Some uncomfortably personal context: I just had a kid. Attempting to be realistic about the amount of time this website takes to run, I was planning to start maternity leave right around now and cut theatre reviewing from our coverage entirely for the rest of the year. But, when my son arrived two months early, […]
During the COVID-19 lockdowns, to deal with isolation and lack of live theatre, we started gathering some of our favourite people every Tuesday & Saturday night to read scripts over Zoom. We read all 38 Shakespeare plays in six months. Then we kept going. We decided to create mini-seasons featuring highlights from the canons of […]
The Grand Theatre in London, Ontario never fails to impress. While I’d love to see them use their secondary stage a bit more to really challenge their audiences with intimate counter-programming, their mainstage blockbusters at the beautiful Spriet theatre reflect diversity of tone and style within the “must sell well” demands of maintaining such a […]
The Second City Toronto’s 90th(!) revue opened last night to thunderous applause. The most nuanced show I’ve seen from the high floor company in awhile, Duel Citizens features a rare cast that’s evenly strong rather than leaning on a standout or two (they’re all returning from the 89th revue so the chemistry’s pretty in place). […]
It’s time to announce the winners of our 2024 Critics’ Pick Awards! Click the links below to read our reviews of the winning work. Congratulations to all of the nominees on a spectacular year of theatre. Without further ado, the 2024 Critics’ Pick Award Winners for Toronto Theatre: Outstanding New Work […]
Before we announce the winners of our 2024 Critics’ Pick Awards, we’re proud to present our annual Nominee Interview Series. The final performer in our series this year is Artist of the Year nominee Qasim Khan. In 2024, Qasim starred in three very different, very challenging, and highly lauded productions including Coal Mine’s Hedda Gabler and […]
I’ve been on Shifting Ground’s case since their debut, lecturing the ambitious and capable young company about their programming. The company’s early work, though proficient, felt too mature, like the company was simply doing their favourite shows with their friends rather than programming to their strengths. That all changed with The 25th Annual Putnum County […]
Though Karen Kain, Christopher Stowell, & Robert Binet’s choreography (after Erik Bruhn, Lev Ivanov, and Marius Petipa) is challenging and technical throughout the whole of the National Ballet’s overall excellent update of Swan Lake, the indoor passages lag with slow storytelling and traditional bow breaks that pause the action and break the fourth wall. It’s […]