By Kenneth Chisholm, November 18, 2008
By William Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan
Directed by George Jolink
Played by Ainsley Gonder, Shannon Harasen, Shannon Wijnker, Emily Banavage, Rebecca Ballantyne, Rebecca Brook, Tyler Kennedy, Gillian Emberley, Eric Neaves, Ron McLagan, Chris Wood, Adam Marostica, and Choruses
A Musical Theatre Production
The Palace Theatre
November 13–22, 2008
While this is not the most famous of Gilbert and Sullivan’s plays, I cannot understand the reason after seeing these players do their thing. The company have put on a joyful tuneful show with some inspired comedy of a creativity I have never seen before in a Gilbert and Sullivan play.
Set in Victorian Britain, the fairy Iolanthe is…
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By Kenneth Chisholm, November 15, 2008
By John Pielmeier
Directed by Lesleigh Turner
A Theatre Soup Production
The Arts Project Theatre
November 13–23, 2008
Reason and faith, like the relationship of tradition and modernity, are concepts so often thought to be irreconcilable. That can especially apply to the world of the Christian cloisters, a sphere the modern world used to perceive with an overdone religious idealism. This classic play is a riveting story about that conflict of worlds and ideas as two completely disparate representatives come to grips with a horrific crime.
The story is told by Dr. Livingstone, a court-appointed psychiatrist, assigned to determine the mental capacity of a disturbed young…
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By Peter Janes, November 13, 2008
I have an ugly little secret: I’m not nearly as well-versed in Gilbert & Sullivan as I should be. So I don’t have anything new to say about MTP’s current production of Iolanthe that isn’t already covered by Wikipedia: that the title character is “the mistress of fairy revels, who [...] committed the capital crime (under fairy law) of marrying a mortal human”, that it’s a satire in which the British government is “lampooned as a bastion of the ineffective, privileged and dim-witted”, and that it inspired Isaac Asimov’s masterwork, the Foundation trilogy. That lack of familiarity is something I plan to…
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By Peter Janes, November 11, 2008
This edition of Theatre in London On the Air was broadcast on November 4, 2008. In this show:
- Simon and guest co-host Jason Rip discuss Jason’s recent Spirits of Petersville and other upcoming productions by Theatre Nemesis.
- John Iglesias, Kate Harter and Miriam Cummings discuss John’s upcoming production of Closer.
- Miriam and John perform a scene from Closer.
- Sookie Mei visits to talk about Theatre Soup’s ten-year history and upcoming production of Agnes of God.
- Sookie performs a scene from Agnes of God.
- Simon solicits reviews for Theatre in London. (Anyone can post or comment on a review.)
- Jason, Sookie and Simon summarize the calendar of upcoming shows.
Sookie’s weekly radio program, The…
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By Kenneth Chisholm, November 10, 2008
By Jason Rip
Directed by Jason Rip
Played by Rod Keith and Morag Webster
The Museum London Lecture Theatre
November 8–15, 2008
In London, Ontario’s cultural heritage, few artistic luminaries shine so brilliantly as the legacy of painter Paul Peel. This play is a short but sweet retrospective of the artist using his own words to paint a compelling picture of its own.
The play is essentially a series of monologues of the artist (Rod Keith), taken largely from his personal letters to his sister, Mildred Peel (Morag Webster). In them, we learn of Paul’s happily nurturing childhood and his early rise into the highest level…
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By Kenneth Chisholm, November 4, 2008
By Colleen Wagner
Directed by Dariusz Korbiel
Played by Christian Kawa and Martha Zimmerman
A Dariusz Entertainment Production
The Arts Project Theatre
October 29–November 8, 2008
In war, morality can go out the window and the most hideous deeds are doable, leaving profound physical and emotion devastation in their wake. With two superb actors, this play presents a searing story of one such soldier facing the consequences of his actions from a woman whose sideways turned anger and plans have special reasons of their own.
In some unnamed country ravished by a recent war, Stelko is a solider condemned for war crimes, but a woman from the…
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By Kenneth Chisholm, October 30, 2008
By Jason Rip
Directed by Jason Rip
A Theatre Nemesis Production
Grosvenor Lodge
October 23–October 25, 2008
At Grosvenor Lodge, dark spirits are afoot within its walls once again. With masterful writing by Jason Rip, the Theatre Nemesis company has put on a superb collection of artfully eerie one player shows.
The Hostess
Played by Laura DiTrolio
This sketch is an obvious framing device where a very sick woman is forced to get out of bed to investigate strange noises. While doing so, DiTrolio’s character is heard primarily off stage as the actress succinctly establishes her whiny and defensive character. When she does appear, DiTriolio just needs some…
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By Mary Alderson, October 30, 2008
By Michael Healey
Directed by Gina Wilkinson
Performed by Oliver Dennis, Brendan Gall, John Jarvis
A Grand Theatre Production
Grand Theatre, London
October 21 to November 8, 2008
A Funny and Endearing Visit to the Farm
The Drawer Boy, which just opened at London’s Grand Theatre, is a challenging production. There’s comedy, but behind the laughs is a heart-warming love story, with an unusual twist to it. To bring all these elements together takes a talented cast. Thankfully, the Grand has provided three solid performers.
The Drawer Boy is based on an actual event. In the seventies, a Toronto theatre company sent a group of young actors to stay…
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