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.

Under Milk Wood – Soulpepper

Review by Adam Collier

kenneth welsh

Before attending the Soulpepper production of Under Milk Wood, I was a bit concerned.  The Welsh poet Dylan Thomas wrote Under Milk Wood, so I was worried its language would be over my head.

I took it as a good sign when I learned that the title means what it says. Under Milk Wood is a reference to geography. The play is about a town, and if you were looking at a map it would appear … well, below a larger town named Milk Wood.

But doesn’t Under Milk Wood – that coupling of words – sound so nice? That’s the rub for me. When I hear words that seem to be so perfectly chosen to be next to one another, I always feel like I should look for more meaning.

Continue reading Under Milk Wood – Soulpepper

One Woman Show

review by Megan Mooney, cross-posted from blogTO

 

20080723_onewomanshow If you were following the Fringe coverage, you already know that I surprised myself by liking One Woman Show a lot.  So did a lot of other people. I figured since it was the patron’s pick, and managed to get one of the much coveted ‘Best of the Fringe’ spots and opens tonight at Diesel Playhouse , that it was worth re-visiting.

So, why did people like it?

It’s a good question. One Woman Show is a parody of one-woman shows, written by three men with a man playing the Eileen , the ‘woman’ who’s show it is. Sounds a bit scary, doesn’t it? When I first read about this show I rolled my eyes and figured it was going to be painful. Happily, the show proved me wrong.

Continue reading One Woman Show

The 2008 Toronto Fringe in Review

by Megan Mooney (Cross-posted with blogTO)

image

 

I’m not sure what I’m going to do with myself this week, I’ll have to re-learn what life is like with the luxuries like sleep. But, I’m here to tell you, sleep is a small price to pay for the excitement of Fringe.

With the end of the 20th Toronto Fringe Festival I thought I’d take a moment to provide you with a quick round-up of some of the highlights from this year.

Read on for a listing of each blogTO Fringe writer’s favourite show, and the listing of what shows are playing at Diesel Playhouse during ‘BEST OF THE FRINGE.’

(and yes, at some point I do intend to do a Mooney on Theatre overview that is specific to here, but for now I’m re-posting this)

Continue reading The 2008 Toronto Fringe in Review

American Squatter by Barry Smith (Toronto Fringe 2008 Review)

by Sam Mooney

american-squatter I think I’d go see Barry Smith read the phone book as long as he had a Powerpoint presentation with it.  He’s a Powerpoint genius.  He also had the foresight to save the home movies and tape recordings he made when he was a child. Thank you Barry.

American Squatter is an autobiographical monologue that follows Barry the child from his home in Mississippi to his new home in Southern California to his life as a squatter in London in the late 80s.  Sort of a coming of age with the help of skateboarding, drugs, and music monologue interspersed with home movies and videos.

Continue reading American Squatter by Barry Smith (Toronto Fringe 2008 Review)

A Girl Named Ralph – Toronto Fringe 2008 Review

Review by Fredde Clarke

Editor’s Note:  In the review of Sherlock Holmes & The First English Gentleman by Sam Mooney she mentioned that she saw the show with "My 82 year old mother and 15 year old niece are fringing with me for three days" – Fredde Clarke is the 82 year old mother she was referring to. 

image

  

I came from Eastern Ontario to see 4 plays in the Toronto Fringe Festival – The only one I specifically chose that I really wanted to see was A Girl Named Ralph.  I certainly was not disappointed.

The piece was so obviously true life.  Makes one feel both happy, and a little sad.  It was not a long play, but a most enjoyable one.

The fade outs could have been much shorter, either just a dim out, or stop action while Ralph came in to speak.  I enjoyed the players and have no real criticism of any of the acting.

 

Continue reading A Girl Named Ralph – Toronto Fringe 2008 Review