Toronto’s Alumnae Theatre presents a story of the witch trials in England in The Lady’s Not for Burning

For a gusty and frigid January evening, the Alumnae Theatre had a nicely sized audience for the Friday night opening of Christopher Fry’s The Lady’s Not for Burning. A play that seeks to countermand the authority of the mob mentality, making a case for being tolerant of the unknown, The Lady’s Not for Burning is a fairly decent comedy.

Taking place somewhere in the 1400s, The Lady’s Not for Burning centers around a young woman who is accused of being a witch by the town and is, therefore, sentenced to burn as ordered by the mayor. Concurrently, a young soldier arrives at the mayor’s house seeking help to end his own life in the gallows. Confusion, plenty of wordplay and minor fisticuffs ensue as the mayor’s household wrestles with the notion of the woman’s innocence, and the soldier comes to terms with his own desire to live.

Continue reading Review: The Lady’s Not for Burning (Alumnae Theatre) →

Toronto’s Rarely Pure Theatre breathes modern life into Shakespeare’s As You Like It

I have noticed that the more Shakespeare I see, the more I enjoy it. Or maybe I am just seeing increasingly better productions. Rarely Pure Theatre’s production of As You Like It was enchanting and adorable.

The charm was everywhere as I walked to my seat in the Storefront Theatre. Before the play had even started the stage was set all over with snow-covered twigs.

As You Like It is quite possibly one of my favourite Shakespearean plays. A romantic comedy for the ages — banishment, true love, a forest, and four marriages. What more could you want? Women pretending to be men? That’s in there too. Continue reading Review: As You Like It (Rarely Pure Theatre) →

Heartbeat of Home is a global celebration of dance playing at Toronto’s Ed Mirvish Theatre

This afternoon my new friend Ryan and I saw the North American premier of Heartbeat of Home at the Ed Mirvish Theatre. It was a lovely way to spend a snowy Sunday afternoon. For more than two hours I forgot about winter.

From the moment that the show opened with a bright white spotlight on the feet of a dancer until it ended with the entire company on stage I was entranced. Heartbeat of Home is an exuberant, sexy tribute to the diversity of dance. Continue reading Review: Heartbeat of Home (Mirvish) →

Toronto’s Acting Up Stage & Obsidian Theatre present the musical Once on This Island

Following their successful collaboration on Caroline, or Change last year, two of Toronto’s leading theatre companies; Acting Up Stage and Obsidian Theatre, reunite for another production;  Once On This Island. The musical by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (the team behind the hit Broadway musical Ragtime) is a Romeo and Juliet story with an island twist, overlaid with the mysticism of the Caribbean. Continue reading Review: Once On This Island (Acting Up Stage Company / Obsidian Theatre Company) →

Cabaret springs to life with unbridled sexuality and high-heeled high kicks at Toronto’s Lower Ossington Theatre

Cabaret (playing the Lower Ossington Theatre) is set in and around Berlin’s decadent Kit Kat Klub, a late Weimar music hall. The drinks are cheap, the air is thick with cigarette smoke, and the girls–and boys–are very, very happy to make your acquaintance. Under the watchful eye of the Emcee (Adam Norrad), a young American writer (David Light, as Cliff) is inducted into Berlin’s low society. Guided by the eager hands of new friend Ernst Ludwig (William Doyle) and the lingering fingers of the charismatic Sally Bowles (Kylie McMahon), he is quickly at home in his new city: a cheap apartment, a dangerous girlfriend, and all the friends, food, lovers and gin he can stomach.

But we all know how the Weimar era ended, don’t we.

This story cannot possibly have a happy ending.

And all that’s left is to sit back, clutch our pearls, and watch the historical train wreck unfold.

Continue reading Review: Cabaret (Lower Ossington Theatre) →