By Winston Soon

Stage Combat is sort of like the equivalent of theatrical gaming. And I’m going to be super upfront here: Dungeons and Dragons was never my thing. So I walked into True Edge Productions “Duel of Ages” at the Next Stage festival knowing nothing about the piece other than there was a strong possibility that I would see a duel or two. Or nine, as it turned out.

This is stage combat at its best, so no need to look for riveting narrative here. No strong connections to story or throrough plot-lines really. Just some witty banter, some clever set ups, a bit of narration, and some hard-core dueling. Duel of Ages is Stage Combat porn. And the crowd loved it. Continue reading Review: Duel of Ages (True Edge Productions) – Next Stage Festival →

by Ryan Kerr

A Fringe re-mount, “Fairy Tale Ending” is back in the Next Stage Theatre festival.  And judging by other reviews it’s as good as ever!

Jack, Jill, The Big Bad Wolf, Goldilocks, and the ubiquitous “Three” (Little Pigs, Bears, Goats Gruff, and Blind Mice) are repurposed in this witty re-telling of several famous fairy tales.  What emerges from this surprising porridge is a hearty spoonful of modern morality.

Continue reading Review: Fairy Tale Ending – Roll Your Own Theatre – Next Stage Theatre →

by George Perry

Toronto’s Nextstage Theatre Festival is more than just another theatre festival. Likewise, Tom’s a-cold is more than just another play about Canada, or even Toronto.  The Factory Theatre hosts this gem, and of course The Factory is more than just another theatre.

Continue reading Review: Tom’s a-cold (Starving Artists Co-op) – Next Stage Theatre Festival →

By Sam Mooney

Watching At The Sans Hotel tonight – written and performed by Nicola Gunn – reminded me of the times that I’ve decided to buy a book based on the cover blurb, started to read the book, and felt as if the person who wrote the blurb hadn’t read the book. Doesn’t mean I didn’t like the book, just felt a disconnect.

Here’s the blurb from the Next Stage Theatre Festival site – ” A psychological detective story, told with delicacy and subversive humour, about a woman in a bathtub in a hotel in a desert who plunges into the case of a mysterious, disappearing German Woman. It’s about the terror of loneliness, confusion and indecision. And a French woman called Sophie who works in a community centre.”

Don’t misunderstand me, I enjoyed the show. Continue reading Review: At The Sans Hotel – Next Stage Theatre Festival →

Soulful Story Strikes a Chord with Toronto Audiences          

By Adelina Fabiano

A tragic story indeed, Swan Song of Maria ( A Tragic Fairy Tale), co-produced by El Destino Productions and Threshold Theatre as part of the Next Stage Theatre Festival at the Factory Theatre Studio, is a moving account about love and loss, and the unbearable weight of suffering.  Beautifully written by Carol Cece Anderson and intricately staged by Mark Cassidy, this play speaks of the human experience in a profound way.

The play tells the story of an interracial couple living in Toronto, whose idealistic views on love and life have been challenged as the aging couple begin to cope with the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Paralleling their own 40 year relationship, is the tale of Maria, a white Hispanic ballerina living in Cuba, with dreams of her own to pursue.

With a fine cast of passionate performers, tunes from Swan Lake in the background, a rich and original script, and a captivating ballerina pirouetting and interweaving throughout the story and stage, Swan Song of Maria certainly won’t be playwright Carol Cece Anderson’s last piece of work. Continue reading Review: Swan Song of Maria (A Tragic Fairy Tale) Threshold Theatre and El Destino Productions-Next Stage Theatre Festival →