A collection of everything to do with the Toronto Fringe Festival, including reviews, features, press releases etc.
The Traveling Saleman & His Magical Suitcase of Desires! by Zanni Arte Productions is a great show. One that works for both children and adults. I think that kids between the ages of 4 – 12 or so would be in their bliss during this piece filled with zany antics. But it’s also great for adults too. I’ve spoken to a number of adults who went and really enjoyed it, and I’ve recommended it to adults without children.
The Bright Idea is a playful children’s play that will appeal to kids ages 4 – 10 or so I’d say. Narrated by a night-light, this piece follows two children as they help a lost shadow return to shadow land.
There is a bit of ‘choose your own adventure‘ where the audience is given the choice between two things to move the action forward. I loved the idea of choose your own adventure in play format, but I’m not positive it worked here. I think the choices were too similar. They wouldn’t actually take the story in different directions, only change one action. Of course, I realise that developing, rehearsing and executing a more complex version where the choices drive the story may be a bit ambitious for a Fringe show.
Continue reading The Bright Idea (Ton O’ Fun Productions) 2011 Toronto Fringe Review
discharge is a show that takes a lot of risks. While it doesn’t answer any profound questions about life and love, the creators turn themselves inside-out to reveal their souls to the audience.
It’s a bit difficult to describe this non-linear dance/theatre piece, so forgive me for stealing from the program notes here. Co-creator Tyson James refers to it as “wild and sexy, and full of sass, but it’s also full of confusion and sadness.” I’d say that’s a fair description – all of those emotions come across in a brief 50-minute show. Continue reading discharge (metamorphosis dance theatre) 2011 Toronto Fringe Review
Walking into the perfectly air conditioned Palmerston Library Theatre and the set of Land of the Young’s “Oh, Raven!!” seems magical. It is a sort of enchanted forest with trees and an older hollowed out tree lying downstage. The music sets the right tone of enchantment and the kids get excited. A perfect beginning to a FringeKIDS show.
Continue reading Oh, Raven!! (Land of the Young) 2011 Toronto Fringe Review
Each of the festival’s 13 main venues has a Patron’s Pick. It is determined by the show that sells the most tickets to their show over the course of the festival. Unlike during the rest of the festival, where only 50% of the tickets are available for advance sale, For the Patron’s Pick, 100% of tickets can be sold in advance, so make sure to buy your tickets early. They’re on sale now, and you buy them just like any other advance tickets at the Fringe.
All the patron’s picks are Sunday evening, a listing of the time in each venue is in bold in the Sunday section of the Master Schedule.
See below for a listing of all the patron’s picks: