Review: (Toronto / Theatre) we are not afraid of the dark

Photo by Elj van Riel

Lost in Translation
by Beat Rice

If one reads the Artistic Director’s notes in the program before a performance, they will find themselves moved and humbled by Franco Boni’s deeply personal and truthful message. Unfortunately the performance of we are not afraid of the dark, does not capture any of the complicated or life changing emotions humans experience when dealing with mortality. Having recently dealt with tragedy and loss, I was mentally preparing myself for an emotional experience in the theatre. It turns out I did not need to. 

Review: (Toronto / Theatre) Cabaret brise-jour

photo by Guillaume D. Cyr

Weill Nights
by Beat Rice

Finally something different and original on stage in Toronto!

Hailing from Quebec, L'orchestre d'hommes-orchestres are a collective of eight musicians who have taken the music of Kurt Weill and made it their own. All performers use several instruments, including their voice. Some of the instruments are conventional and played in a non-traditional way, but most are original creations. In this unique production they have created a surreal cabaret world that merges different styles of music, language, and performance. 

Review: (Toronto / Theatre) Sea Sick

Alanna Mitchell (photo by Chloé Ellingston)

The New Big Blue: Warm, Breathless, and Sour
by Gregory Bunker

You can’t make this up: It’s the kind of story that has to be non-fiction to believe. Sea Sick, a solo performance by storyteller extraordinaire Alanna Mitchell, marks the grand opening of the new space at The Theatre Centre. Mitchell is a journalist by trade and the author of Sea Sick: The Global Ocean in Crisis (2009), from which this performance is adapted. Sea Sick is a personal reflection on the trips and interviews she conducted to help her understand and explain how climate change is affecting the oceans.

Mitchell has a TED-Talk-type delivery that emphasizes the knowledge-is-power ethos, but she also makes herself vulnerable during some touching, and riotous, moments with the audience. It’s unconventional theatre, and an example of art bringing meaning to science, which is so sorely needed with the topic of climate change. With just a table, glass, pitcher, chalkboard, and shell on stage, the focus is sharp, and the stories well-balanced between the scientific, the thought-provoking, and the hilarious. Directed by The Theatre Centre’s Franco Boni with Ravi Jain, Mitchell’s movements and moods are enhanced by the delicate lighting (Rebecca Picherak) and sound (Tim Lindsay).