When Bonggun moved to Canada, he didn’t arrive with a five-year plan or a safety net. He arrived with curiosity, work ethic, and an ability to see the absurd in everyday life — especially when cultures collide. Comedy didn’t just become a career choice; it became the most natural way for him to make sense of the world.

I’ve watched him take comedy seriously in a way most people don’t expect. He studies it, rewrites obsessively, performs constantly, and somehow stays humble through all of it. He’ll joke about not knowing what he’s doing, but behind the scenes, he’s disciplined, focused, and stubbornly committed.

What makes Bonggun stand out is that his comedy isn’t loud or forced. It’s thoughtful, sharp, and rooted in real experience. He makes people laugh first — then realize they’re seeing something from a perspective they hadn’t considered before. Watching him grow, it’s clear this isn’t a phase. This is exactly where he’s supposed to be.

***

Which ’hood are you in?

York — currently spreading the smell of kimchi day by day to make the neighbourhood more Korean and Asian.

What do you do?

Stand-up comedy, creating seriously funny content.

What are you currently working on?

I am currently creating interview-style comedy content built around a reverse-interview format. The premise sets up an expected, normal answer, then intentionally subverts it with an unexpected or absurd response that often bridges cultural perspectives. This minimal, direct approach aligns with my comedy style — saying exactly what needs to be said, without over-explaining, and letting the simplicity make the joke stronger.

Alongside content creation, I am touring consistently across Canada. This year, I am focusing on developing my material more thoroughly with the goal of building a full one-hour set and filming my first comedy special.

Where can we find your work?

Everything can be found here.

The post “A Day in the Life” with: Performing Artist Bonggun Kim appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

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Which ’hood are you in?

St. Clair West.

What do you do?

I host Rogue Psychology, a show that examines modern behaviour.

What are you currently working on?

I’m currently working on new episodes Rogue, using my background in stand-up, to examine unconventional methods for improving how we process information, date, scroll, and show up in the world.

Where can we find your work?

You can find a trailer for the show here.

The post “A Day in the Life” with: Performing Artist Jonathan Neeman appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

As we wrote at the time, the Côté/LePage Hamlet is a triumph, distilling the essence of one of Shakespeare’s greatest works into a roughly two-hour dance showcase. Remounted now at the same venue where it debuted, Toronto’s Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre, Hamlet remains an impressive piece – and yet another reason to herald the successes of both of these Canadian creative titans.

Hamlet marks the second collaboration between Lepage and Côté after their 2018 Norman McLaren tribute, Frame By Frame, which paid tribute to that celebrated Canadian filmmaker, and in particular his contributions to filmed dance.

This time out, Lepage/Côté gave themselves the unenviable task of translating one of the great English-language works into a (nearly) wordless dance performance. While there is, of course, precedent – see the National Ballet’s own Winter’s Tale – the ballet is necessarily working in a very different space, evoking a familiar narrative rather than properly retelling it. Happily, then, this Hamlet applies a wonderful visual language – specifically, Lepage’s well-established style – with shadowplay, ever-shifting sets, and nifty optical illusions, like the pure blue rippling sheet which serves as the brook in which Ophelia drowns.

That said, audiences may be surprised to discover this is basically a faithful adaptation of Hamlet, albeit without Shakespeare’s dialogue. The familiar plot beats are mostly landed upon (with a few omissions that will not likely be missed by most theatregoers), and the cast – Côté and then Kealan McLaughlin (April 26 matinee) as Hamlet; Sonia Rodriguez as Gertrude; Robert Glumbek as the villainous Claudius – are uniformly excellent. (Glumbek among several dancers returning from the 2024 production.)

Lepage is rightly acclaimed as one of Canada’s most inventive theatre directors, earning worldwide acclaim for his Cirque du Soleil productions and an award-winning revamp of Wagner’s The Ring Cycle for the Metropolitan Opera. Côté, for his part, is a multi-award-winning dancer who retired from the National Ballet in 2025, following a sterling twenty-six-year career playing nearly all the principal roles in the repertoire.

The one failing of this Hamlet is the score. Ballets may live and die on their choreography, but a weak soundtrack can still undermine what’s otherwise a beautiful spectacle. We continue to hold that the Hamlet score, from composer John Gzowski, is ill-suited for the piece: overly melodramatic, lacking in nuance.

That said, it’s wonderful to have gotten a chance to see this Hamlet again, and we can’t wait to see what Côté/Lepage’s next collaboration looks like.

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For more on The Tragedy of Hamlet: Prince of Denmark and other Show One productions, click here.

The post The Tragedy of Hamlet: Prince of Denmark Returns to the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre (Review) appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

There is, however, strong evidence that Rose brings so much passionate, vulnerable, kind, curious, raw honesty to every moment that most of the people who know them would happily bear their love child. (It is possible that Mr. Momoa is actually one such love child, because what is time, really?)

As a fan and witness to a few of their recent miracles, I will testify to the obvious facts: Rose is more metal than your platinum jockstrap and gentler than a bulldozer-load of butterfly kisses. Rose goes so hard that Mercury melts down, Saturn jumps through hoops and Uranus clenches, repeatedly. Who knows what extraordinary, unworldly feats of generosity and perceptive clarity you yourself might accomplish if you pay attention? Rose knows.

-Written by David F, Rose’s head chef

***

Which ’hood are you in?

The Annex. I keep finding my way back here, and it keeps taking me back. Long live the Tranzac, RIP basement of Sonic Boom, and thank you Vietnam Lovely Noodle for being casual and comforting.

What do you do?

I act and perform, and I’m a capital T taurus, so for balance, I try to buck my attachments to the material world. Bruce Lee and I call this practice: be water. Shapeless, formless, flowing. This is what I do. Materiality being connected to literality, and my current project being a non-narrative, reflexive, process-based contemporary performance piece, I’ve got a tremendous opportunity right now to be water in a deep-sea reef.

What are you currently working on?

I’m working on a performance called The Herald, written and directed by Jill Connell. It explores the concept of labour, working a job, how we see and (de)value other people’s work. We experiment in collective dramaturgy, improvisational choreography, myth, time, sound. It feels Piscean, lush, and avant-garde. Aiming for alternate dimension, but I’m happy with whatever soft caress of magic might emerge.

Where can we find your work?

Do you know how Simone Weil defines labour? Labour: to feel with one’s whole self the existence of the world. When you’re there, that’s where I’m trying to be, too.

The Herald runed March 4-14 at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, and I’ll also be performing in take rimbaud by Susanna Fournier, running May 6-23, also at Buddies. I would love it if you came.

The post “A Day in the Life” with: Performing Artist Rose Tuong appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

She is a graduate of Humber College’s acclaimed Theatre Performance Conservatory Program, an intensive, physically focused training ground for actors. Roselie also trained for years in the Masterclass at Toronto’s Pro Actors Lab under the late David Rotenberg, one of Canada’s most respected acting coaches. She is a proud member of ACTRA.

Her background in theatre, and other physical disciplines – including martial arts, Pilates, yoga, and more – enhances her ability to embody a wide range of characters. With each performance, Roselie brings a unique blend of empathy, humour, and emotional truth, offering audiences a raw and honest lens into the human experience.

***

Which ’hood are you in?

I live in Toronto, Ontario, around Trinity Bellwoods/ Dundas West & Ossington/ Little Italy.

What do you do?

I’m a professional actress for film & TV.

What are you currently working on?

I’m a Canadian actress appearing in a major supporting role in Nicely Entertainment’s holiday film, The Christmas Bookshop. The movie premiered in Canada on Super Channel Heart & Home on December 6 at 8 p.m.

The Christmas Bookshop follows Adeline Wilson, a meticulous Christmas expert and bestselling author, who clashes with Garth Bowman, a laid-back bookstore owner, during her final stop on a lacklustre holiday book tour. A playful bet turns their rivalry into a heartwarming journey of love, self-discovery, and the true magic of Christmas.

I play a central character in this story about community, love, and holiday magic—the kind of feel-good storytelling that felt especially meaningful this year.

Where can we find your work?

The Christmas Bookshop trailer can be found here. Also, visit my website.

The post “A Day in the Life” with: Performing Artist Roselie Williamson appeared first on Toronto Guardian.