A disclaimer accompanies Michael Healey’s latest political drama The Master Plan: the following is a work of fiction. A work of fiction about events not very long ago (2017-2020) in a land not very far away (a 10 minute drive from Crow’s Theatre where the play has been extended until October 8). A work of […]
Kelly Bedard
Prince Edward County is known as one of the most beautiful places in Ontario, a prime spot for well-to-do cottagers and family beach-goers alike. It’s also one of Ontario’s transit failures, a place so completely reliant on car access that, despite years of interest, I’d never stepped foot in the area until this summer. In […]
Kelly Bedard
This year’s Shaw Festival lunchtime one-act, a swift Shavian delight called Village Wooing, is a successful participant in a favourite gimmick of today’s theatre, and a seeming particular favourite of the current festival leadership with both Game of Love and Chance and last season’s Everybody also taking part. Though an on-stage mechanism for selection isn’t […]
Kelly Bedard
This summer we’re hitting the road to feature Ontario theatre companies we’ve never visited before. Throughout the summer and right up until the end of September, we’ll be updating this page with new content from across the province, reviewing shows and reporting on the theatre-going experience outside of the city and the area’s usual arts […]
Drayton Entertainment’s strong but imperfect production of Aaron Sorkin’s original theatrical hit A Few Good Men is up next in our Ontario Theatre Tour. Presented at the Hamilton Family Theatre in Cambridge, the production offers the opportunity for theatre-goers outside of Ontario’s usual hubs to see some big names in a comfortable local theatre for […]
Kelly Bedard
Click Here to read the rest of our reviews from Toronto Fringe 2023. Our Little Secret: The 23&Me Musical (A) This solo musical tells the true story of Noam Tomaschoff’s discovery that his parents used a sperm donor and he has 35 secret siblings. It’s an amazing story almost too wild to believe but Tomaschoff’s […]
Mark Kreder
Click Here to read the rest of our reviews from Toronto Fringe 2023. Hullaboo And The End of Everything (A) Andrew Wade has written a special show with Hullaboo And The End of Everything. It is a beautiful piece that Wade and fellow cast mate, Bonnie Duff do a great job bringing to life. Their […]
Kelly Bedard
Click Here to read the rest of our reviews from Toronto Fringe 2023. In Passing (A-) Pure joy from start to finish, this ensemble tap performance from Rhythm & Sound features strong storytelling without going too far into narrative. The piece plays out in a series of vignettes that vary in tone and tell simple […]
Kelly Bedard
Click Here to read the rest of our reviews from Toronto Fringe 2023. Constellation Prize (A-) The premise of this astrological musical sounds a little goofy but Alessandra Ferreri & Steven Suepaul’s incredibly strong book infuses genuine tension and honest emotion into the story of the twelve astrological signs fighting for their status after an application […]
Mark Kreder
Click Here to read the rest of our reviews from Toronto Fringe 2023. Morning After (A) *Trigger Warning- Morning After deals with sexual assault. Morning After is a tour de force. It is akin to the moment hot metal touches cold water, spluttering and hissing before settling to a stillness. The ensemble takes hold of […]
Kelly Bedard
Click Here to read the rest of our reviews from Toronto Fringe 2023. Fatal Charade (A) The best show I’ve reviewed so far this Fringe, this dark comedy about a criminal sentenced to death by theatre in Ancient Rome balances a compelling dramatic premise with bright humour and well-defined character arcs. Reflected in Leslie Rennie’s […]
Dom Harvey
Click Here to read the rest of our reviews from Toronto Fringe 2023. The Family Crow: A Murder Mystery (A) Adam Francis Proulx and The Pucking Fuppet Co. have spread their wings for a pun-drenched whodunnit that stands out as a clever and entertaining highlight of this year’s Fringe. The central figure in this saga […]
Dom Harvey
Click Here to read the rest of our reviews from Toronto Fringe 2023. Frankenstein(esque) (A) Many reimaginings of an iconic work coast on the original’s charm while their own contribution droops off the text, just happy to be there. Silent Protagonist Theatre’s Frankenstein(esque) is a worthy homage to Mary Shelley’s classic but also so much […]
Kelly Bedard
Click Here to read the rest of our reviews from Toronto Fringe 2023. The Camp Campy Campfire Show (A) Bursting with energy, this interactive camp-themed kids show is a barrel of fun. Each character has their own unique foibles and relatable problems to help kids normalize common struggles that might otherwise make them feel isolated […]
Mark Kreder
Click Here to read the rest of our reviews from Toronto Fringe 2023. Aliya Kanani: Where You From From (A-) Trying to describe Aliya Kanani to a perspective audience member is a fun challenge. The first word that springs to mind is chaotic (in the best way). Once she takes over the stage, she […]
Kelly Bedard
Click Here to read the rest of our reviews from Toronto Fringe 2023. Corporate Finch (A) A moody, twisty drama from playwright Taylor Marie Graham that plays beautifully with space, light, and sound, Corporate Finch was the highlight of our first day at Fringe. It’s as moving as it is scary, anchored by two […]
MyEntWorld Staff
Three of our writers reviewed 70 Toronto Fringe productions in eight days. Click the links below to read our thoughts. Frankenstein(esque) (A) Hullaboo And The End of Everything (A) Amor de Cosmos (A) Morning After (A) Fatal Charade (A) Corporate Finch (A) Good Old Days (A) Our Little Secret: The 23&Me Musical (A) The Family Crow: A Murder Mystery (A) The […]
The second stop on our Ontario Theatre Tour was Port Stanley, a very cute town of about 3000 people on the North shore of Lake Erie. We had a very odd chicken dish at Two Forks and fantastic ice cream from Broderick’s then strolled along the river before finding our way to the unassuming Port […]
Kelly Bedard
This summer we’re hitting the road to feature Ontario theatre companies we’ve never visited before. Our first trip was to the municipality of Port Hope 109 km east of Toronto where the historic Capitol Theatre is a key cultural hub bolstered by exciting new leadership and community investment. Before a performance of Canadian true […]
Originally set to premiere in 2020 after a long development process, it feels as though Britta Johnson & Sara Farb’s musical collaboration Kelly vs. Kelly has been in the “hotly anticipated” category forever. It’s easy to understand why with buzzy proven talents writing the book (Farb) and music & lyrics (Johnson) and all The Musical […]
Created in three weeks through collaborative improvisation, Athol Fugard, John Kani, & Winston Ntshona’s complex rumination on identity premiered in 1972 South Africa at incredible risk. The performers were jailed for their story of life under apartheid and the personal compromises forced upon Black and Coloured citizens in order to survive. It’s an honour to […]
Kelly Bedard
Though indie theatre is still scrambling to exist, Toronto’s mid-tier theatre scene finally feels well and truly alive again. This April was the first time since early 2020 that there were so many openings that critics had to pick and choose and I’m thrilled to report that I haven’t seen a bad thing all season. […]
Kelly Bedard
Touting an 8+ year development process, countless participating artists, and the longest list of donors and grants I’ve ever heard, the Shaw Festival’s long-awaited presentation of Why Not Theatre’s Mahabharata premiered yesterday with a double header of its two parts: Karma and Dharma. Everything about the way Mahabharata is being presented feels like the […]
Alexander Franks
There is something special about experimentation. The willingness, the joy in playing with technology to deliver a performance experience and artistic experience that takes a concept done to death but aspire to do something different with it. The concept of identity is both broad and an easy target for artistic exploration. This critic has seen […]
Alexander Franks
At about the fifteen minute mark of seeing this show, a thought crossed my mind that whined, “Oh (insert expletive) me, is this gonna be art with a capital (insert expletive) A?” But what I found myself instead was a state of deep intimacy, emotional connection and an environmental love. From the theatre performance group […]
Lorenzo Pagnotta
The libretto (Hedwig Lachmann) to Richard Strauss’ Salome is loosely based on Oscar Wilde’s play of the same name. The iconic artists added their own exceptional flair to a barebones bible story where we don’t even have a name for the girl known only as the daughter of King Herod and Herodias. Early historians would […]