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.

Review: The Parliamentarians (Phil Rickaby)

parliamentarians

Politics and scandal collide in The Parliamentarians playing at the Red Sandcastle Theatre in Toronto

In The Parliamentarians (at The Red Sandcastle Theatre), Ruben Holloway has just been elected Prime Minister and has arranged for a special rendez-vous with a favourite callgirl. The penthouse of the Chateau Laurier, a bottle of outstanding wine, an intriguing young woman–and a phone that will not stop ringing. When his chief-of-staff and the Leader of the Opposition join him in the suite, things begin to unravel in classic farce style.

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Review: Flashdance (Mirvish)

The beloved 80s film receives a much anticipated stage revival at the Ed Mirvish Theatre in Toronto

Flashdance-Pic1If you’re considering Flashdance: The Musical currently playing at the Ed Mirvish Theatre, you’re probably a fan of the 80s film. I am. I get warm fuzzies just thinking about it—one of a dozen feel good movies from that decade (like Footloose and Dirty Dancing) that wanted to be musicals.

Now, Flashdance gets to be one! It has exploded out of its quiet, restrained shell to drench you in dazzling set pieces. I can’t help but frame this as a comparison to the film. I think you should know (especially if you’re very attached to the aesthetic of the movie) that this is a very different creature. Continue reading Review: Flashdance (Mirvish)

Review: The Ballad of the Young Offender (Crow’s Theatre)

Racism at the birth of Rock n’ Roll, The Ballad of the Young Offender plays at Sidemart’s Theatrical Grocery in Toronto 

Crow’s Theatre‘s desire to be the central hub for theatre in the East End is off to a great start. They’re opening a new space in 2016 and to introduce themselves and make their presence known to the Leslieville/Riverdale area, they’ve launched The East End Performance Crawl — a series of site specific solo performances running the stretch of Queen Street East from Broadview to Greenwood on now until Sunday, June 1.

Part of the Crawl is the zany and eye-opening show The Ballad of the Young Offender which features Kyle Gatehouse as blues connoisseur and rock music historian Johnny Hyacinth. His story is of the legendary (but fictional) bluesman Sonny St. You and his trial for inciting rebellion in young people during that critical time when electricity met folk music to create Rock n’ Roll.

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Review: Baker’s Dozen (Adam Squared Productions)

There’s a Lot to Love in A Baker’s Dozen, at the Toronto Fesival of Clowns

Rub-a-dub-dub, three men in a tub. Except in this case, the Baker was found dead, his husband the Butcher is on trial, and the Candlestick Maker is another complicated layer.

In Baker’s Dozen, Adam Francis Proulx transforms one puppet into the twelve members of the jury. These are the individuals who must decide the Butcher’s fate, and we as the audience are let into their thoughts while the court case unfolds. They struggle with the mystery of Baker’s death, their own personal problems, a flawed judicial system, their fellow jurors, their attention spans, their intolerance of people unlike themselves, and so forth.

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Review: Love & Human Remains (Witchboy Theatre)

Christopher Hayes and Mark Paci in Love & Human Remains

Love and Human Remains is dark, scandalous, and scintillating, playing at Unit 102 Theatre in Toronto

Dark, dense and more delicious than a 7-layer black forest cake, Love & Human Remains is now onstage at Unit 102 Theatre in Toronto. An amazing collective of artists known as Witchboy Theatre came together to mount this acclaimed play. Written by Canadian Brad Fraser, Love & Human Remains was named one of the top 10 plays of the year by TIME magazine when it debuted in 1989. Missing this particular production would be like missing a weekend at the cottage after a 10-month long Edmonton winter. Continue reading Review: Love & Human Remains (Witchboy Theatre)