From press release:

The Soaps Present…

THE SOAPS! A LIVE IMPROVISED SOAP OPERA

The sold out hit is back for the third straight year!

THIS TIME, we take you to the exciting and backstabbing world of City Hall! Deception, incompetence, personal agendas, and a disgraced mayor! Sound familiar? Welcome to the town of Utopia and its back room city hall dealings! Life in politics isn’t all it’s cracked up to be!

Starring:

Jim Annan (Second City Alumnus, Unlucky), Matt Baram (SC Alumnus, Wingin’ It), Paul Bates (SC Alumnus, Dan for Mayor), Lisa Brooke (SC Alumna, CBC’s The Knowitalls), Christy Bruce (SC Alumna, Private Lives on Broadway), Jan Caruana (About an Hour, Being Erica), Chris Gibbs (The Power of Ignorance, Antoine Feval), Sandy Jobin-Bevans (SC Alumnus, LIfe with Boys), Lindsay Mullan (Truth or Dare), Lisa Merchant (Train 48, The Chumps), Gavin Williams (Loose Moose Theatre) and special guests each show!

What is The Soaps! A Live Improvised Soap Opera?

We’re taking Toronto’s most prolific comedic improvisers and creating an ongoing improvised story packed with drama, romance, intrigue and betrayal! Armed with nothing more than a director, a setting and some unscrupulous characters, the audience is treated to plot twists and passion that even the actors can’t predict…

How it works
After the setting for the show has been decided, it’s time for each improviser to create a character that they will bring to life for each performance.

The show opens with an introduction from our director, each character is introduced and has a “hot 30”, a 30-second monologue where the improviser can catch the audience up on their plot line, expose a secret desire or reveal their nefarious plans.

Then, the director takes us to one of 4 environments that have been set on the stage and calls up various characters for the scene.

As the show goes on, characters are betrayed, backs are stabbed and hearts are broken.

The Dates at this year’s Toronto Fringe are:

July 5th – 10:30pm
July 6th – 7:30pm
July 8th – 4:30pm
July 10th – 4:00pm
July 11th – 11:30pm
July 12th – 3:30pm
July 14th – 1:45pm

The George Ignatieff Theatre, 15 Devonshire Place

The Soaps!

The Soaps! has been a weekly show at the Comedy Bar in Toronto and a sold out hit two years running at the Toronto Fringe. Some past settings of The Soaps! have been the “Shawford Theatre Festival”; the town of Utopia where the soap industry reigned supreme; and the War of 1812.

What people are saying about us

“(The Soaps!) showcases the skills of some of Toronto’s wittiest talent…this group is as good at putting each other on the spot as helping one another out” – NNNN Now Magazine

“Great characters + hilariously relatable premise + 8 of the wittiest people working in theatre, film and TV= either Pi or The Soaps. Either way, the talent is infinite”

“It’s soooo funny and the cast makes it look easy, a tribute to their talent and experience (and weird minds). This is improvisation at its best” – Mooney on Theatre

“The Soaps sticks to gut-busting improvised silliness…the cast of veteran improvisers keep the laughs coming. Verbal fumbles swiftly turn into running jokes—without a momentary miscue. 4 starts” – The Torontoist

“We can’t tell you exactly what to expect, but we can guarantee you’ll laugh hard. This is one addictive soap opera!” – Theatromania