Toronto’s UC Follies adapts Büchner’s unfinished classic play Woyzeck to highlight mental health issues
On Friday night, I made my way through a tiny door into a quiet quadrangle behind the University College building at U of T. There, the student-driven UC Follies Theatre Company performed an adaptation of Woyzeck for a very chilly but attentive audience. While the show itself raises some interesting issues and has been adapted multiple times worldwide, I felt that this particular production didn’t quite hit the mark it was aiming for. Continue reading Review: Woyzeck (UC Follies Theatre Company)→
I wish I had taken a friend (or five) with me when I saw Recurring John, A New Song Cycle on Sunday afternoon. That way someone would have been able to join in the conversation when I inevitably rave about it for the next few months. It was just that good. Playing as part of this year’s SummerWorks Festival in the Musical Works in Concert series, Recurring John is a gorgeous new piece by Kevin Wong.
Saturday saw the opening of Complex, a show presented by Complex Collective in partnership with The Koffler Centre of the Arts. Playing as part of the SummerWorks Festival, this piece had some neat elements and interesting concepts. Unfortunately, they didn’t always hit the mark.
It’s difficult to tackle a show that deals with stereotyping, mental illness, poverty or class issues. It’s even more difficult to perform a work that includes all of those things, as this one does. Though the story itself is quite compelling, I felt the issues weren’t always treated with the sensitivity and tact they require.
I wish I had taken a friend (or five) with me when I saw 
