With the help of some of the best and brightest Shakespeare fans in the world, we’re diving deep into 38 plays in 35 episodes (Henrys IV & VI only get one episode a piece; sorry, Bill). In every episode of The Shakespeare Series, I’ll be joined by a different guest (or guests) to discuss a […]

With the help of some of the best and brightest Shakespeare fans in the world, we’re diving deep into 38 plays in 35 episodes (Henrys IV & VI only get one episode a piece; sorry, Bill). In every episode of The Shakespeare Series, I’ll be joined by a different guest (or guests) to discuss a […]

 

The Palmerston Library Theatre isn’t used very often for serious theatre. With its limiting proscenium layout, casual-but-not-indie atmosphere and periodic subway-related rumblings, it’s rare to see much produced there beyond children’s theatre and staged readings despite its central location and reasonable affordability. What’s great about director/producer Ash Knight’s Tragedie of Lear– a passion project without […]

 

I was really hard on the Stratford productions I didn’t like this year but it was actually a pretty strong season and the things that were good were Really good. This is them.   Tartuffe Director Chris Abraham’s instinct to present classic texts in a contemporary setting is one of my top five favourite Chris […]

 

In a really pretty strong Stratford season, these mostly good productions fell to the middle of the pack because other things were better, not because they were bad at all. These were Stratford’s mixed bag productions of the year- some polarizing (Bakkhai), some just generally medium (Romeo & Juliet) and the best recommendation I can […]

 

I promise everything gets better from here. Please keep in mind that I refuse to pull punches so you can believe me when I tell you you really should see the other stuff. Warning: brutality ahead. Twelfth Night I consider Twelfth Night to be Shakespeare’s most perfect text. That’s not to say it’s my favourite […]

 

I went to Two Gentlewomen of Verona by Dauntless City Theatre because it was marketed as intersectional feminism meets Shakespeare. The title alone had gender bender written all over it. Shakespeare has always been pretty cheeky about gender, considering actors in his time period were always men and many of his comedies included disguise and […]

It is the story of the daughter of a deposed king with an eye on the throne and a determination to return to glory. A blonde-haired outsider from across the sea, managing duplicitous politics, shifting allegiances, and an army of soldiers to defend and maintain her claim to power against warring factions with claims of […]