By Amber Landgraff

When picking shows to see at this year’s Fringe I tended to gravitate towards comedies.  I can always do with a good laugh and Everybody Panic!, presented by Apocalypse Later, was a comedy after my own heart.

The four-person cast featuring Jocelyn Geddie, Marcel Dragonieri, Ann Pornel and Brandon Hackett, was strong all around.  They knew how to play off of each other and had great energy.  The audience was laughing from beginning to end.
Continue reading Everybody Panic! (Apocalypse Later) – 2010 Toronto Fringe Review →

by Lucy Allen

Texting is the name of the game for this Toronto Fringe show.

Aaaaand they’re off!  The 2010 Toronto Fringe kicked off last night.  The Fringe tent was full of buzz, the Art Wank alley was full of talent, and I started things off with a late night show, called L8R MTL in the Tarragon Extra Space. Continue reading L8R MTL (Next Play Theatre Company)- 2010 Toronto Fringe Review →

By Megan Mooney

A speculative quasi-history lesson about Shakespeare takes the stage at Toronto Fringe

Okay, so, the title of this one is actually longer than the above subject heading would suggest. The full title is:  The Shakespeare Show: Or, how an illiterate son of a Glover became the Greatest Playwright in the World The show is as fun as the title.

Since the mid 1800s people have been debating who actually wrote Shakespeare’s plays, and there have been several different opinions put forward about several different potential writers.  The most common and viable one put forward these days is Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford.  This play presents us with what that might have looked like.

Continue reading The Shakespeare Show (Monster Theatre) – 2010 Toronto Fringe Review →

By Sam Mooney

The Fringe program says that TJ Dawe is a “Fringe god”.  I don’t know if TJ wrote that or if someone at Fringe wrote it but it doesn’t matter.  TJ Dawe is wonderful. How is it that I’ve never seen him before?  I’ll certainly make sure I see him again.

Lucky 9 is a monologue about life.  It kind of zigs and zags around a bit, sometimes hops from one thing to another, and is lovely.

Dawe’s presentation is low-key for the most part although he was very animated when he was talking about the Olympics – and tax attorneys.

He talked about his childhood, his sister’s knitting and crafting, his mother, his father’s enthusiasm about The Wire, Dr. Gabor Mate’s books (I’m definitely buying two of them),  the Enneagram of personality, addictions and chasing dopamine, and his own personal develop.

Continue reading Lucky 9 (TJ Dawe) – 2010 Toronto Fringe Review →

By Crystal Wood

The story of Jack the Ripper has gone unsolved for 120 years, so don’t expect any answers by seeing this production of Saucy Jack at Theatre Passe Muraille Backspace. What you will see is a 60-minute exploration of the infamous serial killer that feels more like a lively university lecture than a dramatic narrative.

Continue reading Saucy Jack: Tethersend Productions – 2010 Toronto Fringe Review →