Bringing a historical figure to the stage can be difficult, mainly because there is never an inherent style or concept to pursue. That was the challenge Korean creators Seeun Choun and Jongyoon Choi took on with Marie Curie, now translated to English for its UK premiere, directed by Sarah Meadows. The result is a conventional, well-intentioned […]
Plays about memory work well when they are immersive and experiential – pulling you into the story, and evoking strong emotions. When crafted with additional finesse, they can even offer profound insight, leaving lasting impact. With Michael Batten’s Remembrance Monday, I was hoping for that something extra. It is a beautifully executed production, with committed […]
Obsidian’s production of seven methods of killing kylie jenner by Jasmine Lee-Jones finishes their 23-24 season at Crow’s Theatre on a strong note. Twitter, like many social media platforms, flattens out the three-dimensionality of users. This production, by contrast, breathes life into the world behind a series of seemingly violent tweets. Lee-Jones’ play tells […]
Kelly Bedard
Medea (Canadian Opera Company) Set to a broody and demanding score by Luigi Cherubini with Carlo Zangarini’s Italian libretto translation, the COC’s ambitious new co-pro mines Euripides’ iconic tragedy for every ounce of its delicious melodrama and winningly rejects pressure to impose important modern meaning upon the disturbing tale. A twist ending that sees the […]
AI is a hot topic in contemporary theatre, but writers often stumble by relying heavily on dystopian motifs or portraying AI unrealistically as a mystical, all-knowing force. In his debut play Artificially Yours, Aaron Thakar (who also stars) avoids these pitfalls by grounding the story in a recognisable near-future, incorporating existing technological norms, and adopting a […]
Kelly Bedard
After Tuesday’s performance of Mad Madge at The Theatre Centre, producer (in associaton with VideoCabaret) Nightwood Theatre organized a panel of theatre-makers to discuss the trend of fictionalized history on stage (or, put another way, an examination of coincidental aesthetic consistency in the Rose Napoli extended universe). The texts up for discussion were Kat Sandler‘s […]
Frank’s Closet may not have aspired to be groundbreaking, with its simplistic ‘music hall musical’ concept, but it is a fun, kitschy little show that became a cult classic in 2009 when it opened at Hoxton Hall. Fifteen years later, its revival at the Union Theatre feels less daring – its campness no longer that camp […]
Kelly Bedard
Three Sisters (Soulpepper & Obsidian Theatre Company) For Inua Ellams’ adaptation of Three Sisters set during the Nigerian Civil War, two of Toronto’s most prestigious theatre companies and acclaimed director Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu (also the Artistic Director of Obsidian, one of said prestigious companies) have assembled the all-starriest of all-star casts, bringing together an incredibly […]