Fringe Festival

A collection of everything to do with the Toronto Fringe Festival, including reviews, features, press releases etc.

Sweet Dreams (ThoseDameGirls! Productions) 2012 Toronto Fringe Review

Is your sleep filled with unrest? Are you seeking some simple sonorous sedative to sing you to sleep? If this is the case, you will find that Sweet Dreams is more of a vocalized wish than an actual reality.

This young group of developing artists has decided to tackle material that directly affects their teenaged peer group. It is evident that these students are seeking opportunities to make their voices heard, as they question the notions of cultural and social acceptance. Through the support of development oriented organizations like the Paprika Festival, that possibility came true this year. Continue reading Sweet Dreams (ThoseDameGirls! Productions) 2012 Toronto Fringe Review →

The Soaps – A Live Improvised Soap Opera 2012 Toronto Fringe Review

The Soaps - 2012 Toronto Fringe

The Soaps was a sold-out hit last year. This year it’s back as a Fringe fundraiser. It’s soooo funny and the cast makes it look easy, a tribute to their talent and experience (and weird minds). This is improvisation at its best.

The year is 1812, the setting is York in Upper Canada. I’m not sure whether there is a war on or war is about to break out. It doesn’t matter.  Who really cares abut the story (in this context, of course I care about it in real life)? Continue reading The Soaps – A Live Improvised Soap Opera 2012 Toronto Fringe Review →

One Night (Beautiful Gem Productions) 2012 Toronto Fringe Review

One Night (Beautiful Gem Productions) at the Toronto Fringe Festival is about a 32-year-old plus-sized virgin named Penny (Angela Brown). Unhappy with her life; an unsatisfying job, annoying co-workers, an overbearing mother, and of course the absence of any sort of carnal satisfaction, Penny decides to finally lose the big “V”.

Getting laid isn’t as easy as Penny thinks, years of dealing with issues with her negative body image has lowered her self-esteem to the point where she fears intimacy.  Continue reading One Night (Beautiful Gem Productions) 2012 Toronto Fringe Review →

Greg Ellwand’s Bread (Dough Pro Co-op) 2012 Toronto Fringe Review

Greg Ellwand's Bread!Greg Ellwand’s Bread! is part of Toronto Fringe Festival. Greg’s  bread is baking at Annex Theatre, and it is delicious. You could do worse than standing in line to get some. Just saying.

Greg is a great entertainer. He sings and he dances and he educates. He knows his bread.

He’s a rare breed too. Greg makes Twitter jokes while talking about ancient grains. He also sings and dances. Greg is a person you want as a real life friend.

Continue reading Greg Ellwand’s Bread (Dough Pro Co-op) 2012 Toronto Fringe Review →

Headshots and Healing Potions (Monkeyman Productions) 2012 Toronto Fringe Review

For any man, woman, teen or kid that has ever picked up a controller, fought mega boss after mega boss only to realize the princess is in another castle, Headshots and Healing Potions from Monkeyman Productions is the perfect Fringe show for you. That is, if you show up to the Shed in the Artist Alley early enough to grab a seat in their tiny…TINY…theatre. They don’t call it a Shed for nothing. Continue reading Headshots and Healing Potions (Monkeyman Productions) 2012 Toronto Fringe Review →