“[A] wildly funny and absurd dark play that serves as a cautionary tale of the powerful bond between one household and one primate.”

Excerpted from press release:

If you like your family, you are going to love You and That Fucking Gorilla. Beth Torrance is a doting wife and mother who suddenly finds herself under intense and unyielding attack from everyone she loves after showing a lack of enthusiasm for the family’s unusual new pet. You and That Fucking Gorilla is a wildly funny and absurd dark play that serves as a cautionary tale of the powerful bond between one household and one primate.

The piece was initially conceived for an undergraduate playwriting course at Queen’s University in 2012, and is now making its way to the Toronto Fringe Festival. Tia McGregor, then a third year drama student, was stumped over what to write about for class and was searching for inspiration laying in bed and staring at her bedroom walls as she drifted in and out of sleep. She found it in a mixed media print tacked to the wall featuring the words “You and That Fucking Gorilla”, by Scottish/American artist David Fullarton. The concept for the play was born from McGregor’s deep consideration of why anyone would ever need to say, “…you and that fucking gorilla”.

The Fringe Festival is much like a Debutante Ball, as it is host to House of Squalor Productions’ official coming out into the Toronto theatre scene. House of Squalor Productions is made up of playwright Tia McGregor, who was a part of the 2014/2015 Obsidian Theatre Playwright’s Unit; director Rebecca Moran, who is currently an associate at Larissa Mair Casting and Associates; and producer Brittany Allan, who holds administrative positions at both the Whistler Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival.

You and That Fucking Gorilla manages to explore the burdens of motherhood in a severe and poignant way, while always remaining a comedy first. This play will make you laugh very hard; it will also make you want to call your mother and love your family dog just a little less.

Showtimes: 

July 1, 10:30pm
July 4, 1:45pm
July 6, 1:15pm
July 7, 6:30pm
July 9, 12:00pm
July 10, 9:15pm
July 11, 5:45pm

Venue: Factory Studio Theatre (125 Bathurst St.)

Tickets for all Fringe productions are $10, $12 in advance. Tickets can be purchased online, by phone (416-966-1062, business hours only), in-person from the festival box office located in the parking lot behind Honest Ed’s, (481 Bloor West), or — if any remain — from the venue box office (cash-only), starting one hour before showtime.

The festival offers a range of money-saving passes for committed Fringers; see website for details.

Be advised that Fringe shows always start exactly on time, and latecomers are never admitted.

Photo by Don Albin.

“Cream of Comedy-nominated sketch troupe, The Weaker Vessels, bring their sharp, dark, and unorthodox comedy,Public Displays of Narcissism, to The Toronto Fringe.“

Excerpted from press release:

The Weaker Vessels, known for their delightfully dark humour, explore the hilarious ways narcissism rears its beautiful head in their latest sketch comedy revue, Public Displays of Narcissism. This subversive show about self-obsession, weaves together the heartfelt, the absurd, the carnal, and the forbidden as Cream of Comedy-nominees, The Weaker Vessels, bring their best sketches to The Toronto Fringe.

Look on as Joe Carter sits alone with a bottle of whiskey watching the ’93 World Series on an endless loop…Peer into the neurotic minds of a couple on a first date…Witness a group of doctors obsess over a pen…See what happens to these characters and more when the disease of narcissism takes over.

Toronto-based comedians, Lance Byrd, Jeff Clark, Nadine Djoury, Matt McCready and Colin Sharpe, write and star in this, their 6th full-length revue, directed by Second City Alumni Frank McAnulty.

Watch The Weaker Vessels’ unmask their secret shames in Public Displays of Narcissism as they discover their own reflection and drown in their ego. What will happen when the mirror is reflected onto you?

Showtimes:

July 2, 18:00
July 4, 13:30
July 5, 18:15
July 7, 18:45
July 8, 20:15
July 9, 21:45
July 10, 15:30
July 11, 13:00

Venue: Theatre Passe Muraille Backspace (16 Ryerson Ave.)

Tickets for all Fringe productions are $10, $12 in advance. Tickets can be purchased online, by phone (416-966-1062, business hours only), in-person from the festival box office located in the parking lot behind Honest Ed’s, (481 Bloor West), or — if any remain — from the venue box office (cash-only), starting one hour before showtime.

The festival offers a range of money-saving passes for committed Fringers; see website for details.

Be advised that Fringe shows always start exactly on time, and latecomers are never admitted.

Photo by Mike Carter.

“What does it mean to be your own cultural mosaic?”

Excerpt from press release:

We’ve all asked ourselves the question who am I?  This question for Coko Galore has always had a different meaning.  She is African.  She is Asian.  She is not Black enough.  She’s not Asian enough.  She knows what she sees in the mirror every morning – but we don’t see what she sees.  Is it our prejudices, our apathy,  our fear that are making her question who she is, or is it simply that – even in the most multicultural city in the world – we simply do not understand what it means to be biracial? Coko guides us through her journey of self discovery and acceptance with humour, dance and, yes, inevitable hair trauma.

This one-woman show is written and performed by Coko Galore. Coko Galore produces and performs in several comedy shows in Toronto including The Second City Training Centre’s Longform Thursdays, the charity show Random Acts of Kindness (for ACT Toronto), the web series Jay & Cokes and the improv show Coko & Daphney’s 212.

Mixed Chick is directed by Second City Toronto alumna Leslie Seiler.   Leslie Seiler has won multiple Canadian Comedy Awards including Live/Best One Person Show.  She is also known for her work on Comedy Inc. (2002), Twitches Too (2007) and 24 Hour Rental (2014). Leslie recently directed The Naughty Listers and Big Bad Wolf VS. Lord Underwearface Von Schtinker for Second City as well as Apathy Loves Company a Second City Training Centre Conservatory show.

What does it mean to be your own cultural mosaic?  Come watch Mixed Chick and find out!

Showtimes:

July 2, 10:30pm
July 4, 8:45pm
July 6, 3:00pm
July 7, 8:15pm
July 9, 9:15pm
July 10, 2:15pm
July 12, 3:30pm

Venue: Factory Theatre Studio (125 Bathurst Street at Adelaide)

Tickets for all Fringe productions are $10, $12 in advance. Tickets can be purchased online, by phone (416-966-1062, business hours only), in-person from the festival box office located in the parking lot behind Honest Ed’s, (481 Bloor West), or — if any remain — from the venue box office (cash-only), starting one hour before showtime.

The festival offers a range of money-saving passes for committed Fringers; see website for details.

Be advised that Fringe shows always start exactly on time, and latecomers are never admitted.

Photo of Coko Galore by Hannah Donegan.

“CORRAL BLUE CAN’T DANCE! …But she can do A LOT!“

Excerpt from press release:

Off Model Studios presents a clubhouse style experience for comedy fans of all ages with sketches, songs, puppets and multimedia. Corral uses a tablet and projector to draw cartoons live and is joined by a cast of strong comedic and musical talent. A fun, unpredictable story about expressing creativity that includes a robot, a bigfoot, cowboys, and a BIG dance party!

This new play is a part of larger project to bring Corral Blue to the world! Storybooks, videos and an album are in the works, and Corral’s universe is rounded out with a fun cast of six cartoon characters. Off Model Studios is multidisciplinary company and is a reflection of Amy Zuch’s skills as both a professional animator and comedian. The show was developed out of “Corral’s Corral- A Kid’s Show for Adults!” that ran monthly at the Social Capital Theatre. Now with the same absurd humour that adults enjoy, but 100% appropriate for children!

Corral Blue Can’t Dance is created and directed by Amy Zuch, whose Toronto Fringe solo show “Key to Key” was rated 4 stars and featured by Eye Magazine. She performs along with Devon Hyland (current Second City Touring Company member, “Dale Beaner and Turtle Boy”) Caleigh LeGrand (“This Is The Worst” Musical Improv, Quinte Ballet School) Puppeteer Kathryn Landon and Musical Director Kevin Henkel (whose samples have been used by top artists including rapper T.I.)

This is a visual and musical spectacle not to be missed!

Showtimes:
Wednesday, July 1, 2:45pm
Friday, July 3, 5:00pm
Sunday, July 5, 4:45pm
Tuesday, July 7, 3:00pm
Wednesday, July 8, 5:00pm
Fri, July 10, 3:00pm
Saturday, July 11, 3:15pm

Venue:  George Ignatieff Theatre (15 Devonshire Place)

Tickets for all Fringe productions are $10, $12 in advance. This production offers $5 tickets for children. Tickets can be purchased online, by phone (416-966-1062, business hours only), in-person from the festival box office located in the parking lot behind Honest Ed’s, (481 Bloor West), or — if any remain — from the venue box office (cash-only), starting one hour before showtime.

The festival offers a range of money-saving passes for committed Fringers; see website for details.

Be advised that Fringe shows always start exactly on time, and latecomers are never admitted.

Photo of Amy Zuch by “Raw Photography” and Amy Zuch.

“[A] critically acclaimed, darkly comic play”

Excerpt from Press Release:

Known for his shock-tactics and scorching critiques, Ravenhill has been called both “perverse” and “poetic”. For the first time his critically acclaimed, darkly comic play pool (no water) will hit Toronto stages as a part of this summer’s Fringe Festival.

When a famous artist invites her old friends to her luxurious pool, for one night the group is back together. But celebrations come to an abrupt end when the host suffers a horrific accident. As the victim lies in a coma, an almost unthinkable plan starts to take shape: could her suffering be their next work of art?

Featuring celebrated ensemble cast: Dora winner Oyin Oladejo, Dora nominee Chy Ryan Spain, Dora and two time Canadian Comedy Award nominee Allison Price, Daniel Roberts and Sarah Illitovitch-Goldman.

Coming off of the success of Kate and Sam Are Not Breaking Up (NNNN Now Magazine, 2015 Dora Nominee for Female Outstanding Performance) and Pieces (Shortlisted for RBC Tarragon Emerging Playwrights Competition) Cue6 continues to build their reputation as a daring indie theatre company.

For anyone who’s ever felt the poisonous sting of jealousy, or the forbidden excitement of tragedy, Cue6 invites you to wade in the darkest waters of the human experience.

Showtimes:
July 2 @ 8:15pm
July 4 @ 1:45pm
July 5 @ 4:45pm
July 7 @ 10:30pm
July 8 @ 5:15pm
July 9 @ 12:00pm
July 11 @ 4:00pm

Venue:  Tarragon Theatre Main Space (30 Bridgman Ave.)

Tickets for all Fringe productions are $10, $12 in advance. Tickets can be purchased online, by phone (416-966-1062, business hours only), in-person from the festival box office located in the parking lot behind Honest Ed’s, (481 Bloor West), or — if any remain — from the venue box office (cash-only), starting one hour before showtime.

The festival offers a range of money-saving passes for committed Fringers; see website for details.

Be advised that Fringe shows always start exactly on time, and latecomers are never admitted.

Photo of Oyin Oladejo, Allison Price, Daniel Roberts, Chy Ryan Spain, Sarah Illiatovitch-Goldman by Jill Harper.