JACK GOES TO THERAPY: A (SOMEWHAT) FUNNY ROMANTIC COMEDY (Fringe review)
Maybe I’m jaded or maybe, at this point in my long gay life, I just don’t personally need Jack Goes to Therapy. That’s no knock on the material itself of course. And to be clear: I admire the skill that’s on display. In this solo comedy, writer/performer Zac Williams...
THE JUDGE’S DAUGHTER (Fringe review)
In The Judge’s Daughter, playwright Mairy Beam delivers an unapologetic message in favour of climate activism. Politically, I’m with her, as were most people in the audience at the performance I attended. There are great advantages to this brand of agitation and...
PRIVATE PARTS: THE SECRETS WE KEEP (Fringe review)
In Joanna Rannelli’s autobiographical solo show, she shares her deepest, darkest secrets, but a lot of them aren’t that deep or dark, so Private Parts gets off to a slow start. And, because she shares so many secrets, the weightier material, which does show up...
THE CHAIR ON THE DOOR (Fringe review)
Yeah, baby! This is how you do it. Travis Abels’s autobiographical solo show is about growing up in a doomsday cult. His church had particularly stringent prohibitions about sex but, when Travis was 12 — I’m going to refer to the theatrical character as Travis in this...
Goblin: Macbeth — The press photos are as good as it gets
Presales for Goblin:Macbeth were so strong that Bard on the Beach extended the show’s run before it opened. But Goblin:Macbeth is a waste of time. I understand the initial excitement. I shared it. The idea of goblins (weird and fantastical) performing Macbeth (dark...
Matilda the Musical: an excellent production of one of my favourites
During the intermission at Matilda the Musical, my partner and I took a little stroll down towards the orchestra pit. And we noticed something: a bunch of the kids in the audience were already writing their reviews of the show — with their bodies. I saw a very little...
The Prom: a tearjerking good time
Anna Pontin could well become a star. Let’s establish that right off the top. The second thing to say is that, if I were rating this piece on a teardrop scale, it would score a solid five. This production of The Prom ain’t perfect, but it is undeniably moving. The...
Henry V: an awful rewrite
Director Lois Anderson hasn't just adapted Shakespeare’s Henry V for Bard on the Beach, she has attempted to rewrite it — and the results are a mess. In Henry V, the reckless young Prince Hal of Henry IV, turns into a warrior whose troops slaughter the French at the...
Million Dollar Quartet: artistry and marketing
Director Bobby Garcia’s production of Million Dollar Quartet is so slick. His direction is tight, the design is fantastic, and the cast has talent pouring out of them. But I also felt like I was being marketed to and that significantly cut into my enjoyment. It might...
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