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.
Based on the synopsis of Murmurs in the Toronto Fringe Festival online program I was expecting a story – a monologue that focused on Drew Taylor and his relationship with his father. A tribute to his father; the tribute that Taylor didn’t deliver at his funeral.
Continue reading Murmurs (Drew Taylor Productions) 2019 Toronto Fringe Review
Week two of the 2019 Toronto Fringe Festival. *phew*
We’ve finished reviewing all the shows (except the two that requested no reviews). And now you have a list of 148 reviews you can read through. You may have noticed some have a little thing next to them that says ‘Rave Review!’ So what’s that about?
We very purposefully don’t use a star rating system here at Mooney on Theatre (but if we did, surely they’d be moons, yes?). We believe that a review only captures one person’s opinion, and my 5-star review might be someone else’s 3-star review, and with so many writers covering Fringe, there would be no way to provide consistency in those ratings.
I don’t think there is anything wrong with star ratings, I just made a decision a long time ago that they don’t fit in with Mooney on Theatre’s approach to things. During Fringe though, when there are so many reviews to read through, we needed something to let readers see at a glance which shows writers are raving about.
This week we’ll be taking some time to highlight those shows; starting right now.
Continue reading July 8 Rave Roundup for the 2019 Toronto Fringe Festival
Outside Ethel: Inside is a show created by Dora-nominated Christine Moynihan for NACS Productions, playing now at the Toronto Fringe Festival. It focuses on a lonely elderly woman who needs a lot of courage to leave her home together with her friends, three stuffed toys.
Continue reading Outside Ethel: Inside (NACS Productions) 2019 Toronto Fringe Review
Drama 101, A New Musical by Steven Gallagher and Kevin Wong, presented by Bravo Academy for the Performing Arts as part of the Toronto Fringe Festival, is a beautiful tribute to anyone whose life has ever been impacted by arts education.
Frank Trotz was inspired to create Failed, playing at this year’s Toronto Fringe Festival, based on interactions he had while walking his dog in the local park. Saying hi to the regulars, he got to know a man named Stephen Briones who started telling him about his life, the life of a former junkie. At the time of their conversations, Briones was a year into his sobriety staying at CAMH. Taking the story of Briones and giving him the voice of five actors, this is his journey into redemption.
Continue reading Failed (Frank Trotz) 2019 Toronto Fringe Review