Featuring Loretta, written by George F. Walker and directed by Ken Gass, currently playing at the Factory Theatre, is a weird little play. So weird, in fact, that it forces me to write two reviews: one for the play, and one for Factory Theatre. Read the rest of this entry »

There’s probably no great coincidence that the majority of plays being produced right now are comedies.  Read the rest of this entry »

Marc Bendavid as “The Young Priest” and Shannon Taylor as “Mary Anne” in Michel Marc Bouchard's The Madonna Painter. Ed Gass Donnelly Photo.

When the First World War ended in 1918, the soldiers didn’t return home alone. They brought with them one of the greatest mass killers in history: the Spanish Flu. Over twenty-one million people died world-wide, more than were killed fighting the First World War. By the time it had run its course, 50 000 Canadians were killed from the epidemic, almost wiping out entire villages in Quebec and Labrador.

This is the very historical and complex setting for Michel Marc Bouchard’s latest play The Madonna Painter, currently playing at the Factory Theatre. Read the rest of this entry »

Julie Stewart, Susanna Fournier and Andrew Craig from True Love Lies, Brad Fraser’s North American premiere launching Factory Theatre’s 40th Anniversary Season. The show runs until November 1. Photo: Ed Gass-Donnelly Photo.

Time for some run-don’t-walk theatre here in Toronto: The North American premiere of Brad Fraser’s True Love Lies kicked off Factory Theatre’s 40th anniversary season this past Thursday.

The world premiere already a U.K. hit, this is playwright/director Fraser’s best work yet, and I’ve either seen or read them all.  More mature than anything before it, and shockingly funny on many levels.

Your mission – a tough one – is to keep up.  Read the rest of this entry »