Stage Door News
Stage Door News
Toronto, ON – The eighth annual Next Stage Theatre Festival (presented by the Toronto Fringe) closed on Sunday after showcasing 12 days of the best indie theatre in Canada. NSTF 2015 had the highest pre-sales in the festival’s history, up 25% from the festival’s record-breaking year in 2014. This year, the Next Stage Theatre Festival sold $65,000 in tickets, 70% of which will be returned to NSTF companies.
Even with multiple cold weather alerts over the course of the 12 days, NSTF’s audiences came in droves to see the shows. The following are some festival highlights:
Smash Hits at the Festival
Myth of the Ostrich was pulled directly from the 2014 Toronto Fringe Festival, where audience buzz first directed the NSTF jury’s attention. This loveable farce was the biggest hit of Next Stage, selling out all but one of its shows. Audiences flocked to this new Canadian play by Matt Murray, directed by Steven Gallagher, for its combination of humour and heart. We wouldn’t be surprised if we see Myth of the Ostrich appearing on stages again soon.
Graham Clark Reads the Phonebook was an intimate encounter with one of Canada’s best storyteller-comedians that sold out nine of its performances. Graham Clark, hailing from Vancouver, delivered a 30 minute “eulogy to the phonebook” that covered everything from the difficulties of sourcing the book to bizarre and wacky listings inside of it. He hopes to expand this show into a longer iteration for future Fringe and comedy tours.
Other Shows of Note
The following shows were selling out by the end of the festival and received critical acclaim from various media outlets.
Mine, by Jenna Harris
This steamy tale of desire between two women was loved by audiences for its matter-of-fact look at lesbian romance – it was a universal story that everyone could connect to. Already well known as an arts administrator (currently the Interim GM of Studio 180 Theatre) Harris is a fresh new voice on the LGBTQ scene.
Unbridled & Unstable, by The Templeton Philharmonic
This hilarious female duo poked fun at everything from upper-class socialites to salad cleanses in this zany sketch show. With a Canadian Comedy Award nomination under their belt already, this emerging comedy duo seems poised to make it big in the coming year.
Pulse, by Jasmyn Fyffe
Selling out the 200-seat Factory Theatre Mainspace on multiple occasions, Fyffe’s Motown-inspired contemporary dance piece left audiences smiling and dancing after the show ended. Pulse was the perfect antidote to a remarkably cold January. Look for more from this award winning choreographer.
Photo: Jasmyn Fyffe, Matt Murray, Gwynne Phillips and Briana Templeton. ©2014 Tanja Tiziana.
2015-01-19
Toronto: 2015 Next Stage Theatre Festival wraps up with numerous sellouts