“What the hell just happened?”   My first words when the curtain closed are indicative of where this piece is headed, so take a deep breath with me. Roundabout Theatre Company’s revival of The Old Times may be unintelligible, but the fault does not necessarily lie with the director, Douglas Hodge, the three-person cast of […]

This is not the youthful adrenaline shot that it sets out to be. Stoppard’s abridgement of Shakespeare tragedy-laden comedy is marred by poor direction choices, although the performances, as in the NYT’s other shows, are of a remarkably high calibre given the REP cast is handes their hardest material yet with the Merchant of Venice. […]

This is a tricky and charming work. The National Youth Theatre has made something first-rate and empoweringly original with Consensual. It is a discussion of sex but simultaneously a discussion of that discussion, critical of the current discourse yet accepting of a world transformed by porn and marketed sexualisation.   Evan Placey’s script is punchy: […]

It is no easy task to turn a book into a play, especially when the book is one of the most beloved pieces of English literature. Stephanie Street’s script brings a modern twist to Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights in her adaptation. While the story is well adapted, the language is quite different from that of […]

 

Staged at the Bridewell Theatre, Geoids’ latest outing is one of the most technically ambitious productions within London’s amateur scene. A huge cast, set and orchestra are used to recount the problem of an eroding Hollywood. For those unaware of the film (which you should all see, incidentally), Joe (Michael Stacey), a failing screenwriter, is […]

Rowing (Then They Fight) Writer/director Aaron Jan’s new play about a small town rowing team sports a strong cast delivering well crafted quick-pace dialogue. Each individual arc is, for the most part, clear and engaging, especially those of the contrastingly lovelorn Chris and Rick, played with great pathos and excellent timing by Lauren Griffiths and […]

 

After a summer off to make way for Panamania, Toronto’s biggest repertory company has returned to regularly scheduled programming with a diverse slate of four new productions running now through the 18th, soon to be followed by returning favourite Spoon River. Here’s the lowdown on their latest:   Marat/Sade This weird, bold, complicated, controversial, thoughtful, […]

 

Finding Funny is a one-person show directed by Andrew Ferguson, and written and performed by Daniel Stofi, about a comedian backstage during a stand-up show. He’s about to go on, feeling frustrated with his current routine, and unsure of how to proceed. He tries to dig deep within his memory to figure out what inspired […]