Finally: An Epic Cycle is a wonderful piece of fantasy conceived by D. W. Wilson and Sarah Cody.  It is fantasy for a number of reasons, most notably because the cast and crew are brave enough to imagine The Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7 of The Stanley Cup Finals. Yeah, I know!

It’s also fantasy for several other reasons. It’s a mystery along the lines of Inspector Gadget. It also interweaves three or four love stories.

This probably sounds complex and hard to follow without Coach’s Corner setting us straight. It isn’t.  Moon the bike messenger kind of does for the play what Cherry does for Hockey Night In Canada.

The premise is that Gen (Sarah Cody) has tickets to the big game, but has misplaced them. She and her roommate Will (Luke Marty) scour downtown Toronto looking for the misplaced tickets.

Cody’s script is tight and easy to follow. There are tonnes of laughs and we really get to know the characters.  The writing and acting is anything but thin and two dimensional.

I love plays when the people creating the art respect the audience enough to let us use our imagination. You will recognize the people and places they explore.  It’s like enjoying the aroma of a great dinner as it is being prepared and somehow being able to taste it.

Appearing onstage with Cody are Cassie Muise, Luke Marty, Derek Perks and Michael Rode. All of them are fine young talents.

By the end of Finally: An Epic Cycle, you will be in Gen’s corner. Afterwards, you will want to be sitting at a table with the cast sharing a couple pitchers of beer, eh.

Details:

Finally: An Epic Cycle is onstage at The Helen Gardiner Phelan Playhouse (79A St. George)

Friday, July 8, 1:15pm
Saturday, July 9, 9:15pm
Monday, July 11, 10:45pm
Tuesday, July 12, 4:45pm
Thursday, July 14, 9:30pm
Friday, July 15, 5:15pm
Saturday, July 16, 1:45pm

– All individual Fringe tickets are $10 ($5 for FringeKids) at the door (cash only). Tickets are available online at www.fringetoronto.com, by phone at   416-966-1062, in person at The Randolph Centre for the Arts, 736 Bathurst Street (Advance tickets are $11 – $10+$1 convenience fee)
– Several money-saving passes  are available if you plan to see at least 5 shows