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.
The Apology Project is a nomadic, multimedia installation that evolves and shape-shifts based on performance context and current events. The 2017 Toronto production was mounted by interdisciplinary creative arts company lbs/sq” (pounds per square inch). Continue reading Review: The Apology Project (lbs/sq”)
Theatre Inamorata‘s Gray, a daring, original play written by Toronto native Kristofer Van Solen, is about the struggle of complacency and failure in this modern age of hustle.
The performance takes place in a secret backspace above a convenience store on College street. I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect upon entrance, but to my surprise, I ended up with an expertly crafted production that made for an awesome, thought-provoking night of theatre.
Mirvish presents a stage version of the classic Hitchcock film North by Northwest in TorontoI’m a big fan of Alfred Hitchcock’s repertoire, so I jumped at the chance to see North by Northwest, a stage adaptation of the director’s classic 1959 film, a mistaken identity spy thriller centred on Manhattan advertising executive Roger Thornhill. The film is brought to life on stage using a dazzling array of clever staging and effects. However, mounting a new a production that so closely adheres to the film also shines a spotlight on some of the original’s problems. Continue reading Review: North by Northwest (Mirvish)
When Lela (Jenna Harris), the protagonist of Cordelia Lynn’s searing drama Lela & Co., (currently being presented by Discord and Din Theatre at The Theatre Centre), turned thirteen in her small village, her father ordered “the Messiah of Cakes” for her birthday party. The night before the party, a small strip of pink icing went missing, and Lela has been blamed for it ever since.
The story of the cake is told and retold, ever exaggerated, throughout Lela’s harrowing life of subjugation, as she experiences war, abuse, and forced prostitution. A tiny slice of life, it’s nevertheless a symbol both of what happens to a girl who steps out of line, and how the lies we tell ourselves to survive eventually become the truth. Lela, in direct address to the audience, wants us to know the real truth – and what a fascinating and stark truth it is.
Continue reading Review: Lela & Co. (Discord and Din Theatre)
The Last 5 Years was onstage this past weekend as the debut for new Toronto theatre company, Theatre Here and Now.
With a cast of just two characters, Cathy (Nicole Marie McCafferty) and Jamie (Armand Antony), The Last 5 Years is one of those shows that often appeals to small theatre troupes. In my opinion, it also has a lot going for it as an all-around fantastic musical: brilliant writing, incredible music, and a clever conceit where one character is moving backwards in time and the other forwards. Continue reading Review: The Last 5 Years (Theatre Here and Now)