Toronto Fringe Festival

Next Stage Festival: Blood Ties

Lauren Gillett — Sat, 07 Jan 2017 05:00:00 +0000

Subtitle:

Macabre musical slays at Toronto Fringe's Next Stage Fest

Headline:

Review

Credits:

Presented by Edge of the Sky
Written by Anika Johnson and Barbara Johnston
Directed by Ann Merriam

How far would you go to help a friend? Playwrights Anika Johnson and Barbara Johnston explore this question in their chilling musical Blood Ties, now playing at Factory Theatre as part of the Toronto Fringe's Next Stage Festival. The show has previously been a hit at SummerWorks, the Edinburgh Fringe, and on BBC America’s Orphan Black.

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Theatre:

Factory Theatre

Jan/Feb 2017 Theatre Preview

Lauren Gillett — Sat, 31 Dec 2016 05:00:00 +0000

Subtitle:

Warm up with some hot Toronto theatre this winter

Headline:

Preview

The new year is upon us and with it comes a fresh crop of Toronto shows. From east to west, this season's lineup spans the city and boasts genres to suit almost every taste. Here, we round up some of the most promising productions to watch in January and February:

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Toronto Fringe Festival: Quarter Life Crisis - The Musical

Victoria Bégin — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 13:53:50 +0000

Subtitle:

Jennifer Turliuk sets the trials of young adulthood to music in angsty Toronto Fringe show

Headline:

Review

Credits:

Presented by Koru Labs
Written by Jennifer Turliuk
Directed by Lee Cohen and Phil Skala

Being in your mid-twenties is comparable to riding a rollercoaster. Leaving the cocoon of university life and trying to navigate your first job, as well as new relationships, can be confusing and infuriating. This rollercoaster ride of emotion is the subject of Jennifer Turliuk's Quarter Life Crisis: The Musical, now playing at the Toronto Fringe Festival.

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Show Dates:

Wed, 2015-07-01 - Sun, 2015-07-12

Theatre:

Al Green Theatre

Toronto Fringe Festival: She Said Yes

Victoria Bégin — Tue, 07 Jul 2015 13:55:52 +0000

Subtitle:

Virginia Woodall navigates the tricky business of online dating in this charming play at the Toronto Fringe Festival

Headline:

Review

Credits:

Presented by Dv8 Productions
Written by Virginia Woodall with contributions from David Rowan & Jennifer-Beth Hanchar
Directed by David Rowan

The world of dating has changed drastically over the last 20 years, and the reason for the shift can be attributed almost exclusively to advances in technology. Gone are the days when boy and girl would meet organically at a cafe or grocery store. Today, most eyes are downcast, focused on electronic devices and the immediate gratification of social media.

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Show Dates:

Thu, 2015-07-02 - Sun, 2015-07-12

Theatre:

Tarragon Theatre

Toronto Fringe Festival: Everyone Loves Sealand

Lauren Gillett — Tue, 07 Jul 2015 03:57:41 +0000

Subtitle:

Marine park musical makes waves at the Toronto Fringe Festival

Headline:

Review

Credits:

Presented by EXFH Productions
Book and lyrics by Marshall Lorenzo
Composer: Paul Crocker
Directed by Shari Hollett

Everyone Loves Sealand has created quite a splash at the Toronto Fringe Festival this year. The show was forced to change its original name when a certain popular Canadian marine park issued a cease-and-desist letter. Sadly, after all of the media attention, this disco musical parody directed by Fringe regular Shari Hollett falls way short of expectations.

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Show Dates:

Fri, 2015-07-03 - Sun, 2015-07-12

Theatre:

Randolph Theatre

Toronto Fringe Festival: God’s Beard!

Lauren Gillett — Tue, 07 Jul 2015 01:58:16 +0000

Subtitle:

Falcon Powder storms the Toronto Fringe Festival with friendship-themed comedy

Headline:

Review

Credits:

Presented by Brain Fraud Productions
Created by Falcon Powder
Performed by Jim Annan, Scott Montgomery, Kurt Smeaton

Winners of the Audience Choice Award at the 2015 Toronto Sketch Festival, Kurt Smeaton, Jim Annan and Scott Montgomery (otherwise known as the sketch troupe Falcon Powder) flaunt their funny friendship in Falcon Powder Presents: God’s Beard! (The Only Sketch Show That Has Ever Happened), now playing at the Toronto Fringe Festival.

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Show Dates:

Thu, 2015-07-02 - Sat, 2015-07-11

Theatre:

Al Green Theatre

Toronto Fringe Festival - The Weaker Vessels: Public Displays of Narcissism

Lauren Gillett — Mon, 06 Jul 2015 20:59:42 +0000

Subtitle:

The Weaker Vessels explore humanity's darkly funny side in Toronto Fringe show

Headline:

Review

Credits:

Presented by CojoLemieux
Created by The Weaker Vessels
Directed by Frank McAnulty

The human ego is fragile and often ugly, as is demonstrated by Cream of Comedy-nominated sketch troupe The Weaker Vessels in their latest show Public Displays of Narcissism, now playing at the Toronto Fringe Festival.

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Show Dates:

Thu, 2015-07-02 - Sat, 2015-07-11

Theatre:

Theatre Passe Muraille

Toronto Fringe Festival: High Tea

Lauren Gillett — Sun, 05 Jul 2015 04:00:00 +0000

Subtitle:

James and Jamesy's comedy brew is served with a heaping spoonful of imagination

Headline:

Review

Credits:

By James & Jamesy with David MacMurray Smith

Tea for two turns into a playful sea adventure in the family-friendly comedy High Tea, now playing at the Toronto Fringe Festival.

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Show Dates:

Thu, 2015-07-02 - Sun, 2015-07-12

Theatre:

Randolph Theatre

2015 Toronto Fringe Festival

Lauren Gillett — Wed, 01 Jul 2015 17:38:30 +0000

Subtitle:

12 shows to watch this year

Headline:

Preview

Another Toronto Fringe is upon us, and with over 148 productions to choose from, it's hard to narrow it down to a just few must-see shows. Here, we've selected a dozen safe bets from various categories to get you started on your Fringe journey. Enjoy!

MUSICALS

Mumsical
Presented by Friendly Mallard from Toronto
Venue: Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace

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Show Dates:

Wed, 2015-07-01 - Sun, 2015-07-12

Q&A: 52 Pick-Up

Lauren Gillett — Thu, 05 Mar 2015 21:08:58 +0000

Subtitle:

Co-directors Courtney Ch'ng Lancaster and Paolo Santalucia on remounting The Howland Company's hit Fringe show

Headline:

Interview

Credits:

Presented by The Howland Company
Written by TJ Dawe & Rita Bozi
Directed by Courtney Ch’ng Lancaster & Paolo Santalucia

TJ Dawe and Rita Bozi's 2014 Toronto Fringe Festival hit 52 Pick-Up returns to the stage this month in a remount directed by two of the original cast members, Courtney Ch’ng Lancaster & Paolo Santalucia.

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Show Dates:

Thu, 2015-03-05 - Sun, 2015-03-22

Piece By Piece

Annie Hodgins — Mon, 12 Jan 2015 04:20:54 +0000

Subtitle:

Alison Lawrence weaves together tales of grief in this moving Next Stage play

Headline:

Next Stage Theatre Festival

Credits:

Presented by the mcguffin company
Written by Alison Lawrence
Directed by David Ferry

Alison Lawrence’s Piece By Piece explores the rough terrain of grief through the experiences of six very different characters whose lives converge by chance in the ICU of a Toronto hospital. The play is narrated by 16-year-old Steffie (Virgilia Griffith), who spends her days in the chaos of the hospital to distract herself from the recent loss of her beloved mother.

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Show Dates:

Wed, 2015-01-07 - Sun, 2015-01-18

Theatre:

Factory Theatre

Myth of the Ostrich

Lauren Gillett — Sun, 11 Jan 2015 05:00:00 +0000

Subtitle:

Birds of a different feather play together in Matt Murray's comedy at Next Stage Theatre Festival

Headline:

Next Stage Theatre Festival

Credits:

Presented by Offside Productions
Written by Matt Murray
Directed by Steven Gallagher

Matt Murray's 2014 Fringe comedy Myth of the Ostrich returns to the stage this month as part of the Next Stage Theatre Festival. In the play, a straight-laced mother, Pam (Alanis Peart), finds an inappropriate letter from her teenage son to his mystery girlfriend. When she arrives unannounced at the home of the girlfriend's bohemian mother, Holly (Astrid Van Wiernan), to discuss their children's relationship, things take an unexpected turn.

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Show Dates:

Wed, 2015-01-07 - Sun, 2015-01-18

Theatre:

Factory Theatre

The Templeton Philharmonic: Unbridled & Unstable

Lauren Gillett — Sun, 11 Jan 2015 05:00:00 +0000

Subtitle:

Sketch duo bring horsey humour to the Next Stage Theatre Festival

Headline:

Next Stage Theatre Festival

Credits:

Presented by The Templeton Philharmonic
Written & Co-Created by Gwynne Phillips & Briana Templeton

Canadian Comedy Award-nominated sketch duo The Templeton Philharmonic (Gwynne Phillips and Briana Templeton) display their unique brand of eccentric and surreal wit at the Next Stage Theatre Festival this month in Unbridled & Unstable, a new show packed with social commentary, hilarious interpretive dancing and tongue-in-cheek equine spirit.

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Show Dates:

Wed, 2015-01-07 - Sun, 2015-01-18

Theatre:

Factory Theatre

Everything Is Fine

Annie Hodgins — Sun, 13 Jul 2014 21:52:06 +0000

Subtitle:

It's all good according to these Second City Conservatory graduates performing at the Toronto Fringe Festival

Headline:

Toronto Fringe Festival

Credits:

Presented by Haggard Bitch productions
By Gillian Anderson, Gillian Bartolucci, Kristie Gunter, Ted Hambly, Steve Hobbs, Marshall Lorenzo, Nicky Nasrallah and Allana Reoch

Everything Is Fine offers a fun smorgasbord of sketches spanning from farce, to musical, to dark comedy. Under the award-winning direction of Ken Hall, this series of skits veers from the absolutely ridiculous (for example, a sketch where characters literally die because of bad puns) to politically inclined, touching upon issues like abortion, the housing bubble, and gentrification in Kensington market. In the last scenario Loblaws, hilariously but also realistically, is the villain.

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Show Dates:

Fri, 2014-07-04 - Sun, 2014-07-13

Theatre:

Tarragon Theatre

Toronto, I Love You

Lauren Gillett — Fri, 11 Jul 2014 04:00:00 +0000

Subtitle:

Bad Dog Theatre Repertory Players show off their improv prowess at the Toronto Fringe

Headline:

Toronto Fringe Festival

Credits:

Presented by the Bad Dog Repertory Players
Directed by Julie Dumais Osbourne

Looking for guaranteed laughs at this year's Toronto Fringe Festival? Check out Toronto, I Love You, an unscripted, unconventional love letter to the city presented by the Canadian Comedy Award-nominated Bad Dog Repertory Players.

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Show Dates:

Fri, 2014-07-04 - Sun, 2014-07-13

Theatre:

Helen Gardiner Phelan Playhouse