Coal Mine Theatre’s Bull is Chilling — You’ll Need a Drink
The gloves come off as three employees battle for two jobs at Toronto’s Coal Mine Theatre on the Danforth. This corporate horror called Bull will send shivers down your back: you’ll witness how the upcoming downsizing brings out the worst in two workplace bullies.
As we walk into this basement theatre (which is downstairs from The Magic Oven), we already know there won’t be much niceness to be observed: the angry music got me into fight-or-flight mode before the performance even started. To make the setting even darker, the arena-like theatre had us sitting in a U-shape around the stage, and with the mesh walls around it, the stage was like a ring. Perfect for bloody office combat. (While I didn’t mind the mesh, my guest found it a bit cumbersome to see through and questioned its necessity.)
Snow Angel, playing at Toronto’s Young People’s Theatre, is a whimsical production of mime for the whole family
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow at Toronto’s Young People’s Theatre, as snowflakes propel the heartwarming story of Snow Angel. Created by Nikki Loach, Snow Angel is a sweet tale about being kind and making peace.
The theatrical experience started off as soon as we were directed to our seats. The staff handed us sheets of paper, “Hold on to this until we tell you what you’re going to do with it.” My guest loved what happened next: we literally set the stage by crumpling up our papers and throwing these paper snowballs towards the front of the theatre. Hats off to the creative team for this fantastic crowd-pleaser. Continue reading Review (Kid +1): Snow Angel (Quest Theatre)→
Playing at Leslieville’s The Grocery, A Steady Rain by Keith Huff is a riveting tale of two troubled cops. You’ll be hanging on to their every word. They face the horrors of Chicago criminal life as well as their own chronic, personal battles. Despite their best intentions, everything at home and on the beat goes wrong, and things progressively get worse. Continue reading Review: A Steady Rain (Paper Moon Productions)→
Shadow puppets help bring Alex in Wonderland to life at the Solar Stage Children’s Theatre in Toronto
Alex in Wonderland at Toronto’s Solar Stage Children’s Theatre is full of colourful characters that are sure to please the kindergarten set. Its adaptation by Derek Genova includes a good dose of audience participation, too.
The play begins with Alex’s long fall into the rabbit hole, vividly evoked using shadow puppets. It was a captivating downward journey that made the young audience go quiet as we listened to Alex’s narration and slightly scary sound effects. I think the kids thought the puppets were just plain cool, as we saw Alex drop down and meet objects and other characters along the way. Continue reading Review (Kid +1): Alex in Wonderland (Solar Stage Children’s Theatre)→
David Ben brings The Conjuror‘s magic back to the Toronto Stage
The Conjuror David Ben showed off some family-friendly hocus pocus at Toronto’s Young Centre for the Performing Arts. Watching The Conjuror in action was a enchanting way to welcome the new year for me and my little companion.
Set in 1909 at London’s St. George’s Hall, the show was a mesmerizing series of magic feats typical of the Golden Age of Magic: we saw a person being sawed in half (ouch!), a handkerchief playing hide and seek, and an egg being thrown around without breaking. Continue reading Review (Kid +1): The Conjuror (Magicana / Soulpepper)→
