Sometimes comedy needs a measure of heartbreak to make it perfect. Or maybe heartbreak needs comedy to make it bearable. Either way, comedian Franco Nguyen’s solo show, soaring in liquid skies, (FraGu Productions) playing at the Toronto Fringe Festival, is the perfect mixture of both. Continue reading soaring in liquid skies (FraGu Productions) 2017 Toronto Fringe Review
Jeff Gandell’s one-person show, The Balding, produced by Yarn Productions and playing at the Toronto Fringe Festival, is a wonderful tale of one man’s preoccupation with losing his hair and his virginity. And his belief that if he doesn’t lose his virginity before he loses his hair, he never will. Continue reading The Balding (Yarn Productions) 2017 Toronto Fringe Review
I took my grandsons – Max, eight, and Desmond, almost six – to see Death Meets Harlequin produced by Unspoken Theatre Company playing at the Toronto Fringe Festival. They both really enjoyed it although during the show I would have bet that Desmond didn’t like it at all. He used my hand to hide his eyes for at least half of the performance. You never can tell with kids. Continue reading Death Meets Harlequin (Unspoken Theatre Company) 2017 Toronto Fringe Review
A unique take on the Arthurian tale, on stage in Toronto as part of the Luminato FestivalNew World Theatre’s production of King Arthur’s Night had its world premiere on Friday at the Berkeley Street Theatre as part of Luminato. The work was commissioned by Luminato and written by Niall McNeil and Marcus Youssef who play Arthur and Merlin respectively. McNeil is a 35-year-old playwright and actor living with Down syndrome. Youssef is the artistic director of New World Theatre. Together with director James Long and composer Veda Hille, they’ve created a wonderful and unique work. Continue reading Review: King Arthur’s Night (New World Theatre and Luminato)
Everything works in The Lady in Shoes From Hell, now on the Toronto stageBurke Campbell’s play, The Lady in Shoes From Hell, had its world premiere at Red Sandcastle Theatre on Tuesday evening. It’s a very funny mystery/thriller, complete with car chases and flaming fireballs, set in Texas in the 1950s. I wasn’t sure it could work in such a small space, but it does. It works really well. Continue reading Review: The Lady in Shoes From Hell (Shoe Fits Productions)