Click Here to read all our reviews from Toronto Fringe 2024. 

 

Crosstown (A)

A debut work written and performed by the much celebrated Anand Rajaram is a big deal for the Fringe and the quality of this production lives up to that expectation. The simple staging and on-book performance suggest this is still a work in progress but, even in its most stripped down form, Crosstown is in a league of its own at the festival. Rajaram’s craft as a character artist is so finely honed that, without a single prop and without ever standing from his chair, he seamlessly embodies a world of unique characters, each one grounded and developed far beyond a distinctive voice or single defining movement. Adapted from Richard Scrimger’s challenging novel of the same name, Crosstown’s story plays with time and truth but Rajaram’s performance is so clear that he never leaves the audience behind despite the twists and turns and lack of visual aides. I’m not sure how the piece expands from its current intimate iteration but I’d be thrilled to find out.

 

See You Tomorrow: A True Story (A)

A rock solid storytelling show with great jokes, high emotional stakes, clear beats, and theatrical delivery, Iris Bahr’s true story about her mother’s health crisis is textbook for how this genre should be executed. Bahr is an extremely compelling performer with an energetic but casual stage presence that perfectly sets the tone for her difficult story. Her character work breaks up the perspective and brings the audience further into the story without ever distracting from her strong authorial voice. A sure hit.

 

You Lost Me: A Sketch Comedy Show (B+)

The writing is sharp and silly in this subdued new show from sketch troupe Solo Act though the performer energy felt low at the performance I attended (it was the relaxed performance so it’s possible they were toning things down a bit for that purpose). Well structured to call back strategically and bring together disparate threads in the end, You Lost Me isn’t breaking sketch ground but it’s solid, smart, and just the right amount of purposefully inconsequential nonsense to give the audience a moment to breathe.

 

Koli Kari (B-)

A sweet story about family and identity told with the loose use of a cooking show as a frame, Koli Kari is somewhat expected and a little unfocused but Ganesh Thava is easy to root for in the principal role and the audience is easily taken along on his journey, helped by the smell of simmering curry cooked live onstage.

 

far-flung peoples (C)

A meandering dramedy about immigrant roommates who keep accidentally adding more and more immigrant roomates to their apartment, far-flung peoples lacks production finesse and dramaturgical clarity despite a strong point of view and engaging concept. There’s a lot of monologuing but not much in the way of actual story beats to help drive home the reality of the characters’ situation.

 

Unfurnished (D)

A bloated runtime, a massive cast, and too many plot twists leads to incomprehensible chaos for this house party gone awry. The experience of the play mirrors the experience of the characters at the party- a little boring at first, then the insanity starts exponentially multiplying as more and more characters crowd the stage and ultimately it’s all overwhelming, confusing, and not particularly fun.