I have just one rule about adaptations and that one rule makes or breaks my assessment of said adaptation’s worth, every time. I need there to be a reason it’s been adapted. In adapting Victor Hugo’s novel into the Schönberg & Boublil musical, Les Miserables gains the group-think momentum of a rousing war anthem and the haunting ache […]
Be sure to check out our Full List of Fringe Reviews The Unending – 3 Short Plays (A-) Site-specific plays always have the potential to be alienating experiences: a bunch of plucky actors demanding an extra degree of engagement from the audience as they move through a unique space or spaces. If the work itself […]
Be sure to check out our Full List of Fringe Reviews Inch Of Your Life: Part 1 (B) If you like The Sopranos chances are you’ll enjoy this show. In Inch of your Life we meet some dysfunctional brothers and the intricacies of the relationships between them and their friends and lovers. The writing is […]
From June 29 to July 10, seven of our Toronto staffers- Kelly Bedard, Duncan Derry, Kymberley Feltham, Lisa McKeown, Beth McNeil, Lorenzo Pagnotta and Whitney Richards- reviewed 100+ plays in this year’s Fringe Festival. Special thanks to the Fringe Staff & Volunteers (especially Will King in the press office who handled all our ticket requests) […]
It’s tempting to criticize Peter Hinton’s new adaptation of Alice in Wonderland for its emptiness. There is no real story, no great moral, no particular meaning, not even a coherent character to invest in beyond Tara Rosling’s cute but fairly blank-slate Alice. That feels like a flaw of the production but, let’s just be honest, […]
Toronto has some killer young actresses, a few of whom have found particularly big showcases in small productions currently on Toronto stages. Below are a few of note, in order of impact. Changeling; A Grand Guignol for Muderous Times (Desiderata Theatre Co.) There’s a lot to like about Harrison Thomas’ brutal and inventive production […]
Before starting my review I think it is important to mention that this is a musical I already know very well and indeed am incredibly fond of. While this means I was already entering the theatre with the confidence that I would at least appreciate Peter Stone and Maury Yeston’s book and music, it also […]
The Jungle Book is probably the most out and out successful of the recent string of “Let’s Remake A Classic Disney Movie to Try and Wring More Money Out Of It” films. Which isn’t meant as a knock against it (I’m all for commercial concerns leading to creative success! I love Marvel Movies) but a […]