Toronto Fringe: High Tea

So my first Fringe Festival came to a close yesterday, and I have to say, I want more. And after seeing some amazing pieces of work over the past week and a half, a few of which walked away with awards, I don’t think I could have chosen anything better to end my first Fringe experience…

Fringe Toronto: Meet Cute

Taking up residence at the fantastic space of the Annex Theatre, Erin Norah Thompson, wrote and stars, alongside Jesse Bond, in this wonderful, funny, and romantic look at one moment, two lives, three versions. A meet cute is a plot device most often employed in rom-come to introduce the romantic leads in a cute (why doesn’t…

Fringe Toronto: XOXO – The Relationship Show

Meghan Chalmers and Franny McCabe-Bennett simply OWN the Theatre Passe Muraille Backspace with their presentation of XOXO: The Relationship Show. Combining hilarious songs, wonderful commentary on dating and relationships, and looking like they are having a damned fine time doing it, Chalmers and McCabe-Bennett take us through their love lives as two Juliets. With sketches…

Fringe Toronto: Hamlet… A Puppet Epic

So this morning I took in a Fringe Kids event, I mean it was Hamlet. And puppets. Hamlet WITH puppets. How could I resist? Presented by the puppet company Shakey-Shake and Friends, here in Toronto, this company, both human and puppet, are making their home in the George Ignatieff Theatre for the course of the…

Fringe Toronto: Caws and Effect

Being presented at the Factory Theatre is this singularly stunning piece combining music, masks, puppetry and layered projections. Chloe Ziner and Jessica Gabriel, known collectively as Mind of a Snail Puppet Company, from Vancouver, provided one of the most unique and beautiful shows on offer at this year’s festival. Assuming the personalities of two crows,…

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…

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…