Click Here to read all our reviews from Toronto Fringe 2024.    Rat Academy (A) Crystal clear dramaturgy, impeccable character work, and impressive technical skill mark this clown duet about endangered Albertan rats as a can’t-miss oddity. Honouring the heart of clown tradition with a classic White/Auguste pairing, Katie Yoner and Dayna Lea Hoffmann’s Fingers […]

 

The 2024 Toronto Fringe Festival kicked off on July 3, running through July 14. Two of our writers, Kelly and Lisa, were on hand to see as many shows as possible. This year that number was 46.   Listen to our Preview Piece to hear the artists pitch their work then check out the links below […]

Bringing a historical figure to the stage can be difficult, mainly because there is never an inherent style or concept to pursue. That was the challenge Korean creators Seeun Choun and Jongyoon Choi took on with Marie Curie, now translated to English for its UK premiere, directed by Sarah Meadows. The result is a conventional, well-intentioned […]

Just like this play, I will be heading to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August. There, I will indulge in a series of new writing and experimental pieces, exploring the untapped and even the mundane. The productions might be bare-boned, but they are always fuelled by the desire to create and to challenge. I have […]

Plays about memory work well when they are immersive and experiential – pulling you into the story, and evoking strong emotions. When crafted with additional finesse, they can even offer profound insight, leaving lasting impact. With Michael Batten’s Remembrance Monday, I was hoping for that something extra. It is a beautifully executed production, with committed […]

Obsidian’s production of seven methods of killing kylie jenner by Jasmine Lee-Jones finishes their 23-24 season at Crow’s Theatre on a strong note. Twitter, like many social media platforms, flattens out the three-dimensionality of users. This production, by contrast, breathes life into the world behind a series of seemingly violent tweets.   Lee-Jones’ play tells […]

Medea (Canadian Opera Company)  Set to a broody and demanding score by Luigi Cherubini with Carlo Zangarini’s Italian libretto translation, the COC’s ambitious new co-pro mines Euripides’ iconic tragedy for every ounce of its delicious melodrama and winningly rejects pressure to impose important modern meaning upon the disturbing tale. A twist ending that sees the […]

AI is a hot topic in contemporary theatre, but writers often stumble by relying heavily on dystopian motifs or portraying AI unrealistically as a mystical, all-knowing force. In his debut play Artificially Yours, Aaron Thakar (who also stars) avoids these pitfalls by grounding the story in a recognisable near-future, incorporating existing technological norms, and adopting a […]