GoFundYourself, presented by Ottawa’s own Black Box Comedy, is a raucous, audience-driven look into the peaks and occasional valleys often associated with improv. For the most part, GoFundYourself is amusing and self-aware; its loose “plot” advancement is contingent upon quantity, intensity, and genus of audience laughter. Sometimes, the ensemble finds its footing and earns show-stopping …
Fringe Fest welcomes risk taking and testing the audience, but Pinter Stew by Third Wall Theatre might ask just a bit too much background knowledge of British playwright Harold Pinter’s oeuvre from its audience. Without it, the play leaves you confused. The show is presented as a series of mostly-unconnected scenes that are almost …
Sketch comedy is a Fringe mainstay, and the charmingly funny Pack Animals proves why. Created and acted by Holly Brinkman and S. E. Grummett, the sketch show combines cheeky Canadiana, cutesy singing, and frank yet funny discussions on queer identity and sexuality all within the premise of a Scouts-like summer camp with …
June 3, 2019 – OTTAWA (Canada) – On Sunday, June 2, 2019 the National Arts Centre celebrated its 50th Anniversary by welcoming thousands of Canadians to its free 50th Anniversary open house. This momentous occasion provided a rare look at the magic of the backstage, lively workshops in theatre and dance, free performances by Canadian …
Orpheus Musical Theatre Society have brought to the stage another light-hearted musical, doing what they do best to a very receptive audience. The Meridian Theatres-based Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is a piece of light fare that captures the cult status of the original film, but with its sometimes-dicey sexual and racial politics, the …
Jacqui du Toit, centre, is Maria in The Omnibus Bill by Darrah Teitel. From the left: Tayves Fiddis Neta J. Rose, Michael Swatton and Darcy Gerhart. Photo: Andrew Alexander When U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence lauded Donald Trump’s pro-life stance during his recent visit to Ottawa, you couldn’t help but wonder if you’d suddenly been …
A production of the 1000 Islands Playhouse in Gananoque, ON Boom X, a show written, directed and performed solely by well-known theatre artist Rick Miller, is certainly a tour de force production-wise. Large projection screens, a central podium and duly bright illumination, not to mention the energetic acting of Miller himself, each contribute to …
Based on the 1994 cult classic film of the same name, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is a jukebox extravaganza of colours, feathers, and disco. With stage direction by Shaun Toohey and DJ Eyamie, music direction by Murray Doggett, and choreography by Morgan Coughlan, Orpheus’ production is a fun, if somewhat vapid amalgamation of …
A British Comedy by Jessica Swale which won the Olivier award for best new Comedy in 2016, is based on individuals who really existed and whose close links with present day official titles of the monarchy, caused a bit of discomfort for some recent British productions where certain references to certain Dukes had …
An Omnibus bill is a single bill presented to parliament which includes many issues, often in an attempt to bury the most controversial questions in a whole mass of proposed legislation where everything must be approved at the same time. In Canada, the 1969 the Omnibus Bill passed by Pierre Trudeau’s government was the first …