I am a huge fan of period dramas, obsessively so. When I got a chance to review an adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, one of the most renowned and well-loved period novels of all time, at Toronto Fringe I dove into it like an Olympic gold medallist.
Hallie Burt and Kate Werneburg’s play, Elizabeth – Darcy, is high-energy, charming and a delight for admirers of the novel and its numerous TV adaptations. All of our favourite characters, scenes and quotes are there in this production.
A physical absurdist show that provides plenty of laughs
The opening night of I Hired a Contract Killer, a production by Randolph Academy, was sold out more than an hour before it started. 10 minutes into the show I understood why. This show is unique, comical, cute and so much fun!
The story, originally a film released in 1990 by Finnish writer/director Aki Kaurismäki is simple: Frenchman Henri Boulanger (Matt Raffy) works a boring desk job for the government. He has no social life to speak of and, when fired, killing himself seems to be a good idea. Unable to do so, he meets shady characters in the back room of a bar who tell him they’ll get it done. The next few days he makes it as easy as possible for the hitman to locate him, until he falls in love with the beautiful Margaret (played by Brittani Byrne) and finds a reason to live. Trouble is, how do you stop yourself from being killed by people you’ve paid to do just that? Continue reading I Hired a Contract Killer (Randolph Academy) 2013 Toronto Fringe Review
It is a daunting task to write a play about Tennessee Williams. In The State of Tennessee, writer/director Steven Jackson has done an imagining of the playwright’s last days, that shows his softer, vulnerable side, romanticizing his end to give us a more sympathetic portrayal of his character.
The story is as follows: A young playwright, Steve, knocks on the Key West, FL home of Tennessee Williams, where he lives in seclusion, in the company of a disapproving maid, bottles of pills and alcohol. The young playwright, suffering from writer’s block and running from his own demons, seeks inspiration from his childhood idol. Although reluctant at first, moved by his boyish charm and helplessness, Tennessee agrees to help him. What follows are soulful and insightful reflections on writing and life in general. My favourite was, ” A play is revealing the audience to themselves.”
Continue reading Review: The State of Tennessee (MinMar Gaslight Productions)