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

 

Artificially Intelligent (A-)

Anesti Danelis is one of the most consistently funny and engaging comedians in Toronto and his latest solo show is yet another reliable hit. His self deprecating charm, musical talent, and clever writing are all showcased well in this meta hour about creating a show with the help of ChatGPT.

 

Crime After Crime (After Crime) (A-)

Sex T-Rex’s trademark physical theatrics are on full display in this fun and inventive trilogy of classic genre crime stories. A terrific slow-mo fight montage and coat hanger air battle are the highlights in a show that doesn’t brave the emotional depths of their best work but flies at their usual high standard of creativity and execution.

 

Stiff & Sons (B+)

Director Daniel Reale infuses this goofy comedy about moral misdeeds at a family-run funeral home with crucial physical humour and visual gags. The strong cast is led by the ever-delightful Tim Walker as the earnest straight man and Jonas Trottier show-stealingly offers up a wild range of supporting characters with remarkable clarity. Aidan Gouveia’s script is a little bloated but the production keeps the energy up as the perfectly timed hits keep coming.

 

POZ (B)

Mark Keller’s frank new play about living with HIV highlights how few stories are told about the modern experience of a positive diagnosis. The bike ride frame isn’t carried through the story with enough consistency but Keller is an engaging storyteller and he’s easy to root for as he navigates a decade of relationships and struggles towards self acceptance. Alan Shonfield plays a collection of understated supporting roles that blend together to create an intriguing isolating effect but Nick May’s direction generally lacks theatricality, making POZ feel like a standard storytelling show into which a few extra actors wander.

 

Pretty Beast (B)

Japanese comedian Kazu Kusano’s solo show is part stand-up, part storytelling but the two styles aren’t distinguished enough from each other to make their separation seem necessary. Kusano is a quirky and likeable stage presence with interesting stories and sharp, incisive jokes. Either more theatrical structure or a straighter stand-up premise would make her show feel more cohesive.

 

Boy Boy and the Magic Drum (B-)

One of two new musicals by Jewelle Blackman in this year’s Fringe (this one co-created with Chantal Forde), Boy Boy and the Magic Drum is a spirited but muddled adaptation of the children’s book of the same name. Blackman’s music is catchy and fun but the numbers are heavy on exposition rather than expressing the characters’ feelings and motivations. The ensemble is capable but too large and ultimately the main character’s journey gets drowned out.