Before we announce the winners of the 2018 MyEntWorld Critics’ Pick Awards, we’re proud to present our annual Nominee Interview Series. Known for his lightning-fast dialogue and twisting narratives, celebrated Fringe favourite Martin Dockery earned his second career nomination at last year’s festival- Outstanding New Play for Inescapable, a mind-boggling timeline-jumping two-hander he performed with Jon Paterson. As […]
Mary’s Wedding by Stephen Massicotte is talked about as a staple of Canadian theatre. It’s been produced all over the country in near constant rotation and takes place during the most popular time period for classic Canadiana- the first world war. Despite its popularity, the two-handed one-act has never been produced professionally in Toronto (though […]
Every season there are a few shows that diligent theatre-goers know not to miss. They come in various forms- remounts of proven hits, highly anticipated new works, sometimes a rarely produced text, or just a really well-cast classic- but they bring with them a sense of anticipation and a boatload of sky-high expectations. Right now […]
Gruesome Playground Injuries is all about variations on themes. Director Chris Bretecher writes that, in following the characters through their unlikely and unlucky journey, “we acknowledge topics of mental health, sexual consent, substance abuse, self harm, and risk taking behaviours”. This is far clearer in the literature than the text: the playbill explains the production’s […]
When the musical Hair opened 50 years ago, it made a real splash. A sexy, psychedelic, energetic show about young people seeking freedom and love at a time of huge political unrest. Unfortunately, Hart House’s production fails to transport you to that moment. Though littered with a number of good performances and cameos, the performance […]
1979 is a political thriller – but not like that. The (rise and) fall of one of Canada’s most forgotten and forgettable leaders sounds more like a mischievous improv prompt or DVR description for a History show than a recipe for gripping theatre – but it works. It’s easy to see why the production went […]
Be sure to check out our full list of Next Stage reviews. A Bear Awake in Winter Bullying as a topic in theatre, especially for young people, has been ascendent for the past few years. But it’s rarely examined with such nuance and even-handedness (and humour, even) as in Ali Joy Richardson’s script here. Richardson’s […]
Be sure to check out our full list of Next Stage reviews. Dinner with The Duchess Meet Margaret (Allegra Fulton), a celebrated female violinist, who is retiring after decades of an illustrious career. She is being interviewed in her home by young prodigy journalist, Helen (Rosie Simon), who is intent on asking hard, smart questions. […]