Toronto Theatre Reviews

Reviews of productions based in Toronto – theatre includes traditional definitions of theatre, as well as dance, opera, comedy, performance art, spoken word performances, and more. Productions may be in-person, or remote productions streamed online on the Internet.

Review: Secret Life of a Mother (Crow’s Theatre / The SLOM Collective / The Theatre Centre)

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Photo of a Woman Crouched in an Aquarium - Maev Beaty in Secret life of a MotherThe Secret Life of a Mother is “unapologetically human”

The review for Secret Life of a Mother was supposed to be easy. It was supposed to be a slam dunk. It’s an incredible show created by a powerhouse team. With so much talent and heart on display, it’s hard to imagine anyone not finding something to enjoy about it. The shows you love are supposed to be easy to write about.

But for some reason, here I am, submitting this review three days late (being the boss has its perks).

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Review: Working Class Dinner Party (Progress Festival / Scottee and Friends)

photo of Scottee before Working Class Dinner PartygWorking Class Dinner Party is “a joy to have dinner with”

There are times when it doesn’t matter what the description of a show says; I have no idea what to expect. I think of it as ‘theatre roulette.’ Sometimes they’re the best experiences. Working Class Dinner Party, part of the Progress Festival, is one of those shows.

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Review: This World Made Itself & Infinitely Yours (Progress Festival / Broadleaf Theatre)

Picture of Miwa Matreyek in This World Made Itself & Infinitely Yours
This World Made Itself & Infinitely Yours is playing as part of Progress Festival, co-presented by SummerWorks Performance Festival and The Theatre Centre.

This is a double bill, with This World Made Itself (2013) performed first, followed by Infinitely Yours (2020), with no intermission.

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Review: Caroline, Or Change (The Musical Stage Company/Obsidian Theatre)

Photo of Evan LeFeuvre and Jully Black in Caroline Or Change by Dahlia Katz

I’ve always thought that Caroline or Change was a brilliant show, unfairly overlooked.

When I saw the original Broadway production in 2003, I was deeply moved by Tony Kushner’s eloquent lyrics and Jeanine Tesori’s multifaceted mélange of a score. Stuck between the pop powerhouse Wicked and the ironic underdog Avenue Q that year, it won a single Tony for supporting actress, and isn’t as well-known as those brighter, brassier shows.

Thankfully, the Musical Stage Company and Obsidian Theatre’s stunning, riveting remount of their hit 2012 production, directed by Robert McQueen, brings it back into the limelight at the Winter Garden Theatre for a well-deserved ovation. If you haven’t seen it, that should change.

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