Theatre Reviews

Reviews of theatre, dance, opera, comedy and festivals. Performances can be in-person or streamed remotely on the web for social-distancing.

Sex, Drugs & the Holy Ghost (www.bourgee-bushwoman.com) – 2010 Toronto Fringe Review

By John Bourke

It’s difficult to put a categorize what kind of a show Sex, Drugs &  the Holy Ghost really is, and it’s making it very difficult to write this review.  Put simply, the show is a series of three vignettes where Diane Johnstone portrays three different women, each of whom is at a different point in their life, and have very different views on, well, everything.

Sex, Drugs & the Holy Ghost (Hereafter shortened to SDatHG) was performed and written by Diane Johnstone and directed by Winnie Wong. Continue reading Sex, Drugs & the Holy Ghost (www.bourgee-bushwoman.com) – 2010 Toronto Fringe Review →

Eternal Friendship with a Spotless Smile – 2010 Toronto Fringe Review

By Mira Saraf

I will never for the life of me remember the correct name for this play (because of the Hollywood Movie). That’s probably intentional, but whatever the situation may be, I called it Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Smile, Eternal Friendship of the Spotless Mind and all variations in between before I actually got it right.

The psychiatric ward based comedy is about two patients who are paired together for treatment purposes (one is violent, the other passive) and who both fall for their new nurse after the old ones dies under mysterious circumstances. There is a peppering of things in between to allow us to learn about the backgrounds of these two individuals.

Continue reading Eternal Friendship with a Spotless Smile – 2010 Toronto Fringe Review →

Barfly on the Wall – 2010 Toronto Fringe Review

By Winston Soon

Heat does not for comedy make.  This is the lesson I learned as I caught the sweltering Barfly on the Wall.  It’s not that the show is flawless – far from it.  I’ll get to that.

But c’mon, how in the hell can anyone be funny as they nearly slip on their own sweat and even more importantly, how can an audience find anything funny as they….well…slip on their own sweat?

Continue reading Barfly on the Wall – 2010 Toronto Fringe Review →

S&P and Sega Geniuses – 2010 Toronto Fringe Review

By Winston Soon

A double bill of two long form Improv ensembles, S&P and Sega Geniuses, respectively – this show is a testament to the caliber and talent of long form improv in Toronto.

Feeling like a particularly good night at the Comedy Bar or Bad Dog Theatre, the show begins with a stage, some chairs and audience interview in an easy chair with cast member Jimi Shlag.   Interestingly, Shlag lets the audience volunteer nominate herself for both sets.

Continue reading S&P and Sega Geniuses – 2010 Toronto Fringe Review →