Did this play deserve its Olivier Award nomination last year? Absolutely. Its development of character, slow revelation of plot and bitingly black humour make James Fritz’s work a triumph of new writing. The story revolves around two parents, Di and David (Kate Maravan and Jonathan McGuinness), whose son Jack has been beaten up on his […]
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Two nights in October, I did something I haven’t done in far too long- I went to the symphony. But these were not regular nights at the symphony. There was no Peter Oundjian, an uncharacteristic smell filled Roy Thomson Hall, the average age of the patrons was at least 20 years below expected and, when […]
Belarus Free Theatre can claim that not only is it underground in form but also in substance. What it discusses in its plays is subversive: it challenges basic principles that constitute modern society. Of course, the substance of the underground exists on a spectrum, all the way from Dostoevsky to VICE magazine. After seeing four […]
I realize that the title of this piece may be a bit misleading. To “bash” something, at least in my line of work, is to pan a production so aggressively that you run the risk of being pulled from the comp list. Luckily, Shakespeare Bash’d and I are not in the same line of work. […]
I am finally read to say it: I love Trevor Noah. The most remarkable part of all this is that The Daily Show, with its new host, remains The Daily Show. It remains a tiny voice of acerbic sincerity in the midst of a sea of politics and media. It remains witty and passionate […]
Banana Boys (Factory Theatre) I’m loving the Naked season at Factory. The text-centric, stripped down approach the company is taking to all the pieces in their so-far-so-good fall seasonette is spotlighting great performances, inspiring directorial creativity and refusing to let great texts get overshadowed by trappings. Banana Boys is the perfect example of what’s so […]
Not since 1605 has Guy Fawkes night brought the British government so close to destruction than on this past November 5.* Parliament was dissolved. The monarchy was threatened. The United Kingdom lay on the verge of total collapse. At least, that is the reality that played out on the Music Box Theatre stage in Mike […]
To celebrate the home entertainment release of their action-packed stoner (romantic?) comedy, Elevation Pictures has given us two copies of the Blu-ray to give away to some lucky readers. To enter, follow us on Twitter and tweet us your favourite action movie quote. Contest closes on Friday, November 20th. We’ll PM the winner with details the […]