I can hear some music coming from Regent Park right across from the facility and for a moment I wonder if it’ll be loud enough to hear once in the theatre. The doors open and we calmly file in and as I take my seat I am happy to note the absence of outside noises in this intimate theatre. The seats are comfortable, the air conditioning is working and it does not take long for the play to begin.

Juliet: A Revenge Comedy was what I picked to see from the fantastic lineup at this year’s Fringe Fest. As a lover of the infamous Romeo and Juliet, it stuck out to me as something I would find interesting and, hopefully, funny.

And, boy, did I!

Without giving too much of the plot away, Juliet somehow doesn’t find herself dead at the end of Shakespeare’s classic love story and goes on a quest to free herself (and then others) from the tyranny of an unknown force that is quite literally forcing her to kill herself. So yes, it is a play that is within a play or more accurately multiple plays. Meta would be another way to describe it.

Juliet is played by Lili Beaudoin who is either brave or crazy, as her character is almost never off stage, has most of the lines in a show with no intermission. The play runs about 60 minutes but this young actress seems to never run out of any steam, bringing courage and conviction to the role.

Her counterpart, Carly Pokoradi, is ridiculously talented and along with Beaudoin is on stage and in character for almost the entire thing. Pokoradi has an even bigger challenge as she plays, well, pretty much everyone else. She seamlessly moves between characters, sometimes within seconds of each other and how she keeps it all straight in her head I know not.

Beaudoin and Pokoradi are powerhouses in this play, carrying the audience on a fantastical and funny journey that questions Shakespeare’s treatment of women in his work. The freedom that Juliet and the other female characters are seeking echoes some of the current struggles women are facing, but without hitting you over the head with a message.

All in all, I really enjoyed watching Juliet: A Revenge Comedy, and if the quality of that play is anything like the others at Fringe Fest, then I would think that the organizers should be very proud.

Juliet: A Revenge Comedy is playing at Ada Slaight Hall at 585 Dundas St. East.

It is on at the following times:

• July 8 at 10.15 pm
• July 9 at 5 pm
• July 10 at 8.30 pm
• July 11 at 2.30 pm
• July 13 at 8 pm
• Thu July 14 at 3.15 pm

And if Juliet doesn’t seem to be your thing, then you can check out all the other marvellous plays around the city by going to: fringetoronto.com/fringe/shows

The post Fringe Fest’s “Juliet: A Revenge Comedy” appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

Performance Art has had a particularly difficult few years with lockdowns and confusion about how best to perform in front of live audiences while still staying safe from COVID. Some places choose to do online performances, while others had much smaller, all masked shows. And though that was better than nothing, let’s be real- it’s just not the same!

This year Fringe Fest in Toronto is back to doing what it does best- showcasing local talent in the way they do best- actual live performances!

For those who don’t know, the Fringe Fest in Toronto is celebrating its 34^th year and will be running in theatres around the city from July 6^th-17^th. It is one of those festivals that you might not know about until you run into a long line-up outside of a theatre and wonder what the excitement is all about.

And let me tell you, the excitement is that all those people are about to see a unique production of a show that you probably won’t see anywhere else. The Fringe Fest does a lottery system in order to find which acts to showcase, meaning anyone can be eligible to put on a play. This gives artists the ability to be as creative as they want while gaining the exposure they need to be successful.

As Toronto Fringe Fest says, “It’s a platform for everyone to learn about and experiment with the arts.” And who doesn’t want to support that?

This year, there are 89 shows at 10 different stages around the city ranging from one-person shows, comedies, and dramas to musicals. Each has their own special take on society and uses their creativity to show us a piece of their world. And the best part? Tickets are pretty darn cheap! One ticket is only $12 or you can buy a block of tickets and spend the entire 12 days sitting in theatres crying, laughing or gasping. And trust me when I say- you won’t regret going!

If you want to know what plays are running go to fringetoronto.com or check out:

POSTSCRIPT Patio at the Tranzac Club, 292 Brunswick Ave. July 6-17: 12 pm–9 pm
POSTSCRIPT Lounge at Daniels Spectrum, 585 Dundas St. East July 6–17: 12 pm until last show

The post Fringe Fest Toronto is Back! appeared first on Toronto Guardian.