Workman Arts’ Rendezvous with Madness is one of the first festivals back on its feet since the Covid-19 lockdowns. After two years of fear and solitude, the mental health-focused event is an apropos re-beginning as many audience members slowly re-engage with the arts scene outside of their televisions. RWM this year is serving as […]
I don’t think it can be overstated what a pleasure it is to return as an audience member to a live dance performance or how magical it is to attend a well curated program presented in the High Park Amphitheatre. Making my way to the venue on a Thursday evening to meet up with a […]
It is good to be fringing again! I first want to take this opportunity before I dive into the reviews to express my gratitude, respect and thanks to everyone involved with the Toronto Fringe this year from the artists to admin to box office just everyone. It has been a long and hard road adjusting […]
What Are You Supposed to Be? (All Day I Dream About…Theatre) What Are You Supposed to Be? is an experimental comedy currently running at the 2021 Toronto Digital Fringe Festival. As a collective creation, this piece explores a tense, mysterious conflict in a world of challenging characters. The story follows Leah, a novelty birthday party princess […]
In Transit (Von Hunt Productions) In Transit is a contemporary dance film, presented as part of the 2021 Toronto Digital Fringe Festival. Creator, choreographer and performer Alayna Kellett has devoted years of research to this piece and it’s paid off in a robust work of graceful emotion. In Transit follows one woman’s imperfect path beyond […]
The 2021 Digital Toronto Fringe takes place July 21-July 31 with over 65 shows and nightly communal events, including a digital Fringe Tent. I sat down with Lucy Eveleigh, executive director of the Toronto Fringe Festival, to chat about digital theatre, inclusive programming, and the future of Fringe culture. The 2021 Digital Toronto Fringe […]
Before we announce the winners of the 2019 MyEntWorld Critics’ Pick Awards, we’re proud to present our annual Nominee Interview Series. Michael Ross Albert is one of my favourite playwrights full stop; the fact that he’s local, indie, and extremely prolific is just a bonus. His Best New Work-nominated play The Huns, a blistering three-hander about a […]
Before we announce the winners of the 2019 MyEntWorld Critics’ Pick Awards, we’re proud to present our annual Nominee Interview Series. Jake Epstein is a Toronto-born actor and singer whose work has ranged from iconic Canadian TV (Degrassi: The Next Generation) to the Broadway stage (taking over the titular role in the much-written about Spider-Man: Turn off the […]
Before we announce the winners of the 2019 MyEntWorld Critics’ Pick Awards, we’re proud to present our annual Nominee Interview Series. One of my favourite productions out of the 2019 Toronto Fringe Festival was Gillian Bartolucci’s Outstanding Solo Performance-nominated one woman sketch show The Weight of it All. Beautifully constructed with a perfect blend of high-octane fun, clever […]
Theatre Centre’s Progress Festival is one of my favourite annual festivals in Toronto. The programming is always sharp and smart, bringing cutting edge international performances to the Queen West theatre. I was only able to see a few shows in this year’s festival; this represents only a sliver of the festival’s programming. CAFÉ SARAJEVO Café […]
I was so excited to find myself in Vancouver during the Fringe Festival this fall (it’s crazy that there are still Fringe Festivals happening once it’s officially “fall”). Having covered the Toronto leg of the epic Canadian indie theatre circuit for years, I was curious to see how things compared out on the west coast. […]
I was so excited to find myself in Vancouver during the Fringe Festival this fall (it’s crazy that there are still Fringe Festivals happening once it’s officially “fall”). Having covered the Toronto leg of the epic Canadian indie theatre circuit for years, I was curious to see how things compared out on the west coast. […]
805-4821 (A) “805-4821 is a trans coming out story made out of other stories: a dialogue from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, a half-remembered swim lesson, and an 80,000 word Facebook correspondence” This is how the promotional material introduces Davis Plett’s work, directed by Gislina Patterson. I added it to my roster expecting a show that could be […]
Take a look at our full list of 2019 Fringe reviews HERE. Emotional Labour (A) Written and performed by Jess Beaulieu and Luis Fernandes, this clever two-hander about the division of labour, both emotional and physical, in modern relationships is devastatingly relatable. It’s not subtle, but I fear if it were any more subtle it would […]
Take a look at our full list of 2019 Fringe reviews HERE. Off the bat, because all our other Fringe reviews have letter grades right beside the title, let’s get this out of the way and just say The Huns is getting an A. But read on for too much explanation of why that grade doesn’t quite […]
Take a look at our full list of 2019 Fringe reviews HERE. I, Malvolio (B+) Justin Otto’s performance in I, Malvolio is powerful. If you can take anything away from this review, let it be that. Otto demands the audience’s attention from the moment they enter the room. There is an air of chaos about Otto’s […]
Take a look at our full list of 2019 Fringe reviews HERE. Omen: The Musical (A) This modern witchy musical about a post-climate change (aka post-apocalyptic) world is eerie and enchanting. All three protagonists are individual and well developed. The musical direction of the show is consistent and unique. The setting and concept of the show […]
Take a look at our full list of 2019 Fringe reviews HERE. Fuckboys the Musical (B) I quite liked this sassy American import featuring a cast of a bunch of standout women and a couple forgettable men. It’s too long and the storytelling is pretty muddled as the show attempts to service four main characters while […]
Take a look at our full list of 2019 Fringe reviews HERE. Death Ray Cabaret (A-) Second City stalwarts Jordan Armstrong and Kevin Matviw bring a wonderful verve to their free-wheeling Fringe show. Partners on and off the stage, the pair have a fun and easy dynamic that lets them skip between sketches without missing a […]
Take a look at our full list of 2019 Fringe reviews HERE. The Weight of It All (A-) Gillian Bartolucci’s latest solo piece plays out more like a one-woman sketch show than a straightforward narrative. With a captivating mix of exuberant energy and relatable exhaustion, Bartolucci jumps between characters, styles, gimmicks, and perspectives as she touches […]
Take a look at our full list of 2019 Fringe reviews HERE Til Death: The Six Wives of Henry VIII (B) The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Til Death is how impressive Tara Travis’ stamina is. Seven characters. One actor. It’s a feat, that’s for sure. Travis jumps, rolls, moves across […]
One of my favorite panels from the ATX Television Festival was called “Resistance, Inclusion, and Creating Authentic Muslim Narratives.” Moderated by Vanity Fair’s Sonia Saraiya, the panelists spanned an impressive breadth of the industry. There was new director Nijla Mu’min, whose film Jinn has been a festival favorite for over a year. There was veteran […]
Take a look at our full list of 2019 Fringe reviews HERE News Play (A-) Madeleine Brown has concocted another show with a unique, funny and disarmingly rich story. Siblings and Joy (Charlin McIsaac) and Phoebus (Greg Solomon), one a writer and the other an illustrator, are forced via lack of work, as well as blackmail, […]
Take a look at our full list of 2019 Fringe reviews HERE. Clotheswap (A-) I love a good in-real-life clothes swap, so I was quite excited to see Amanda Barker’s and Dale Boyer’s production, Clotheswap. I was even more happy to see that I could bring my own clothes to the show and that those clothes […]
Take a look at our full list of 2019 Fringe reviews HERE. Night Cows (A) A percussive heartbeat punctuates the soundscape of Night Cows/Les vaches de nuits. Eléonore Lamothe sits curled into a broad cowhide chair. The only other objects adorning the stage are a mobile of crows and a beautifully crafted cow skull hung from […]
Take a look at our full list of 2019 Fringe reviews HERE. The Ballad of Frank Allen (A) “Fringe veterans performing an award-winning show” sets your expectations high; “sci-fi buddy-comedy about a tiny man who lives in another man’s beard” scrambles your expectations beyond repair. Audiences go into this show not knowing what they’re walking into […]