At the Factory Theatre, Tim Motley, hailing from Australia, took the stage to take his audience on a case, inspired by a Dashiel Hammett tale. Dressed as a threadbare gumshoe of the 40s, Motley brings his alter-ego, Dick Darrow into reality before our eyes, as we are slingshotted back to 40s era dialogue, and word…
Fringe Toronto: My Big Fat German Puppet Show
As of this writing, I’ve only seen four shows so far this year at Fringe, and I’ve loved them all, but last night’s performance, its opening night at Fringe, of My Big Fat German Puppet Show was AMAZING! And I wasn’t the only one, by show’s end, the audience was on its feet giving Frank Meschkuleit a…
Fringe Toronto: Becoming Burlesque
Last night was the opening night, at the Al Green Theatre, for the cabaret/revue/burlesque narrative, Becoming Burlesque. Working with the Love Letters Cabaret Dancers, director and writer, Jackie English (who shares directing credit with Sebastian Marziali), brings to life a glimpse into the burlesque world, featuring scintillating choreography from Pastel Supernova. The bare bones of a…
Issues Vol. 8
This week I’ve got four great books, and 1 miss, though that one was my choice and not endorsed by Kirk at West End Comics, so his status remains untarnished. That being said let’s dive in to see what I was reading last night, and allow me the opportunity, once again, to pop into West…
The Doctor Who (Tom Baker) – The Ark in Space
The Doctor (Tom Baker) gets off-planet right away, though he may not have travelled very far in space… Time however… He, Sarah-Jane (Elisabeth Sladen) and Harry (Ian Marter) find themselves aboard a space station that is orbiting Earth some time in the far-flung future in this four-part story that was written by Robert Holmes…
Fringe Toronto: Sizzle and Spin
Playwright Sandra Cardinal put her cast, the Plan a Theatre Company, through their paces last night with a delightful romantic comedy that toyed with role reversals, second chances, family, and a completely believable love story at its heart. The stage of the Helen Gardiner Phelan Playhouse served as the window into the lives of Charlotte…
Fringe Toronto: That’s Just 5 Kids in a Trench Coat!
Last night, I took my first dive into the Toronto Fringe Festival, and I don’t think I could have picked a more suitable, or enjoyable show to do it with. The comedy troupe Fame Judy Dench, composed of Claire Farmer, Jessica Greco, Shannon Lahaie, Chris Leveille and Gavin Pounds filled the stage of the Helen Gardiner…
Killjoys S01E03 – The Harvest
Space’s new hit series, Killjoys, continues tonight, introducing us to more world-building, filling out the lead characters even more, and having a good time doing it. Minor spoilers for tonight’s show, so forewarned is forearmed… There’s some tension right from the off, as D’Avin (Luke Macfarlane) not only gets accepted to the RAC, but…
Anna Karenina (1935) – Clarence Brown
It’s time to return the romance and melodrama section of the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book, and the title under examination time is the 1935 Greta Garbo classic based on the epic novel by Leo Tolstoy. Garbo is the titular Anna in 19th century St. Petersburg. Her husband, Karenin is played…
Magnum, p.i. (1983) – Legacy From a Friend and Two Birds of a Feather
Thomas (Tom Selleck) tries to deal with the death of a friend in the first episode this week, Legacy From a Friend that originally screened on 10 March, 1983, and was penned by Robert Hamilton. And… this one was directed by the Rockford Files’ Stuart Margolin! When his friend is found dead, drowned. Magnum…
The Mind Reels 