We are at the Toronto Fringe Festival. Watch this space for regular updates with capsule reviews of Toronto Fringe shows as we see them. Happy Fringing!
James & Eddie
The premise: Set in 1980s Toronto, James & Eddie is a moving new play by acclaimed Korean-Canadian playwright M.J. Kang. It explores the deep bonds between two immigrant families from South Korea who are building new lives in a city that barely sees them. Told through the eyes of Eun-Kyung, the youngest of three daughters in one of the families, the play delves into memory, trauma, abuse, resilience, and cultural invisibility. With themes of intergenerational pain and fragile hope, it asks a quietly devastating question: “Can people return to what is lost?”
The experience: Sparsely staged with just four laundry baskets and a red telephone, the production achieves immediate intimacy by focusing our attention on words and movement and the emotional currents running beneath their surface. Kang delivers a shattering performance as adult and child versions of Eun-Kyung, anchoring the story with warmth and a childlike curiosity that never oversimplifies the emotional stakes. Elsha Kim and Katherine Ko showcase astounding nimbleness, using little more than a shift in physical posture or vocal inflection to transform quickly and convincingly into a full cast of characters — Eun-Kyung’s sisters, their mother Umma, friends James and Eddie, their mother and father, and finally cousins John and Luke. Their performances are a masterclass in restraint and versatility, drawing out the layered humanity in every scene. The three actors also co-direct the work and keep the action fluid and focused, letting the text and performances speak volumes. At times, the rapid and frequent transitions between characters become disorienting: a small visual cue or prop would help more clearly distinguish the shifting roles and keep audiences immersed in the story’s emotional core. Still, the script’s emotional intelligence keeps the piece grounded in truth and tenderness.
Why see it: James & Eddie is a stirring and necessary work that gives new voice to underrepresented Korean-Canadian stories that pack a universal punch. The cast’s charisma and precision, paired with Kang’s deeply personal writing, make this a Fringe standout. With its urgent themes and strong performances, this play deserves to be further developed and seen by wider audiences. – AG
Tickets are available on fringetoronto.com.
At the End of Kaliyuga
The premise: At the End of Kaliyuga drops audiences into a clown-centric celestial courtroom where the deities of the Hindu trinity, Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver, and Shiva (Shankar) the Destroyer debate humanity’s fate as Earth nears the end of its cosmic cycle, Kaliyuga. Through mythology, movement, and mischief, this solo show reimagines South Asian traditions and the state of the world for curious kids — and their grown-ups.
The experience: Written and performed by Sanskruti Marathe, this is a true gem of a show: conceptually rich, warmly delivered, and refreshingly inventive. Dressed in a bright white, orange, and green Bharatanatyam costume, ghungru (ankle bells) and jewellery . . . plus a traditional bright-red clown nose, Marathe cleverly fuses two distinct performance forms — Indian classical dance and clowning — to pose big questions in a warm, inviting way. She hilariously distinguishes each god through unique voices and playful personalities, creating a dynamic and visually arresting stage presence. And her connection with the audience is immediate and generous, and leads to an interactive component which engages viewers to weigh in on the most appropriate fate for the Earth. Although the audience at the reviewed evening performance, consisted entirely of adults, the responses—ranging from saving nature to eliminating pollution and politicians—were heartening, authentic, and joyful, and sparked a strong sense of shared agency. Nicole Eunju Bell’s simple lighting and projections evoke cosmic scale without overwhelming the intimacy of the performance.
Why see it: At the End of Kaliyuga is the kind of show you will want to experience more than once—ideally with the kids in tow. It’s playful, smart, and stirring, offering audiences of all ages to consider our responsibility to our world in an imaginative, fun and age-appropriate way. By encouraging curiosity, empathy, optimism — and laughter – it makes for delightfully meaningful and enjoyable theatre. – AG
Tickets are available on fringetoronto.com.
Broken Teléfono
The premise: Broken Teléfono, written by Brian Quintero and directed by Dianne Aguilar, is a Spanglish comedy that explores the messiness of modern dating, sisterhood, and crossed signals. When Sabrina and her older sister Raquel try to help new friend Chloe get over a breakup, they uncover a romantic entanglement that sets off a wave of miscommunication.
The experience: Produced by Dead Mariachi Teatro, this lively show blends Latin flair with sitcom pacing and a campy, self-aware nod to telenovelas. Adriana Vasquez brings charm and sharp comic timing to Sabrina, while Alejandra Zapico delivers a deliciously manic passion as her suffer-no-fools sister Raquel, and doubles as Sabrina’s Mama Catalina in flashback. Daniela Donayre plays Sabrina’s friend Chloe as ingenuous and searching, and Andras Orioli is slyly effective as the slippery Guy, and brings a kind gentleness to his dual role as Papa Jorge. While some plot twists— like the romantic overlap between sisters — may feel predictable, the show’s strength lies less in novelty than in how gleefully it embraces its Latina energy. There’s a Jane the Virgin-wannabe flair to the pacing and tone, but the emotional beats still land, thanks to a cast that shifts smoothly between farce and feeling. Originating as part of a 24-hour playwriting challenge, the piece retains a spirited freshness and sense of spontaneity, even as it tackles deeper themes like the immigrant experience, blended families, rising costs of living, and everyday intolerance … all of which are layered alongside its commentary on female solidarity, dating woes, and toxic machismo.
Why see it: This is a warm, fun, high-spirited celebration of Latine creativity, identity, and connection. Especially for audiences who enjoy fast-paced comedy with heart, Broken Teléfono really delivers. Given its promise, it will be interesting to see if Broken Teléfono will receive further development and expansion beyond its auspicious 24-hour start. – AG
Tickets are available on fringetoronto.com.
Plus One
The premise:In Plus One, award-winning British comedian Tamar Broadbent delivers a sharply observed and deeply honest solo show. With a guitar, a keyboard and an incredible voice and rapier wit – which she wraps around 10 original songs — she takes us through all of her personal comic flashpoints in becoming a new mother.
The experience: Broadbent’s charm is undeniable. She’s magnetic as she effortlessly weaves stand up, storytelling and music into a high-energy performance that has the audience laughing—and nodding along – throughout. As a mother, I could relate to everything she talked about, especially the conflicting sense that mothering an infant can feel impossible and yet somehow “the best days”. Tackling a gamut of parental realities — fertility tests, failed birth plans, hospital snacks, the pressure to deliver “naturally,” the uncertainties of breastfeeding, society’s overwhelming notions of what constitutes a “good” mother, WWGCS (what would George Clooney say), and the horror of hair loss — Broadbent navigates them all with ease that never sugarcoats and a surefootedness that sticks the touching landing at the show’s end. To be clear, Plus One doesn’t mine new ground: what distinguishes the show is the charm and chops with which Broadbent tackles this territory. She neither glosses over the reality of pregnancy or motherhood nor lapses into sentimentality, yet her warmth and sincerity are palpable. Her compositions, like “I Tried Hard to Breastfeed, But It Sucked”, “A Mother’s Place is in the Wrong!”, and “Don’t You Wanna Have a Natural Birth?!” are whip-smart and catchy—each song a story in itself—and they showcase her flair as both a comedian and a composer.
Why see it: Broadbent is a super-funny, super-talented powerhouse, whose vocal prowess and gift for musical comedy makes you want to hand her the keys to a full musical. Plus One cleverly skewers the “perfect parent” myth while celebrating the glorious mess of new motherhood. But make no mistake – there is plenty of universally relatable comedy in this show to entertain anyone, regardless of whether they are a parent or not. And the indisputable main reason to go see this show is Broadbent, who performs with such charisma, insight, and candour that you will reach for a tissue … while doubling over in laughter. – AG
Tickets are available on fringetoronto.com.
Grown Ass*d Broads Talkin’ Dirty
The premise: Five longtime friends, who met as high-school volleyball teammates, gather monthly for themed dinners that are equal parts ribbing and refuge. Now decades older, their bond is tested and deepened through food, stories, laughter, and secrets.
The experience: Although billed as a comedy, Grown Ass’d Broads Talkin’ Dirty delivers more than just laughs. Yes, there is ribald humour aplenty – but Valerie Boyle’s smartly layered script explores meaty themes like alcoholism, failing health, gender identity, sexual appetite, and the strain of aging relationships – all through the perspective of aging women. As tracked by simple prop and costume changes, each scene centres on a different Grown Ass’d Broad hosting a different cultural meal. This conceit affords the ensemble a rich and evolving frame to reveal each character’s quirks and vulnerabilities. Director Christel Bartelse keeps the pacing brisk, while allowing the sobering moments to land. The actors — Andrea Davis, Jorie Morrow, Linda Joyce Nourse, Morrie Sinkins, and Tricia Williams — shine as a believable and messy sisterhood. The production is a little ragged around the edges, but the performances are grounded, funny, and often moving, with each cast member bringing depth to their role and individual story arc. A final scene in Paris offers a touching close to a story about enduring connection.
Why see it: This funny NSFW play is also an unexpectedly tender tale of women who’ve grown together—and apart— and yet still show up for each other. The richness of the conceit respects the complexity of long friendships and the lives lived within them. “Goooooo, Titans!” – AG
Tickets are available on fringetoronto.com.
ALPHA
The premise: At Trinidad’s prestigious Hilltop College, five privileged boys grapple with an impossible truth: their classmate Alpha has been arrested and charged with rape. Through storytelling, acting and the ritual of Kalinda (stickfighting), the students attempt to process not just what happened, but their own place as young men in a society that is built on expectations of masculine excellence. This piece reimagines Zeno Constance’s play The Ritual, transforming what was originally a story about five underprivileged girls into an examination of privilege, pressure, and performative masculinity.
The experience: In this show, the Naparima College Drama Club from Trinidad and Tobago mounts a stunning production that commands attention from its first moment. The actors are actual high school students performing in Trinidadian dialect in a simple set that consists of schoolroom desks. But what these actors do to bring the story to life is anything but simple: they move in and out of multiple roles, taking turns playing Alpha and other characters, including Alpha’s victim, as they try to work through what happened and why. Colour-coded closed captions are invaluable in helping audiences to follow the dialect and the shifts in character – likewise, lighting changes and marvellous work by the high school band which occupies the theatre’s front-row seats, help deliver a tightly integrated and heightened whole that engages all of our senses. The young ensemble are individually and collectively extraordinary: they disappear deep into their sharply etched individual roles, and work together with remarkable precision and maturity – nowhere more so than in a jaw-droppingly choreographed two-speed dance party scene where Alpha takes some drugs. Overall, these students transform the theatre into an intimate arena where questions of masculinity, privilege, and responsibility collide. The production’s sophisticated use of the necktie as a recurring motif – representing both achievement and constraint – exemplifies its thoughtful approach to exploring how society’s expectations can become a noose, rather than a harness for young men.
Why see it: While not for the faint of heart (the show includes intense physical performance, mature themes, and challenging content), ALPHA offers a rare and truly powerful theatrical experience. It takes the privileged teenage male perspective – often stereotyped or dismissed – and cracks it wide open to reveal something profound about expectations, excellence, and the weight of society’s demands on young men. And in the process, it does something remarkable: it offers some hope for the future. This is student theatre operating at a professional level, delivering both visceral entertainment and deep cultural insight. – SS
Content Advisory: Contains sexual content, references to rape and sexual assault, and depictions of physical, mental, sexual, and verbal abuse. Features loud percussion, sharp vocalizations, and intense physical movement. Not recommended for persons under 14.
Tickets are available on fringetoronto.com.
Mathew’s Big Broadway Bash
The premise: Mathew Mac Lean has a great voice and a love of showtunes… and he’s invited Toronto to join him for an interactive cabaret show that puts both on full display,
The experience: This is a fun and frivolous 60 minutes. A self-deprecating yet sassy storyteller, Mac Lean weaves touching and hilarious stories of his childhood and awkward teen years around his renditions of some of the biggest, most crowd-pleasing show tunes ever. The show pulls the audience in from start to finish – by soliciting their contributions to a Mad Lib song, providing opportunities to join him on stage, and enlisting everyone for four singalong numbers (don’t worry: lyric sheets are provided, which is great because, as Matthew tells us about one of these tunes, “You think you know the lyrics, but you don’t!”). It even features a dance number by Jada Prato.
Why see it: Come see Mathew’s Big Broadway Bash if you love show tunes and you’re ready for an unpretentious, feel-good communal experience that is guaranteed to lift the spirits. – SS
Tickets are available on fringetoronto.com.
Playground
The premise: When Eliot moves to a new city and school, he faces the universal challenge of adapting and fitting in. His creative solution? Inventing a schoolyard game he hopes will win over his classmates. Bit by bit, it works … but his fears — and the actions he takes as a result of them — threaten to derail his plans.
The experience: Playground is a dynamic, colourful musical that is guaranteed to entertain children and give families lots to discuss after the show. It’s the product of an an impressive array of Canadian talent, including father-daughter musicians Jack and Cosima Grunsky, and the mother-daughter producing duo Elly Barlin-Daniels and Dora nominee Olivia Daniels. This multi-generational creative team infuses the production with authentic family spirit, and a killer cast of diverse young actors transform Soulpepper’s Kevin & Roger Garland Cabaret into an inviting playground of imagination. The earnest, charming story explores themes of friendship and belonging, the power and limits of imagination, and the nature of responsibility. And the show’s most winning feature is a simply wonderful collection of toe-tapping songs written by 80-year-old four-time Juno Award-winner Jack Grunsky and backed by Grunsky himself on guitar, Cosima Grunsky on percussion, and Henry Heilig (of Manteca fame) on bass.
Why see it: Perfect for children 4-12 and their families, Playground is a polished, professional and (of course) playful experience that offers genuine entertainment value for all ages. The show fires the imagination and tackles universal themes through its magical combination of story, music, and movement. In the process, it proves that making art, like playing on a playground, has no age limit. – SS
Tickets are available on fringetoronto.com.
Childhood by Cheap Wine
The premise: Childhood by Cheap Wine dives headfirst into the gnarly mess of growing up, delivering a sketch comedy revue that’s both autobiographical and joyfully absurdist. Written and performed by real-life family members Jack Creaghan, Jesse McQueen, and Charlotte Creaghan, the show mines inspiration from the creators’ own real-life insecurities, embarrassments, frustrations and fears – by tackling everything from the trauma of puberty to the creepiness of crawling insects, childhood pets, parental divorce anxiety and awkward school presentations. If that sounds chaotic, it is – delightfully, uproariously so.
The experience: What sets Childhood by Cheap Wine apart is how tightly it’s put together, without ever feeling forced. The 55-minute run time flies by, thanks to seamless transitions between the sketches and clever use by Movement and Staging Consultant Lizzie Moffatt of the performance space in the round. As the trio move around the room, audience members on all four sides are constantly being engaged with. And the actors’ skill in physical humour is considerable, whether they’re flailing through an insect encounter or earnestly presenting rat research as overly serious scientists. Maddox Campbell’s lighting design does fine work, especially during the sketch about the movie pitch and the kids’ fantastically funny attempt to decode an adult version of the game Cranium.
At the heart of this show is warm silliness without snark, meanness or edge. The actors’ comedic skills feel effortless, thanks to their individual and collective precision and cohesion. Jack Creaghan is masterful in his deadpan delivery of slow-burn secondary humour in roles such as that of a farmer. And having seen Jesse McQueen excel in dramatic roles, it was a treat to see her flex her equally impressive comedic muscles in this show. And it was a delightful surprise to learn that Charlotte Creaghan has a thriving career in horror films.
Why see it: As literal family members, Cheap Wine uses authentic family chemistry to create an experience that is both relatable and enjoyable. It’s no surprise that Childhood by Cheap Wine won the Audience Choice Award at the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival this year, and it continues to hone its polish here. I’ll gladly raise a screwdriver to them while I wait to see what Cheap Wine has on offer next. – AG
Tickets are available on fringetoronto.com.
Have Fun Kids (Next Stage Series)
The premise: Have Fun Kids is Laura Anne Harris’ deeply personal response to loss. Following the death by suicide of her friend and fellow theatre artist Jordan Mechano, Harris uncovered more than 700 pages of his writing. This solo show weaves Mechano’s words with Harris’ own reflections on mental illness, grief, memory, and the rituals of remembering. With a title that belies its emotional weight, Have Fun Kids is both a tribute and a quiet, radical invitation to sit with what we too often push aside: love, loss, and what remains after someone we love is gone.
The experience: Part performance, part communal remembrance, Have Fun Kids is uniquely structured. For a start, audience members select objects before the show, and these determine the content of the evening’s performance. Harris performs in everyday clothes with a warm tone of intimacy that feels like catching up with a friend over coffee, not sitting through a monologue on grief. Design elements—a gradually emerging pixelated image projected on two screens, a pastiche of sound and tactile objects—mirror the way memory surfaces in fragments. The effect is disarmingly honest and grounding, underscoring the show’s central theme: that grief is not a performance, but a process. On the night I attended, the objects chosen were a pink cupcake, a mint ice cream cone, a peach potty, and a green keyring with car keys. Although I understand that this act of curation honours Mechano’s philosophy to always offer an audience something new, I would love to see a future development of the show that could allow the time and scope to include all eight objects, in order to make it possible to hear all of Harris’ stories. Created in collaboration with Christopher Lewis, Merle Harley, Alex Eddington, and Mandy MacLean, the production reflects a shared sensitivity in both structure and tone – and it succeeds in large measure due to Harris’ grounded and understated performance, which shifts the focus onto the themes, rather than herself.
Why see it: Have Fun Kids stands out for its grace and sincerity. Without sentimentality, it opens space for reflection on mental health, community care, and the creative acts we make from loss. Harris’ balance of humour and vulnerability makes this a rare and generous work — and one that lingers. She also heightens the personal stakes of this work by speaking candidly about her own family’s history of mental illness and its implications for her as a mother—and by extension, for her daughter. For anyone who has loved and lost, Have Fun Kids offers comfort not through answers, but through presence – and reminds us that reaching out can be a lifesaving act. In a festival known for bold experimentation, this is a quietly essential offering. – AG
Tickets are available on fringetoronto.com.
Very Shady Arab Ladies
The premise: Part musical, part satire, part buddy comedy, part clownish fever dream, Very Shady Arab Ladies is an irreverent and sharply funny new work from FAOC (Friggin Arab Orchestra Company), the comedy duo of acclaimed multidisciplinary artists Maryem Tollar and Roula Said. The story centres on the eponymous Maryem and Roula, two Arab-Canadian women who find themselves in jail on their Mama’s birthday, while their beloved family restaurant, Shawarma King (formerly Shawarma Queen) is under threat by their scheming uncle Narendra, played with delicious and over-the-top theatricality by HRH Anand Rajaram. Are these women misunderstood heroes or chaotic antiheroines? That tension fuels this madcap romp that blends absurdist humour with biting social commentary.
The experience: Directed by Rajaram, the show is an exuberant mix of zany plot twists, gleeful musical interludes, and cultural satire. It’s also deeply personal, as Tollar and Said’s land acknowledgment establishes from the outset. The two draw from their decades of performance experience and share undeniable chemistry onstage. Their characters are instantly recognizable: the silver-haired, sharp-tongued opinion-spewting aunties who take centre stage at family gatherings. The decisive and plain-speaking force that is Roula finds a perfect counterpart in the Amelia-Bedelia-like Maryem, and together, they are as complementary as salt and pepper. And their energy is buoyed by live musicians Joska Tollar and Ernie Tollar, who become crucial characters in their own right. Rounding out the cast is Tim Gentle, who is terrific in both of his roles. Earwormy songs like “Shawarma Whore” and “Let Love Colonize Your Heart” infuse the show with cabaret cheekiness, audience participation, and unexpected spiritual resonance. Beneath the camp and comedy lies an underlying critique of capitalism, patriarchy, and inherited trauma. The tone veers sharply – from silly to sombre and back again – as the plot careens through underground tunnels, revolutionary hideouts, and prison cells (all which Maryem can’t resist streaming live), offering plenty of room for both slapstick and sincerity.
Why see it: Very Shady Arab Ladies is the kind of daring, genre-defying work that Fringe was made for. It’s politically pointed, continuously funny, and unapologetically Arab-feminist. Tollar and Said don’t shy away from themes like colonialism, conflict, and cultural erasure, which they approach through laughter, music, and absurdity. At a time when global headlines feel increasingly grim, this show insists on joy as resistance, and performance as a gathering place for reflection, community, and catharsis. You’ll laugh and sing along. There’s a good chance you’ll shake your head more than once … and you’ll probably crave shawarma after the show. – AG
Tickets are available on fringetoronto.com.
Almost Ever After: A New Musical
The premise: Five intertwining love stories unfold in this ambitious music video-inspired stage production. Taking cues from ensemble romantic films like Love Actually, the show weaves together multiple narratives of modern relationships – from promising meet-cutes to painful goodbyes – and sets them against a backdrop of original earworm songs.
The experience: From his upcoming musical film, writer-director-composer Andrew Seok has mounted a hybrid that merges concert, musical theatre, and romantic comedy into an experience uniquely its own. The production transforms Artists’ Play’s brick-walled aerial gym into an intimate concert venue, complete with twinkling fairy lights, a live band and an energetic ensemble choir that glides and sways onto and off of the stage to support the twelve leads (yes, twelve!) in their big numbers. The diverse leads – Nathan Bois-McDonald, Rhoslynne Bugay, James Daly, Paige Foskett, Aaron Hastelow, Ronan Hayes, Kelly Holiff, Marisa McIntyre, Davis Okey-Azunnah, Julia Pulo, Seok and Kimberly Ann-Truong — tackle their storylines and songs with deep skill and infectious enthusiasm. And this is an interesting challenge, as the show moves between dialogue and musical numbers that aim to capture the heightened emotional feel of music videos, without the physical benefit of sets like coffee shops or elevators or apartments where the action is unfolding.
In the script and songs powering these intertwining stories, Seok does a consistent and wonderful job of complicating and defying narrative expectations. Just when you’ve been lulled into thinking a certain couple’s story will turn right, it turns left. When you think you’ve met all of the couples, nope – there’s one more — and they’re crucial to the thematic focus. And this is true tonally as well – the show incorporates endless pop culture references, swearing and body humour, and folds them right into the romantic machinery of the songs – the first major instance of this occurs when a couple who believe they are pregnant belt out the question “When will we have sex again?”. Put all of this incongruity together, and Almost Ever After feels like a deliberate response to Seok’s show Rosamund from the 2024 Fringe. That show turned the Sleeping Beauty story into a gorgeous fairy tale paean to the “long game” of love. Buried in the bridge of one of this new show’s songs lies what feels like the contrary modern, touching ethos of Almost Ever After – “Happily ever after is impossible. Happy for a moment is incredible.”
Why see it: This is a show whose ambitious blend of styles, tonalities and storytelling approaches will keep you a little off balance, but whose heart is unmistakably in the right place. For audiences who love indie pop concerts, romantic comedies and musical theatre, Almost Ever After offers a fresh fusion of forms, wrapped around compelling stories that engage and surprise. Come for the original music — which simply soars, and which the cast and band blow the doors off with their heartfelt performances — and stay for the sweet, interconnected tales of modern love in all its messy glory. – SS
Tickets are available on fringetoronto.com.
JACK’d…a Thief, a Murder, some Sex and a BEANSTALK!
The premise: What if we questioned everything we know about the story of Jack and the Beanstalk? This subversive reimagining, birthed from playwright Rob Corbett’s story-time reflections with his daughters, asks why we celebrate a protagonist who breaks in, steals, and commits murder. Featuring a two-storey community-knitted beanstalk and a magic harp with a penchant for imagining her audience naked, this irreverent take on the classic fairy tale challenges us to reconsider the stories we’ve been told – and also the ones we tell ourselves.
The experience: At the center of this production is Henry Oswald Peirson’s masterful performance as the narrator/shapeshifter who circumnavigates the performance space continuously, as he guides us through the show’s ultra-bawdy and tangled narrative vines. Peirson’s sly, wry presence and all-purpose role as character-of-all-trades helps to ground this show’s ambitious scope, while the remaining cast deliver strong performances in fresh takes on their various roles: Brandon Kulic (Jack) Nabeel El Khafif (the surprising Giant), Carmen Gillespie (the Giant’s frustrated wife), and Ashley Hughson (Jack’s too-often-nameless mother). The story uses the fairy tale of Jack and the Beanstalk to explore rich thematic terrain in a laugh-filled and thoughtful way – most notably questions of how, when and why we define a story’s “hero”, who is permitted to have a name in a story and why, and what (and whether) we can learn from facing these questions. That said, this play is completely JACK’D: stuffed to bursting with an excess of big ideas, which include: an abortive reading of “Jack and the Beanstalk” as social commentary, the establishment of a larger universe in which all fairy tales co-exist, extensive gender commentary, a time travel plot, Oedipus echoes … and more.
Why see it: JACK’D offers intellectual depth, multi-level theatrical fun, and plenty of laughs. But like its namesake beanstalk, the show grows in unexpected directions: audiences who enjoy NSFW ribaldry and theatre that takes a maximalist approach will find meaningful rewards if they climb along. – SS
Tickets are available on fringetoronto.com.
#1 Clown Comedy with Victor and Priscilla
The premise: Victor and Priscilla are fabulously articulate, larger-than-life Victorian-era cross-dressing clowns who aspire to entertain their guests (us), even as they bicker and quarrel over their aspiration to leave the family vaudeville business.
The experience: Under Kyra Keith’s dynamic direction, this show blends clown, comedy, song, dance and copious social satire into a genre all its own. The principals engage us in delightful character-driven conversation on the way into the theatre, then captivate us throughout the show. Victor (Julie Vanderlip) is a fast-talking, fast-moving would-be gentleman who is the font of delightfully inadvertent, dead-on social satire on the male gender. Meanwhile, his preening, coquettish sister Priscilla (Eric Amaral) has been told she is cursed with a voice for the stage (true, as her spontaneous moments of braying attest). Yet she is desperate to learn how to become a proper lady and is endlessly distressed at violations of the “rules” she is learning. While these two are in loud and continuous conflict over their pretensions and aspirations, an effervescent Michelle Gram drives the plot forward as their stage-loving mother Sophy, who brings in a procession of male Bunbury cousins and Polari-speaking aunt (all played by a delightful Parker-Elizabeth Rodenburg) to enlighten the quarrelling siblings on these contentious questions of gentlemanly and ladylike behaviour. As identities shift and social norms are skewered, the show explores LGBTQ+ themes through the lens of historical queer culture with copious comedic mayhem and a charmingly light touch and warm heart.
Why see it: First and foremost, to laugh. But “pretending is becoming”, as Sophy wisely advises her children in the show. And this nimble, multifaceted production is not just a hilarious masterclass in physical comedy and storytelling: it’s also an unexpectedly gentle and immersive invitation to pretend … and just maybe learn something about ourselves and our world. I could watch Victor and Priscilla explore this funny, fascinating alternate universe for hours. – SS
Tickets are available on fringetoronto.com.
Temple of Desire
The premise: Karma Dance’s Temple of Desire brings together a powerhouse ensemble of 17 queer, trans, and racialized dancers from Melbourne, Australia and Toronto. Rooted in classical Indian dance and reimagined through a contemporary lens, the piece confronts colonial legacies, gendered oppression, and spiritual reclamation. Choreographed and directed by Govind Pillai, the work asks, “What if desire itself—rather than denial—were a path to spiritual liberation?”. Drawing on the Bharatanatyam tradition, the dancers explore moksha (liberation) through kama (pleasure), tracing a lineage from temple dance to contemporary queer experience.
The experience: Beginning with a voiceover excerpt from the Upanishads, the show foregrounds pre-colonial histories that honoured gender fluidity and same-sex desire, reminding us of what was erased and what can still be recovered –thus recontextualizing an ancient and codified dance form to explore abiding concerns about identity and autonomy. From the opening image of a deity descending to earth, performed by the ensemble almost entirely with backs to the audience, in homage to the devadasis, Temple of Desire is visually striking and thematically layered. This gesture doubles as a provocation, inviting us to reconsider the gaze and purpose of performance. A suggestive solo with flowers evokes the sexuality of the divine, while a reimagined Mahishasura Mardini sequence dramatizes the desecration and eventual restoration of a liberated realm. Lifting a black shroud becomes a potent metaphor for casting off inherited shame, leading to a euphoric finale.
Pillai’s breathtaking and intricate choreography – with unison mudras, seamless formations, and shifts from disciplined nrittya to Bollywood-esque abandon – shapes emotionally charged sequences. Max Woods’s lighting design casts dramatic silhouettes and envelops the dancers in gauzy pinks, blues, and golds. And Jonathan Fae’s hypnotic soundscape – combining classical instrumentation with electronic pulses – heightens the work’s dreamlike atmosphere. Ashy grey tribal-inspired costuming, with solid chokers, big earrings, and belts, rejects casteist and patriarchal norms, asserting a primal, decolonized aesthetic. The ensemble holds the eye and won’t let go: moving with cohesion, energy, and precision. The work is utterly mesmerizing to watch and rightfully continues to accrue awards and acclaim.
Why see it: This jaw-droppingly impressive 55-minute dance work challenges assumptions about tradition, holiness, and identity, offering an embodied response to silencing and stigma. Bold in form and content, the piece takes risks by presenting queer and trans narratives by breaking conventions of classical Indian dance – including a central role for a dancer proudly bearing scars from gender-reassignment surgery. Temple of Desire’s intersectional approach—both celebratory and subversive—invites audiences into a place where the sensual and the sacred are no longer divided. If you’re seeking thoughtful, urgent art that blends elegance with activism, this is a show that stirs both the senses and the conscience. – AG
Tickets are available on fringetoronto.com.
Gaumukhi (Cow)
The premise: Gaumukhi (Cow) is an existential solo drama by playwright-director Kush Shah that invites audiences into a startlingly imaginative world where a sentient cow becomes the conduit for a decade-spanning meditation on caste, identity, love, and freedom – in a society shaped by rising religious nationalism. This is no simple fable. The titular Gaumukhi is at once an ordinary bovine and a lightning rod for urgent questions about faith and agency. Her journey moves from devotion in Meerut, where she studies singing under a whiskey-breathed Pandit, to Mumbai, where her chance friendship with Pig opens her eyes to freedom and happiness. At its heart, Gaumukhi is a political and emotional allegory—a reflection on sectarianism and exclusion that transforms the sacred and the profane into co-conspirators, and invites audiences to witness the world through sacred, marginalized eyes in pursuit of truth and redemption.
The experience: Performed in a devised, impulse-based physical theatre style, Gaumukhi is an embodied call to attention. As Gaumukhi, Deval Soni delivers a dynamic solo performance that balances vulnerability and theatrical verve. His transitions between characters and moods are seamless, drawing the audience into a world where metaphor and memory blur. The live vocal music by Utsav Alok – bhakti sangeet, Sufism, and Kabir bhajans, composed and accompanied by Kabir Agarwal – enriches the sensory experience.
The visual and technical design choices are sparse but effective. A wooden crate standing in for seats, a harmonium, and chalk drawings created in real time allow the storytelling to remain nimble and expressive. Shah’s creator’s note underscores the production’s genesis in anger, but what results is more than protest – it is poetical. This is theatre that wrestles with its own form, offering an open dialogue between text, body, and audience.
Why see it: Gaumukhi (Cow) is an uncommonly bold show — part parable, part provocation– and would benefit from a repeat viewing to unwrap its many layers. It asks its audience to listen actively, to sit with discomfort, and to open up to other ways of knowing. As it heads to the Hamilton Fringe (July 16–26) and the Mississauga Fringe (August 11–17), it deserves attention for its originality and emotional courage. For those seeking theatre that challenges as it uplifts, Gaumukhi is worth the leap. – AG
Tickets are available on fringetoronto.com.
Stealing Home
The premise: Mac is a genial, anthropomorphized mid-town parking lot, who becomes the unlikely protagonist in Toronto’s housing crisis when the City proposes replacing him with supportive housing. As NIMBYism collides with social necessity, a colorful cast of Toronto characters – including outraged homeowners (a deliciously self-absorbed Anne Harper), a plant-stealing wellness entrepreneur (Tsipporah Shendroff), a package-stealing porch pirate (Kayne Wylie), an opportunistic developer named Mr. Shady (Josh Welsh) and an agenda-driven journalist (JeN Hashimoto) – engage with Mac and battle over his fate.
The experience: This very funny show has painful real-world roots in a North York modular housing development for the unhoused, which was approved and then delayed more than four years by a clown car procession of entitled homeowners and self-serving politicians – enormously inflating the project’s costs and delaying shelter for people who are literally dying on the city’s streets. Playwright Annie Massey’s “sharp-elbowed satire” uses that starting point to skewer Toronto’s housing politics, and cranks their fundamental absurdities up to ten. The rhetoric about preserving the parking lot because it is the heart of the community is priceless, as is the dizzying array of targets sprayed by Massey’s wide-angle nozzle — which includes neighborhood associations, politicians, the wellness industry, unions, and humanity’s collective hypocritical habit of looking down on (or past) one another. Under Pat McCarthy’s seasoned direction, the talented and likeable ensemble brings the show’s absurdist outlook to vivid life, creating a perfect balance of comedy and sprawling social critique … until the end of the show screeches to a stop with some especially pointed commentary — as if it’s been seething the whole time, and can’t help but show it.
Why see it: Stealing Home illuminates and excoriates the deadly serious problem of Toronto homelessness, but does so in a whimsical way that will have you laughing out loud with rueful recognition throughout. This distinctly Toronto story manages to be both hilarious and painfully true to life. – SS
Tickets are available on fringetoronto.com.
Thunderor
The premise: .We’re in a “tumultuous alternate universe” in the year 1992. “Has-been musician/biker” Bowen (JJ Tartaglia) gathers together a band of merry men and women – including friends Kenzie (an absolutely ass-kicking Georgia Grant) and Sheenah (Jamie Elliott), a rival bike gang leader (Tristan Hernandez), and for some unexplained reason, a local friar (Stephen Flett) – for a journey through danger to Atlantic City, on the eve of a mysterious and dangerous revolution.
The experience: Thunderor is rock opera performed in the round at VideoCabaret’s Deanne Taylor Theatre. The show is loud, large, unapologetically silly fun whose true star is the driving music of band Thunderor. Tartaglia is the band’s lead singer and drummer, and during the show, he and bandmates Jonny Nesta, Anthony Pannozzo, Oscar Rangel – with vocal support from the actors – perform several original earworm bangers like “How We Roll”, “Get ‘Em Counted” and “Dangerous Times”. The music is a crowd-pleasing confection of 80s metal bands like Judas Priest, Ozzy and “Runaway” era early Bon Jovi – and the audience of all ages was digging it. The story threads and postapocalyptic vibe hang on the loom of songs like Meatloaf’s iconic “Bat out of Hell” and stylized films like Streets of Fire or Mad Max … if they were made on a shoestring budget and needed to enlist audience imagination to turn handlebars and a drumkit into motorcycles, and an empty stage into the post apocalyptic landscape. (In fact, given the mysterious friar, no-frills futuristic cartoon Rocket Robin Hood is another show progenitor). Tartaglia plays much of his role from behind the kit, singing and speaking lines of dialogue into the mike – it’s incongruous, so when he emerges late in the show to interact physically with the other cast members, it’s a surprise. But just go with it! Director Liam Eric Dawson has squeezed the absolute maximum out of his materials: placing the band members smartly around the set, showcasing the band’s great songs (though the sound mix won’t allow you to make out most of the lyrics), maximizing movement, and unleashing the performers to make the absolute most of their roles.
Why see it: Not for the plot, which barely hangs together and arrives at a strange (non-) end point. Not for the uneven acting performances, wooden dialogue or thin script – which exists mostly to string together the songs. No, come because this band can rock, and the cast is 110 percent committed to the gig. Thunderor is infectious, hard-rocking comic book fun that blows the roof off the place – just make sure you leave your pretensions at the door. I smiled my way through the whole show – I bet you will, too. – SS
Tickets are available on fringetoronto.com.
© Sesaya Arts Magazine 2025
