Well folks, we’re 5 days into the Toronto Fringe Festival. Mooney on Theatre has published 154 reviews so far (6 more to come today) and 32 of those are Raves. That’s a lot of rave reviews! I think we can safely say the 30th Toronto Fringe Festival is a pretty exciting one!
We’ve been featuring three of our Rave reviews each day, and today is no differet. So read on to see what we have in store for you today.
Dead for a Ducat (Reign or Shine Productions)
What it’s about: “Dash’s partner was killed and he’s supposed to do something about it. Except vengeance is only shoves him into the crosshairs of the most powerful crime boss in sunny San Diego, Claude, as she tries to keep her underworld from imploding. Can this detective find his way out of the labyrinth of dames and double crosses or is his tragedy inevitable? Enter one of Shakespeare’s most famous worlds where everyone’s probably rotten and one thing’s for sure: No one survives unscarred, if they survive at all. TWO ACTORS play all the roles in this tour de force experience!”
Why our reviewer loved it: “A mash up of a classic film noir detective story and Hamlet. I like film noir. I like Shakespeare. And I definitely liked Dead for a Ducat. It’s an ingenious new take on a classic tale. . . . a fast-paced, stylish blend of classic and modern stories that feels both familiar and fresh. It’s a ton of fun and worth a look.”
Flute Loops (Devon More Music )
What it’s about: “With the latest viral hipster band due onstage any moment, a quantum physics student under the influence (of Stephen Hawking) is warping space-time. See the substance of sound in a subatomic pop opera where anything that can happen does. Flute rock hasn’t been this relevant since Jethro Tull…”
Why our reviewer loved it: “Flute Loops is a concert within a play. More plays a delightfully awkward and existentially fraught Physics PhD helping out at her boyfriend’s concert. Secretly, she’s also a classical music nerd, and tries to explain the entirety of physics through a musical lecture, from the formation of the atom to Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle, all the while endlessly quoting “Our Lord and Saviour” Stephen Hawking. Trust me when I say it’s wonderful.”
La Femme Kabarett (Christina Digiuseppe)
What it’s about: “Defying what it means to be female, La Femme Kabarett weaves a story about identity, sensuality and beauty. Breaking the stereotypes of femininity, La Femme explores the raw and visceral journey of womanhood, and what lies behind the beauty that each woman beholds.”
Why our reviewer loved it: “La Femme Kabarett was classy and elegant from start to finish – from the big, glossy programs to the way the dancers snapped their fingers at precisely the right moments. The show reminded me of an old-fashioned black-and-white film, only with a troupe of fabulous women showing off their dancing skills instead of a typical male-dominated storyline.”