Director/adaptor Fiona Sauder has always taken kids really seriously. Or, rather, she takes them at least as seriously as she takes adults. Probably more. As a result, she might be the most reliable creator of quality theatre for young audiences I’ve encountered in my career. Her work never takes kids’ attention for granted but neither […]
The Shaw Festival has had some notable success in recent years with British farce. It’s a good fit for the festival- quick and physical and light while fitting squarely into the mandate that can otherwise sometimes be a bit stiff. But, like tap dance musicals before it, farce has become a bit of a crutch […]
I do not know how well the Stratford kids programming sells and how that relates to their current strategy for executing said programming. There’s room somewhere in my brain for the possibility that this approach is working at both making and saving money and is therefore helping to fund better, more ambitious art elsewhere at […]
Click Here and Here to listen to our Fringe Audio Preview. Click Here to find our Fringe Landing Page where reviews will be posted throughout the festival. Cusp (A) This Uncle Vanya resetting sees a group of young adults gathered at a family cottage to celebrate the birthday of their glue character Sophie (aka Chekhov’s Sonya, played by […]
Click Here and Here to listen to our Fringe Audio Preview. Click Here to find our Fringe Landing Page where reviews will be posted throughout the festival. Playwright/director Emily Elizabeth’s interpretation of Much Ado About Nothing participates in a popular tradition- that of both updating Shakespearean comedy with modern language (see 10 Things I Hate About You, She’s […]
I’m picky when it comes to holiday traditions- the market is too crowded, turkey is dry, and I really think George Bailey needs to learn to control his temper. But I very quickly attached to the tradition of the Shaw Festival’s Christmas Carol + festive musical two-show day. Throw in a stroll down Niagara-on-the-Lake’s picturesque […]
The National Ballet of Canada’s 2025/26 season is off to a strong start with a pair of contrasting productions that showcase the company’s range and up-and-coming stable of talent, though one is far more inspiring than the other. First at bat was what’s sure to be the season MVP (I saw it the night […]
Shrek the Musical (Young People’s Theatre) Young People’s Theatre’s production of Shrek the Musical is lean, green, and utterly joyful. It’s one of the biggest productions in the company’s 60-year history and that investment pays off with a strong ensemble, William Layton’s vibrant set design, and an overall high standard of production that could easily […]