It was great to end the first night of the Fringe Festival on a light, happy musical note. The Giant’s Garden at the George Ignatieff Theatre was surprisingly hilarious. I did expect a charming little fairy-tale but I had no idea that it would be this witty and humorous.
The basic premise is about a grumpy giant who hates children and leaves Summer – the season- in charge of taking care of his magical garden.
I thought it was amazing that they brought in props that added whimsical elements to this play. They had vines that grew and butterflies that flew on cue. The costumes were fantastic and each actor was perfectly suited to the role.
Dale Miller who played the Flower is a riot. His voice, expressions and movements were perfectly timed and the audience couldn’t get enough of him. Like I said, all the actors were terrific but another special mention would have to be Laura Caswell who plays Summer. Her voice is stunning and she has that mother-nature air about her which makes her the perfect Summer.
If you’re looking for something family friendly this Fringe, then you can’t go wrong with this play. The show I saw was past 10pm so there were no kids but every adult was thoroughly entertained. It’s an enchanting show that creates the perfect escape for everyone.
Details:
presented by The Giant Collective from Toronto, ON
Director: Scott White
Choreographer: Laura Caswell
Cast: Paula Wolfson, Mark Terene, Michael MacLennan, Dale Miller, Jody Osmond, Laura Caswell, Lucas Meeuse, Tara Lisowski
Genre: Family, Musical
Venue 6 George Ignatieff Theatre
Performances:
Wed, July 6 10:30pm
Sat, July 9 5:15pm
Mon, July 11 8:00pm
Tue, July 12 3:00pm
Thu, July 14 Noon
Fri, July 15 8:45pm
Sat, July 16 4:00pm
Ticket Price: $10.00
Tickets: www.fringetoronto.com / (416) 966-1062
Advance Ticket Box Office at The Fringe Club, 581 Bloor St. W.
Photo credit to Lindsay Anne Black. In photo: Laura Caswell (Summer) and Michael MacLennan (Giant).
“The Giant’s Garden” was a real treat! Unfailingly good humoured throughout, it brought a smile to my face from the start and kept it there till the end. This is a polished show that will appeal to all ages with a cheerful plot and colourful characters and costumes for the kids and some underlying campiness for the adults. It was great fun!