Two of the strongest productions at the Shaw Festival this year, this duo of dramedies features witty, vibrant women and the flimsy men who take up too much of their time. Among women who can seriously sing in Canada, to the best of my expertise, Sara Farb is probably the best actress. That’s a […]
Rock solid tragicomedies with memorable visuals, rich design, and reliable casts, this duo of productions represent what the Shaw Festival does best. In Sleuth, the excellent directorial debut of fan favourite performer Peter Fernandes, a badger-haired Patrick Galligan brings his veteran gravitas to a role that perfectly capitalizes on the little twinkle he always […]
Staged for a small (but packed) audience in a tent outside the Stratford Perth Museum, 12 Dinners is an intimate and humble piece of hyper-personal storytelling produced six minutes down the road from the Avon Theatre where stalwart character actor Steve Ross is having the run of his career as the sparkling lead of the […]
A light style and dark material sets the contrasting tone for the Capitol’s blockbuster musical of the summer. The Full Monty vibes like silly fun but the story is packed with simmering sadness, overwhelming stress, and dark gender norms. Striking that balance is a tricky proposition but director Julie Tomaino smartly keeps the action […]
Onstage at Oshawa’s Regent Theatre for four days only, this thrice-postponed iteration of a homegrown cult hit is a shaky attempt at commercial theatre production with community theatre limitations. I admire Mansfield Entertainment’s concept of bringing large-format theatre to a community that could use a serious arts infusion and the professional designation should mean that […]
This, its 30th year of existence, was my first Bard on the Beach season…
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. […]