If you want drunken debauchery, raucous theatrics, or just a good old street fight, Sterling Road isn’t your first destination. That changed this week as Angela’s Murdoch’s 1855 Toronto Circus Riot dramatizes the bizarre brawl in 1855 that marked a unique episode in the young city’s history and led to major changes in its law enforcement. […]
Crossing and blending the line between dance and circus, Sigma is an absolute joy of a show. Cerebral, enticing, entrancing… this show is everything. The result of an experimentation of working with jugglers and dancers of different backgrounds, Gandini Juggling has found a niche working with traditional Indian dancers of the Bharatanatyam style and contemporary […]
The 7 Fingers have returned once again to Toronto, and we couldn’t be more thrilled. Pioneers in the contemporary circus movement, the company now based in Montreal travels the world and shows us the truth and honesty of how wonderful and how difficult circus really is. No doubt it is an amazing spectacle to see […]
Australian touring company Circa has graced Toronto’s stage again, and we loved it. Artistic Director Yaron Lifschitz’s newest creation, HUMANS, gives everyone a little of what they want. There were gasps and applause at amazing circus feats from the audience, reverential silence in awe, some giggles, and overall the feeling of amazement. I stand by […]
Before we announce the winners of the 2017 MyEntWorld Critics’ Pick Awards, we’re proud to present our annual Nominee Interview Series. I always start these interviews with the question “do you remember your first experience with theatre” and, over the years, have heard countless tales of future actors taking their first trip to Stratford, little kids gazing […]
The best word I can think of to describe The 7 Fingers’ new show triptyque is magical. I know, I know, cheesy. But when a show can really make me feel, bring me into a zone where the rest of the audience fades away… I mean, that’s magic. The 7 Fingers return to Toronto for the 30th […]
Be sure to check out our Full List of Fringe Reviews Maddie’s Karaoke Birthday Party (A) This perfectly cast site-specific musical is the best thing composing team Barbara Johnston and Suzy Wilde have done. The first 2/3 of the show is a perfect in-absentia character portrait as Maddie’s closest friends get up at the birthday […]
Cavalia’s performance of Odysseo has returned and hardly needs an introduction. The show teases prospective audience members with the promise of galloping horses, flowing manes, impressive circus feats, and magic. And honestly, it does not disappoint. The company, founded in Montreal by Normand Latourelle boasts the world’s largest touring company and tent, as well as […]
As the festivities on London’s South Bank get under way the big purple tent opens its bovine-adorned folds up to a fitting act of spectacle and astonishment. Catch Me (or Attrape Moi) comprises a group of young artists and circus performers from Quebec—a proving ground for the talented entertainers of this sort of thing. Running […]
The final offering of the Canadian Stage Spotlight Festival: Australia was The Return by Circa, a genre-defying combination of cirque and opera. The stage is shared equally between the circus artists and the live chamber ensemble, with the former occupying stage right, and the latter stage left. An imposing black wall spans the width of […]
There are times when it can be refreshing to step away from the theatrical realm and explore other forms of artistic expression. It’s Not Yet Midnight has no story, little cohesion and sometimes has too much going on at the same time. Be that as it may, it was one of the most outstanding performances I […]
When the curtain rises, the stage is a blur of muted greys, of bland beiges. Bodies trundle to and fro with shuffling urgency to a discordant jumble of notes – the soundtrack as dissonant and buzzing as the crowd itself. The monotony of city life and the stark existence of the working class person’s crushing […]
For those in the contemporary circus scene, The 7 Fingers company (or Les 7 Doigts de le Main) hardly needs introduction. This modern Montreal-based company never lets an audience down, and has continued this trend with Mirvish onstage in Toronto. The incredibly personal and thoughtful Cuisine & Confessions thrills from the beginning, with a cheeky […]
Be sure to check out our Full List of Fringe Reviews Weird: The Witches of Macbeth (A) Absolutely exquisite and mind blowing in its execution, Weird is the story of Macbeth as told from the perspective of the three witches. This play is a visual treat, with the three actresses performing arial stunts throughout the […]
No one really goes to the circus anymore. It feels outdated. The acrobats, the animals and the amazement are a thing of the past. People prefer the theatre because they only think of circus in its original form dating back to the turn of the century. This is slowly in the process of changing thanks […]
How well do you remember James Cameron’s Avatar? I’m sure you remember the look of the film- the groundbreaking visuals, the swooping excitement, the one time the headache you always get from 3D somehow seemed worth it. It’s the #1 highest grossing film of all time (unless The Force Awakens makes another 1.2 billion before […]
Facing the garlanded stage with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra warming up, looked down on by the Etobicoke School of the Arts Holiday Chorus, I can’t help but feel the buzz of holiday cheer. I have not had the privilege to attend the symphony since I was a child, and am enjoying the energy of Roy […]
Australian acrobatic company Circa has livened CanStage with a refreshingly new and desperately needed contemporary circus show. Opus is 75 non-stop minutes of circus feats, but also shows the audience a new side of modern circus. It was a difficult transition, it seemed, for many patrons to adjust their pre-show anticipation into respectful awe and […]