All posts by Megan Mooney

Megan loves being in the thick of all things theatre, but her ultimate goal is to promote theatre to the world of non-theatre people. It was the same when she was the theatre writer for blogTO, or the Fringe Correspondent for CBC Radio One‘s Here and Now, as it is as the founder of Mooney on Theatre. Her basic belief is that there is theatre/performance out there for everyone to love, they just need to find it. This is not to be confused with the idea that everyone should love theatre for theatre’s sake, in fact, as obsessed as she is with theatre, even *she* doesn’t love all types of theatre.

Fringe for Free! Toronto Fringe Ticket Giveaways for Shows on Friday, July 7th

Fringe For Free GraphicToday’s the day! Fringe has begun! And I’m posting this late because I’m in a Fringe Frenzy over here!

I know it’s hard to believe, but we actually already have reviews in our review index! So, I hope you will forgive the tardiness.

Especially since, in return for your forgivness, you get the opportunity to enter to win a pair tickets to see free theatre on Friday July 7. Actually, 5 opportunities.  All you have to do is click ‘read more” to check out the rules and read a bit more about the shows that are in the contest.

Continue reading Fringe for Free! Toronto Fringe Ticket Giveaways for Shows on Friday, July 7th →

Fringe for Free! Toronto Fringe Ticket Giveaways for Shows on Thursday, July 6th

Fringe For Free GraphicFolks! Fringe starts tomoorrow! Can you believe it! Have you entered the contest for tickets to opening day shows yet? If you haven’t go do it, it’s okay, I’ll wait here while you do.

Okay, now that’s done, guess what! Here’s a chance for 5 more shows on Thursday! We’re going to keep doing this for shows playing right up until the last Friday! I know! It’s so exciting! That’s why there are so many exclamation marks!

Click “Read More” for the contest rules and some infomation about the 5 shows you can win tickets to for Thursday, July 8.
Continue reading Fringe for Free! Toronto Fringe Ticket Giveaways for Shows on Thursday, July 6th →

Alone in this Together – Toronto Fringe 2017 Press Release

From press releasephoto of sketch troupe Not Oasis

LET’S BE ALONE IN THIS TOGETHER

TORONTO –  Hot, up-n-coming Toronto Sketch comedy troupe Not Oasis is bringing their unique blend of absurd, heartfelt, provocative, and delightfully dark comedy to the 2017 Toronto Fringe Festival with a brand new show “Alone in this Together”.

The highly diverse troupe –  they are Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Chinese, Bangladeshi, Gay, Straight, Bi, Brit, so basically they couldn’t be more Torontonian – are developing the show as a follow up to their acclaimed Second City Conservatory grad show “We Can’t Even Even”. Once again the troupe will be directed by Second City Alumnus Nigel Downer.  “Aw shit I’m directing them AGAIN?” said Downer when asked why he agreed to sign on with Not Oasis for a second show “I thought I deleted their phone numbers”.

The show touches on many current hot button issues as well as topics you’ve likely never even thought about. “That’s the beauty of writing comedy from so many unique individual perspectives” says troupe member Anne McMaster “you get scenes about stuff we all care about like racism and homophobia but you also get weird stuff like scenes about bra padding, lost yogurt and Tetris that make you think ‘oh yeaaaaaah that IS weird!’ ”.

Not Oasis formed at the Second City Training Centre in 2015 and has been building buzz ever since they made the finals of the Big City Improv Festival’s Total Knock Out Tournament. The troupe has since appeared at the 2016 Big City Improv Festival and the 2017 Toronto SketchFest. Their monthly show “Hat Trick Comedy” at the Social Capital theatre runs the third Saturday of the month.

Not Oasis develops sketches through free-form and narrative improvisation, as well as premise-based improv. Sketches are tested and re-tested in front of live audiences, until they are baked to perfection.

Not Oasis Productions

in association with The Toronto Fringe Festival Presents:

Alone in this Together

Written by and starring King Chiu, Katherine Fogler, Jennifer Ashleigh Lloyd, Anne McMaster, Chris O’Neill, Nico Rice, Shohana Sharmin

Directed by Nigel Downer

Stage managed by Chris Middleton

Musical direction by Jordan Armstrong

Facebook: notoasis

Twitter: @not_oasis

#NotOasisAlone

Instagram: @not_oasis

Opens July 6 runs to July 16 

Tarragon Extraspace – 30 Bridgman Ave, Toronto, ON

Performances:

Thursday, July 6 6:45pm

Friday, July 7 2:45pm

Saturday, July 8 5:30pm

Sunday, July 9 8:30pm

Tuesday, July 11 9:45pm

Friday, July 14 1:45pm

Sunday, July 16 12:15pm

Please note that there is absolutely no latecomer seating.

Tickets: 

Purchase online: fringetoronto.com

By Phone: 416-966-1062

In Person: During the festival at our main box office at the Fringe Club at Scadding Court – 707 Dundas Street West.

photo of Nico Rice, Shohana Sharmin, Jennifer Ashleigh Lloyd, King Chiu, Anne McMaster, Chris O’Neill, Katherine Fogler by Katherine Fogler Photography

Bendy Sign Tavern – Toronto Fringe 2017 Press Release

From press release:
photo of Kaitlin Morrow by Connor Low
Sex T-Rex presents BENDY SIGN TAVERN at the 2017 Toronto Fringe Festival
A musical rom-com. With puppets.
  Veteran comedic theatre company Sex T-Rex returns to at The Toronto Fringe Festival for the fifth year in a row to premiere their first-ever puppet show, Bendy Sign Tavern, from July 5th to the 15th, 2017.
Bendy Sign Tavern is a puppet show unlike any you’ve seen before. Set in Toronto’s third oldest bar, The Paddock Tavern, this is not just a show for kids. It’s more of an animated Cheers where audiences will be able to order pints from a puppet, catch the latest puppet sports on TV and get caught up on puppet politics as they eavesdrop on the bar staff falling in love, breaking up bar fights, serving rude businessmen, and breaking out into song.
Actor and musician Elliott Loran (Morro and Jasp, Snack Music) has co-written the show’s original songs and will make his Sex T-Rex debut as the Human Piano Man, performing live music throughout. Bendy Sign Tavern will also feature appearances by different Fringe artists at every performance. The puppets have all been masterminded by core company member Kaitlin Morrow, recent recipient of My Entertainment World’s 2016 Honourary My Theatre Award for invigorating the art of puppetry.
The story follows bartender and aspiring musician Joan and her love-struck co-worker Bob as they try to prepare Bendy Sign for the opportunity of a lifetime – hosting the after-party of double-platinum pop star Tim Rek! Of course, it won’t be easy. Everything from diabolical health inspectors to drunken bachelorette wolves to giant man-eating spiders stand in their way, but it’s nothing that can’t be fixed by a heartfelt musical montage.
Sex T-Rex is a multi award-winning comedy company (2016 Second City Award for Most Outstanding Comedy, 2015 Just For Laughs Best Comedy) since 2008, with six original plays and hundreds of improv shows under their cretaceous belts. A company in residence at Bad Dog Comedy Theatre, they also regularly perform at such venues as The Second City and Comedy Bar.
The Paddock Tavern 

178 Bathurst St.

Performances
Wednesday, July 5 – 7.30pm 
Thursday, July 6 – 7.30pm
Friday, July 7 – 7:30pm

Saturday, July 8 – 7.30pm

Sunday, July 9 – 8.30pm*

*(special “late-night” show!)

Monday, July 10 – 7.30pm
Tuesday, July 11 – 7.30pm
Wednesday, July 12 – 7.30pm
Thursday, July 13 – 7.30pm
Friday, July 14 – 7.30pm
Saturday, July 15 – 7.30pm

Tickets
$10 + $2 fee
On sale now online or by phone
By phone: 416-966-1062
In person during the festival: Box Office at The Fringe Club
at Scadding Court Community Centre (707 Dundas St. West)
For more information: sextrexcomedy.com
Created and performed by Sex T-Rex
Josef Addleman
Conor Bradbury
Julian Frid
Elliott Loran
Kaitlin Morrow
Seann Murray
Danny Pagett
 
Praise for Sex T-Rex
2016 Canadian Comedy Award finalists for Best Ensemble
Winners of the 2016 Second City Award for Most Outstanding Comedy for Wasteland
Winners of the 2015 Just for Laughs Best Comedy Award for SwordPlay
 
“A stellar cast, imaginative choreography and non-stop laughs” ★★★★★ -CBC
“Comic gold” – NNNN, Critics’ Pick – NOW Magazine
 photo of Kaitlin Morrow by Connor Low

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The Balding – Toronto Fringe 2017 Press Release

From press release

photo of Jeff Gandell by Kiran Ambwani

The Balding

A hilarious race against time, nature, and the terrifying business of becoming a man.

Jeff’s in his early twenties, going bald, and still a virgin. Staring into the abyss of male pattern baldness, he goes on a desperate quest to lose his virginity so he can arrest the terrifying process. Meanwhile, his obsession with finding romance causes him to get into multiple car accidents and to destroy his parents’ house with skunk smell.

The Balding is an uproarious comedy about coming face to face with your own mortality and asking: how does my hair look?

The Balding debuted at the 2013 Montreal Fringe, where it was nominated for Best Comedy award. It has since toured to sold-out houses at Fringe Festivals across Canada. This will be its Toronto debut.

“50 minutes of hilarious truth telling you simply don’t want to miss.” Calgary Sun (2014)

Gandell is an engaging and hysterical storyteller, whose tales always resonate with tenderness and emotional genuineness. This is a show that will leave you laughing and loving your own insecurities a little bit more.

Yarn Productions in association with The Toronto Fringe Festival presents

The Balding
written and performed by Jeff Gandell
directed by Stephen Maclean Rogers
Opens July 5, 2017 and runs to July 16, 2017
The Theatre Centre – BMO Incubator, 1115 Queen Street West

Performances:
Wednesday, July 5, 6:30 PM
Friday, July 7, 8:15 PM
Saturday, July 8, 3:15 PM
Saturday, July 9, 9:45 PM
Tuesday, July 11, 6:45 PM
Thursday, July 13, 1:00 PM
Friday, July 14, 8:45 PM
Sunday, July 16, 12:30 PM

Tickets:
Tickets go on sale June 8, 2017 and can be purchased online: fringetoronto.com, by phone: 416-966-1062 or in person at the box office located at the Fringe Club: Scadding Court – 707 Dundas Street West.