Toronto Theatre Reviews

Reviews of productions based in Toronto – theatre includes traditional definitions of theatre, as well as dance, opera, comedy, performance art, spoken word performances, and more. Productions may be in-person, or remote productions streamed online on the Internet.

Review: Artifice (Oakham Community Theatre / Native Earth)

ARTIFICE hits Toronto’s Aki Studio with four plays in one

Reading the description of Oakham Community Theatre‘s Artifice, on stage now at Aki Studio, I was instantly intrigued: “ARTIFICE explores that infinitesimal edge between real and unreal. Human nature is to lie, to dissemble – from the masks we wear with loved ones, to the deepest secrets we keep from ourselves… it may be the nature of truth to hide from view”

I’ve been grappling with my own questions of truth, authenticity, and self-awareness and was hoping for some insight, relatability, or even some good questions to take home and mull over. Perhaps my expectations were too great. Unfortunately, my companions Caryhn and Yossie came away from tonight exactly as I did: puzzled, underwhelmed, and a bit exhausted.

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Review: Loot (Bygone Theatre)

British farce plays on the Toronto stage

Bygone Theatre fires off their 2018 season with Joe Orton’s Loot at Alumnae Theatre. I found this to be a production which shines on the technical aspects: the play is set in 1960s England and the set, props and costumes are all faithful representations of that era. The cast adopt English accents, which they maintain respectably well. Unfortunately, I felt that this attention to detail seems to have come at the expense of the humor and character depth offered by the play.

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Review: Inch of Your Life: Episode 1 (The Theatre Circuit)

“Unbelievably thrilling” play lands on the Toronto stage

The Theatre Circuit’s Inch of Your Life: Episode 1 is what happens when you cross a sleek, made-for-tv dramedy with the passion and gusto of 8 expert stage actors.

Inch of Your Life: Episode 1 runs like a one-hour TV episode. The scenes switch back and forth between the A, B and C stories with your classic “sitcom transition music” in between. It’s thrilling, innovative and one of the most unique presentations of theatre I’ve seen on a Canadian stage.

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Review: F*ck L*ve, The Dancing Man of Macklin Street, Governing Ourselves, and Oracle Jane (Alumnae Theatre Company)

Four new plays open the New Ideas Festival at the Alumnae in Toronto

The first week of the 30th annual New Ideas Festival—organized by the Alumnae Theatre Company on this its 100th year—offers four new plays. Each one disentangles different approaches to the concept of following what you feel is right, and how that can come back and haunt you.

Continue reading Review: F*ck L*ve, The Dancing Man of Macklin Street, Governing Ourselves, and Oracle Jane (Alumnae Theatre Company) →

Review: 4.48 Psychosis (NSK Theatre)

Polarizing play takes to the Toronto stage

4.48 Psychosis  by Sarah Kane (Native Earth Performing Arts, 2018) is a 75 minute ode to suicidality. The protagonist, her lover, and her psychiatrist rarely engage in dialogue, with most of the narrative unfolding in the form of voluminous poetic monologues. There is no plot per se, but rather a deep exploration of the inner life of someone on the brink of death. Continue reading Review: 4.48 Psychosis (NSK Theatre) →