All posts by Madeleine Copp

Madeleine Copp saw her first show when she was four years old and it was love at first sight. She pursued a bachelor’s in theatre production and design and English literature, culminating in a love for flexible, innovative, and diverse theatre artists that challenge all our preconceived notions of the stage. Her thesis, Printed Voices: Women, Print, and Performance pushed for new interpretations of closet drama from the early modern to modern period in the hopes of seeing more female playwrights included in the performance canon. Since graduating, Madeleine continues to seek out unexpected, startling, and challenging works that leave her angry, speechless, and wonderfully confused.

War of The Worlds Reimagined: Part 1, The Algonquin Tapes (Frog in Hand Productions Inc.) 2021 Toronto Fringe Review

Image of “Distorted camper.” Designed by Colleen Snell Radio drama is back in War of the Worlds Reimagined: Part 1, The Algonquin Tapes by Frog in Hand Productions Inc., playing now as part of the 2021 Toronto Fringe Festival. Only this time, it has a Canadian slant, taking place in the Algonquin wilderness.

Full disclosure: I love audio dramas.

I love that you have to pay attention differently from in-person performances. The best ones make you stop what you’re doing because you are so invested in the story and the characters. War of the Worlds Reimagined: Part 1, The Algonquin Tapes hits the nail on the head in terms of acting, pacing, story, and audio effects.

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Review: The Events (Necessary Angel Theatre Co.)

Photo of Raven Dauda and Kevin Walker in The EventsOur reviewer describes The Events as “a show I experienced in my stomach.”

The most disturbing truth about bad events is the impossibility victims face in trying to make it make sense. Piecing together every single, marginal component of the world, just trying to understand.

Necessary Angel Theatre Co.’s production of The Events playing at the Streetcar Crowsnest Theatre picks at the monstrous events of the Norway shooting to find logical answers.

One heart-aching performance later, there is the sad realization there is no logic to be found.

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Review: Patience (St. Anne’s Music and Drama Society)

Photo of Philip Garde as Bunthorne in PatienceHistorical adaptation of Patience is a likable piece, now on stage 

Love is the purest and most unselfish emotion–or at least it tries to be in St. Anne’s Music and Drama Society’s production of Gilbert and Sullivan‘s Patience, currently playing at St. Anne’s Anglican Church.

Fortunately, romantic comedy ensues as St. Anne’s works to create a historically accurate production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s work. It’s an elaborate community show that is really very good.

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