Permanence is intimate and romantically charged, at the Tarragon Theatre in Toronto
Permanence, produced and presented by Libby Brodie Productions, brings a taut, sexy drama to Tarragon Theatre. I felt deeply immersed in the world of the play, which was excellent on every level: the performances were grounded and honest, the script nimbly avoided the temptations of cliché, and the sound and lighting made significant contributions to the story.
Canadian Stage presents Twelth Night outdoors at the High Park Ampitheatre in Toronto
There’s always something magical about watching Shakespeare in the High Park Amphitheatre. Amid the picnic blankets and dusky summer air, the 400-year-old words of Twelfth Night leap vividly to life in this production by Canadian Stage in collaboration with the School of Arts, Media, Performance & Design at York University. Music and laughter fuel this fun, colourful adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic comedy, now wrapped in an aesthetic of tie-dye, Beatles glasses, and references to the funky chicken.
Macbeth’s Head, produced by Malfi Productions and playing at the Toronto Fringe Festival, embraces its own wild silliness. Though it had solid acting and very funny moments, particularly near the beginning, this Shakespeare-inspired comedy sometimes seemed like it had too many ideas. I ultimately felt as though this play — rather like Macbeth himself — became so ambitious that it forgot to keep having fun.
Nasty Woman, produced by Good Company and playing at the Toronto Fringe Festival, offers a moving personal journey wrapped in a package that is much less political than the show’s title suggests. I’m of two minds about this play. For me, this show is at its strongest when one-woman performer Kathryn Landon is telling stories about her life; her discussion of the 2016 US election is, in my opinion, less successful.
Wanted, produced by Guayoyo Creative Collective, is a one-woman clown show playing at the Toronto Fringe Festival. Although Mélanie Raymond offers an energetic performance, I thought the uneven tone and (in my opinion) problematic echoes of this play made it difficult to enjoy.
Permanence is intimate and romantically charged, at the Tarragon Theatre in Toronto
Canadian Stage presents Twelth Night outdoors at the High Park Ampitheatre in Toronto
