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.
My grandson Max (5) was pretty excited when we arrived at the Palmerston Library to see Think Bigg, one of the shows in this years FringeKids! I was looking forward to seeing Trent Arterberry’s show as well. Last year his show, The Secret Life of Walter Manny, sold out and I missed seeing it.
Think Bigg is high energy, fast paced and funny. It will appeal to adults as much as it does to children.
Continue reading Think Bigg (Trent Arterberry) 2014 Toronto Fringe Review
Don’t Tell My Dad by Nefarious Projects is a musical comedy playing for Toronto Fringe 2014. The star of the show, Chelsea Manders, stands on the stage wearing a pretty summer dress and an acoustic guitar strapped across her front. Looking at her glowing smile, I half-expect her to start a children’s sing-along.
In some ways, I was right. Manders sings a catchy tune she wrote for her princess-loving niece. Manders names real princesses in order to give the young girl some knowledge on her inspirations. The twist is, all these princesses have either been historically beheaded or have died from the “plaguey-plague”.
Continue reading Don’t Tell My Dad (Nefarious Projects) 2014 Toronto Fringe Review
Mind Map by Fisgard Labs began on a high note. Wes Lord walked on stage and was greeted with a shy round of applause. Lord looked at the dozen odd people in the seats and pointed out how unenthusiastic we sounded. Sheepishly, the audience realized we could muster a bit more noise. Lord demanded a mulligan and walked off stage. He announced his presence once again and was met with loud clapping and cheers. It was an awkwardly charming start, but I found the charm wore off with this Toronto Fringe Festival show. Continue reading Mind Map (Fisgard Labs) 2014 Toronto Fringe Review
Staging a one man show is no easy task. But Jarret Wright makes it look effortless. Prisoners & Criminals (Escape Velocity Productions), written by Wright himself, is currently playing as part of the Toronto Fringe Festival and it features a remarkable performance that deserves to be seen.
Continue reading Prisoners & Criminals (Escape Velocity Productions) 2014 Toronto Fringe Review
Personal stories, like Irv Production’s One Legged Dancer, are a staple of the Toronto Fringe Festival. These tiny wee autobiographies, when done well, offer insights and flavour that wouldn’t work in bigger, brassier projects: anyone remember Zehra Fezal’s Headscarf and the Angry Bitch, or Cameryn Moore’s Phone Whore, or Andrew Bailey’s The Adversary? These shows all needed a delicacy and intimacy in order to work, and their creators’ careful efforts to set and maintain that tone is what set them apart from the competition.
And that, in a nutshell, is the problem I have with One Legged Dancer.
Continue reading One Legged Dancer (Irv Production) 2014 Toronto Fringe Review