?
Well as an incentive to get out there and see some theatre we’re running a draw for free tickets to five Fringe shows playing on Wednesday so click “Read More” for the contest rules and a little something about the 5 shows we’ve got lined up for the first day: Wednesday, July 5.
Continue reading Fringe for Free! Toronto Fringe Ticket Giveaways for Shows on Wednesday, July 5th
Every year, Mooney on Theatre brings a team of more than 20 contributors to Fringe. With a team this big and diverse, no matter what you’ve got to show us, we have someone who wants to see it — and we will! As always, Mooney on Theatre will post a longform review of every show in the festival (all 160!) by the end of opening weekend.
But for now, a little buzz: our Hot Tickets are the shows which excited, attracted, intrigued and interested our team more than any others. These are the pieces which turned our heads, tickled our brains, and caused stampedes at scheduling time. Presenting, in no particular order, Mooney on Theatre’s Hot Tickets for Toronto Fringe 2017!
We love Sex T-Rex. This hyperkinetic, hammy-but-clever narrative comedy group have served up so many of our favourite Fringe experiences: from the post-apocalyptic, totally tubular Wasteland, to razor-sharp perennial favourite Swordplay: A Play of Swords, to my own beloved Callaghan! , these artists have wowed us again and again.
This year, they’re bringing us Bendy Sign Tavern, a full-length foray with puppets and a unique romcom structure. We’re extremely eager to see how these physical comedians work with their new toolkit, and our editor Samantha Wu can’t imagine anywhere she’d rather be:
I’ll admit that I’m late to the Sex T-Rex party. Yes I’ve heard of them (have known about them for years!) always knew they were a riot to watch — but never exactly how much until last year when I accompanied our fellow editor Lin to Swordplay: A Play of Swords. I was sold!
When I learned that Sex T-Rex were offering their Bendy Sign Tavern show at this year’s Fringe Festival, I couldn’t resist. Every year, my Fringe experience has to include at least one site-specific adventure – and this being at The Paddock (where I can also order a beer!) is wonderful. On top of that, it’s a show about life behind the bar run by puppets?! Sign me up.
Bendy Sign Tavern plays at the Paddock (178 Bathurst St.) from July 5th through July 15th. Showtimes vary, see website for details. Ticketing information at bottom of article.
Continue reading Mooney on Theatre’s Hot Tickets for Fringe 2017
For the Love of Pie, produced by La Pelle en d’sous d’la Chapelle, is a playful tragic comedy in the Tarragon Solo Room at the Toronto Fringe Festival.
Continue reading For the Love of Pie (La Pelle en d’sous d’la Chapelle) 2017 Toronto Fringe Review
The history of The Ward — a downtown Toronto neighbourhood that, though gone, is now starting to be remembered as a critical location in the emerging city — underlies Post No Bills. This show put on by the Post No Bills Collective, currently running in the Toronto Fringe Festival at the Factory Theatre Mainspace, is an ambitious effort at representing the lives of the sorts of people who would have lived in the Ward. This show goes a long way towards illustrating elements of the past that early 21st Century Torontonians may have forgotten, or may simply have never had a chance to learn.
Continue reading Post No Bills (Then Speak) 2017 Fringe Review