All posts by John Bourke

Sex, Drugs & the Holy Ghost (www.bourgee-bushwoman.com) – 2010 Toronto Fringe Review

By John Bourke

It’s difficult to put a categorize what kind of a show Sex, Drugs &  the Holy Ghost really is, and it’s making it very difficult to write this review.  Put simply, the show is a series of three vignettes where Diane Johnstone portrays three different women, each of whom is at a different point in their life, and have very different views on, well, everything.

Sex, Drugs & the Holy Ghost (Hereafter shortened to SDatHG) was performed and written by Diane Johnstone and directed by Winnie Wong. Continue reading Sex, Drugs & the Holy Ghost (www.bourgee-bushwoman.com) – 2010 Toronto Fringe Review →

Under Analyse Me (The Go Two Company) – 2010 Toronto Fringe Review

By John Bourke

The Go Two Company‘s Under Analyse Me is a dance show that reflects on the ways we communicate with each other in an age when the tools of dialogue are as ubiquitous as they are complex and fallible.

I don’t have too much experience with dance or dance shows, so I was ready to do some squirming in my seat. Despite that, I was engaged from the start, and continued to be so throughout the 50 minute show. In fact, I was actually surprised when it was over.

Continue reading Under Analyse Me (The Go Two Company) – 2010 Toronto Fringe Review →

New Talent (Theatre Erebus) – 2010 Toronto Fringe Review

By John Bourke

New Talent, presented by Hamilton’s Theatre Erebus, is a peek into the inner workings of Hamilton’s sex trade through the eyes of a single woman’s choice to become an escort.

Set in 1997 against the real-life backdrop of a massive and toxic fire in the city, New Talent features the writer and director Brian Morton as the matter-of-fact driver who introduces Christine to the world of  the escort.  Gregory Cruikshank plays Christine’s first client, a lovelorn computer technician who can’t find the time for a real relationship.

Continue reading New Talent (Theatre Erebus) – 2010 Toronto Fringe Review →

The Boy Who Cried Wolf (TwoWolvesTheatreProductions.com) 2010 Toronto Fringe Review

In the spirit of full disclosure, I should confess at the very beginning of this post that I had to leave the show early.  Not due to any fault of the production, but for reasons that will be mentioned a little later. So, keep that in mind as you read the rest of the review.

I discussed whether or not I should do a write up with my editor.  She said that normally we would never actually publish a review based on a partial viewing, but there is no time for anyone to go back, and we really want to give the show some coverage.  So, we decided to publish the review anyway.

The Boy Who Cried Wolf is part of the FringeKids! series, and is billed as a fun, modernist adaptation of Aesop’s classic fable, that is appropriate for the whole family.  It’s directed by M.E. Jenkins, with the adaptation credited to the company.

Continue reading The Boy Who Cried Wolf (TwoWolvesTheatreProductions.com) 2010 Toronto Fringe Review →

SketchFest 5th Anniversary Show & Party – Toronto Sketchfest

By John Bourke

sketchcomedy09Canada has a long history of producing great sketch comedy.  There’s acts like Kids in the Hall, the Frantics, Wayne and Schuster, Codco, Federal political parties.

The difficulty is that there really aren’t that many places outside the comedy club circuit to really practice and develop the sketch comedy craft.  This is where Toronto Sketchfest comes in. Bring artists from across Canada and the rest of the world, and give them a place to really stretch their legs.

Continue reading SketchFest 5th Anniversary Show & Party – Toronto Sketchfest →