539 stories by "Karen Fricker - Theatre Critic"
Latest in Musical Stage Company's 'UnCovered' concert series puts a new spin on the songs of the Swedish supergroup Nov. 8 to 10.
Cavernous theatre and raised stage can put emotional and psychological distance between actors and audience, but it's worth going for Robert Persichini's performance alone.
This sequel to Marie Beath Badian's "Prairie Nurse" shows how the lives of that play's heroines diverged and shaped the experiences of their Filipino-Canadian offspring.
Ahmed Moneka marks a professional milestone by playing a major role at a Toronto theatre " one in which he brings his life experience to bear.
The waves never peak, nor does the action in the intimate three-header 'The Shark is Broken,' now struggling to fill the Royal Alexandra Theatre.
Canadian Stage boldly launches its 2022-23 season with a precise performance of a troubling play by Québécois provocateur Olivier Choinière
The riff-on-'Hamlet' play by Canadian novelist and playwright Ann-Marie MacDonald collapses under the weight of all it tries to achieve.
Jani Lauzon's and Kaitlyn Riordan's play shows Shakespeare may not necessarily always represent the cold, dead hand of colonialism.
The festival has provided the resources and time to do the script justice and Tawiah M'Carthy leads a world-class company in a staging as moving as it is thought-provoking.
Thoroughly up-to-date script and a production right in director Antoni Cimolino's wheelhouse add up to a delight, writes Karen Fricker.
Stratford and other theatres are turning frequently to consultants in the wake of the #MeToo movement and the global racial reckoning sparked by the murder of George Floyd.
Jordi Mand's adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's beloved autobiographical novel as directed by Esther Jun, begins with a delightful flourish but sags in the second half
Thinking of taking in a few shows in Festival City? The little Ontario town is more than just theatre.
The riddle of Shakespeare's dark comedy is taken to extremes but comes around to a resolution, thanks to arresting stagecraft and an excellent cast
Director Anand Rajaram wanted it to work for children or those who don't know Shakespeare. "There's a very strong cartoon esthetic to the show."
"You can't count on getting a part with this much to do, ever. So I'm just trying to enjoy this," Barnet says.
Amaka Umeh is the festival's first female, Black "Hamlet." Mike Shara plays an actor in "Hamlet-911," a "middle-aged white guy making room for the next generation of Hamlets."
The Toronto-based performer is taking this well-structured and entertaining hour of stand-up around the world
Having built a following on YouTube, the Toronto-based artist is back with a new laugh-filled, live-music how
Audience participation, onstage cooking, and Fleetwood Mac are all on the menu in this award-winning solo show.
Murderous puppets, feral chairs and an airborne James Bond feature in this hour-long show at the Toronto Fringe Festival
Kerry Ipema and KK Apple speed through a half-dozen movies in just 60 minutes
Highly contemporary, slightly overlong new musical weaves indelible pop melodies from Swede's chart-topping catalogue with a reimagined take on Shakespeare into a winning result, writes Kare…
"Kamloopa" starts out as almost slapstick comedy but turns serious as Harvey's strong female characters embrace their identities.
The festival has changed its lottery process to involve more BIPOC productions. And it has committed to being inclusive and accessible for both artists and patrons.
