Wayne Leung (1981-2019)
Wayne was the Managing Editor of Mooney on Theatre from 2012 - 2019 and will be sorely missed. His death from an apparent heart attack was a loss not just to Mooney on Theatre, but also to the Toronto Theatre Community at large. You can read our publisher Megan Mooney's tribute to him here here.
Wayne was a writer, editor and corporate communications professional who was thrilled to be a part of the Mooney on Theatre team. Wayne loved theatre ever since his aunt brought him to a production of Les Misérables at the tender age of ten . . . despite the fact that, at that age, the show’s plot was practically indiscernible and the battle scenes scared the bejeezus out of him. Wayne’s current list of likes ran the gamut from opera, ballet and Shakespeare to Broadway musicals, circus and Fringe theatre. Outside of the theatre Wayne’s interests included travel, technology and food.
This past weekend Mooney on Theatre sent its dedicated team of 30 writers and editors to cover all 160 shows in this year’s Toronto Fringe Festival! With the sheer number of shows available at the festival, picking the ones you want to see can be a daunting task.
If you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed by the number of shows and you’re looking for a place to start, we’ve asked our staff to tell us about their favourite shows they’ve seen at this year’s festival. We hope our staff picks can help you navigate the Fringe.
If you’ve seen something you think is amazing that you think others should go see please let us know by leaving a comment.
The description—something about a singer/piano duo’s final show—sounded vague and not entirely convincing. But the fact that it was a site-specific show staged in the nondescript piano bar on the second floor of Pauper’s Pub, and that the bar would be serving during the show, was enough for me to take a chance on it.
True North Mixtape, produced by Edge of Sky Theatre, is performing as part of the Toronto Fringe Festival. This is the newest show from the production company behind monster Fringe hits like Summerland and The Fence. At this point we pretty much know what to expect from them; fantastic musical performances, polished group dance numbers and an impossibly large cast of fresh-faced young performers. Once again, the team delivers, big time.
No Place, produced by Pressgang Theatre, is performing at St. George the Martyr Church as part of the Toronto Fringe Festival. For many who come across an autobiographical, one-person Fringe show about someone who grew up in a small town and had a difficult relationship with their mother, the description may as well read, “Run as fast as you can, in the opposite direction.” I get it. These types of one-handers are really hard to pull off well, and when they’re done poorly the result can be excruciating. Continue reading No Place (Pressgang Theatre) 2017 Toronto Fringe Review→
