Théâtre français de Toronto’s Singulières (co-presented by Crow’s Theatre) is the sort of show that can be either revelatory or evocatively familiar. If you’re a woman who’s spent a good portion of your life single, the true stories told in Maxime Beauregard-Martin’s thoughtful docu-play will likely ring true in that way that good true theatre can make you feel seen. If that’s not your life experience, sit down, you could learn a thing or two. The woes of the single gal are told often in popular culture but the specificity, diversity, and unflinching tragicomedy captured by this brilliant cast of five shines a startling light.

 

Alexandre Fecteau’s direction inventively marries cinéma vérité with live theatre, incorporating video screens throughout the production. The live-to-tape feeling allows for hyper-personal stories to be told in proper closeup while performed in-person and also makes the surtitles for this French piece performed in Toronto seem like a feature not an annoying necessity (the inclusion of one Anglophone character gives the script some fun multilingual flair).

 

Across the board funny and heartfelt performances from the excellent ensemble, each seamlessly playing multiple roles, make this stirring and immediate piece of theatre deeply personal and utterly memorable.