Other Inland Empires: rEvolver Festival 2019
Other Inland Empires: rEvolver Festival 2019
This is an odd little show: part meditation, part travelogue and part adventure.
Stephanie Wong in Other Inland Empires. Credit: Tim Matheson
Category: Review
I Walked the Line
The Firehall Arts Centre remounts I Walked the Line from October 15-25, 2020. This is a re-posting of my review of the original production at the Anvil Centre in May 2019.
What does an internationally-known, high-profile actor do when the biz hands him lemons? First, he finds alternate employment, uses his theatre skills in the new job and eventually turns the whole experience into theatre.
Allan Morgan in I Walked the Line
Matilda: The Musical
At the Stanley until July 14, 2019
What’s wrong with kids today? Absolutely nothing if you can judge by the ten or so kids on stage at the Stanley until mid-July. They are undoubtedly the stars of Matilda: The Musical.
Alison MacDonald as Miss Honey and Georgia Acken as Matilda in Matilda: The Musical. Credit: David Cooper
The Cake
At Pacific Theatre until June 8, 2019
The icing on this particular cake is Erla Faye Forsyth. As Della, Forsyth pulls from her own larder a wealth of ingredients: humour, scrappiness, defiance, optimism, girlishness, wisdom, generosity and, yes, even sexiness.
Erla Faye Forsyth as Della in The Cake. Credit: Javier Sotres
The Fitting Room
At Havana Theatre until May 18, 2019
The Fitting Room (written by first-time playwright Ellery Lamm) was, early in its development, workshopped under the guidance of playwright and teacher Joan MacLeod (Shape of a Girl and others). Like that play, The Fitting Room would do really well in schools.
Kelly Vanderswan as Amy and Ciaran Volke as Henry in The Fitting Room. Credit: Victoria Simpson
NASSIM
At The Cultch until May 19, 2019
“Yeki bood. Yeki nabood.” Freely translated from Farsi it means, “There was one and there was no-one” and it’s the story-opening equivalent of, “Once upon a time”.
Nassim Soleimanpour in NASSIM. Credit: Studio Doug
The Sea
At Jericho Arts Centre until May 19, 2019
For a play that begins like Shakespeare’s The Tempest with a shipwreck and a drowning, the Sea is quirkily funny and resoundingly defended as a comedy by those who have the temerity to produce it.
Genevieve Fleming as Mrs. Rafi in The Sea. Credit: Erin Aberle Palm
The Great Leap
Goldcorp Stage at the BMO Centre until May 19, 2019
Under the superb direction of Meg Roe, this Arts Club production of The Great Leap is so thrillingly fast-paced and fantastic visually that it’s easy to overlook a script that doesn’t always score.
Milton Lim as Manford in The Great Leap. Credit: Pink Monkey Studios
Little Volcano
The Cultch remounts Little Volcano, previously presented at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts in April 2019. The show will be live-streamed from the Cultch, October 22-25, 2020. This is a re-posting of my previous review.
[At Shadbolt Centre until April 27, 2019]
Little Volcano – half concert, half storytelling – is insanely wonderful. That is, it’s exquisitely beautiful – the kind of beautiful that makes you want to cry.
Veda Hille in Little Volcano. Credit: Matt Reznek
Dead People’s Things
At Studio 16 until May 5, 2019
There’s a lot going on in Dead People’s Things. Jenn Stewart’s set – floor to ceiling piled with cartons each with a post-it note marked “Trash” or “Keep” – is the tip-off.
Eileen Barrett as Beatrice and Meaghan Chenosky as Phyllis in Dead People’s Things. Pre-production photo credit: Tina Krueger Kulic