Derrick Chua 2022 Toronto Fringe Picks

After two years of virtual programming, welcome to my 2022 Fringe Picks for the live in-person Toronto Fringe! Based on information provided in the Program and Website, I’m highlighting five shows each in six different categories for my Picks this year - National / International, Musicals, Plays, Comedy, Solo Shows and Variety. As always, I emphasize that these are based on my totally subjective opinion informed by artists whose work I’ve seen or shows I’ve read about or the ever-important word of mouth. If you see something that you love that’s not on this list, please let me know and spread the word!

FIVE NATIONAL / INTERNATIONAL SHOWS

This year more than ever, it has been incredibly difficult (and far more expensive!) for Fringe artists to tour, so I would especially encourage you to check out these artists / shows from outside of Toronto.

Juliet: A Revenge Comedy (p.31).

From Vancouver, BC where it was recently nominated for five Jessie Richardson Awards, Monster Theatre presents Juliet: A Revenge Comedy. Not to be confused with current Mirvish production and Broadway-bound & Juliet, this play also begins with the premise “What if Juliet decided not to die?”, but promises to be funnier and less musical. As Juliet tears herself from the fabric of the narrative wandering through the canon of Shakespeare’s greatest plays, she encounters other renowned female characters (Lady Macbeth, Ophelia, Cleopatra, Miranda) and recruits a team of kick-ass women to confront Shakespeare himself. With Lili Beaudoin as Juliet, Bruce Horak as Shakespeare and Carly Pokoradi as everyone else!

Meatball Séance (p.31).

John Michael is a performance artist based in Chicago, Illinois, and Meatball Séance is one of nine original solo plays which he has performed in venues including Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago, Southern Rep in New Orleans, Winnipeg Fringe, Bergen Fringe, Gothenburg Fringe and Edinburgh Fringe. Meatball Séance comes to Toronto directly from Ottawa Fringe where it was just awarded Outstanding Solo Performance! Warning – there is optional audience participation (which can always be avoided by crossing your arms) with actual cooking on stage and you may be asked to help mix garlic, breadcrumbs, milk and meat to make meatballs.

Six Chick Flicks or a Legally Blonde Pretty Woman Dirty Danced on the Beaches while writing a Notebook on the Titanic (p.34)

Yes I did chuckle at the title, but what more initially drew my attention to this show was its co-writer TJ Dawe, whose name long-time Fringers will certainly know. But Chick Flicks is performed by two chicks based in New York, Kerry Ipema and KK Apple, who have some serious comedy cred based on their past work in places like Upright Citizen’s Brigade and various comedy clubs and festivals. This show has played New York, Winnipeg Fringe and Orlando Fringe earlier this year, where it was awarded Patron’s Pick, and promises to recreate iconic moments of the beloved films including montages, dance breaks and every moment in between

TiBert le Voyageur (p.52)

Part of KidsFest and suitable for ages 4-12 and their adults, Rob Malo is a Franco-Manitoban Métis storyteller, author, stage performer, juggler, poet and community builder who shares his passion for history and culture with people of all ages through his character TiBert le Voyageur. Join award winning storyteller TiBert as he juggles, plays his favourite instrument the ruine-babine (jaw harp) and rides an imaginary canoe to end up around the fire for some music and stories, in an amazing interactive trek across Canada.

The Walk In The Snow: The True Story of Lise Meitner (p.48).

Jem Rolls. Definitely no stranger to Fringers as the artist who has performed at more Fringe festivals than anyone else in the world! I’ve lost track, but I think it’s over 125 Fringes and counting, over the last three decades. This latest is a hugely original piece of direct no-mucking-about historical storytelling about one of the greatest moments in scientific history. Christmas Eve, 1938: Kungalv, Sweden. Two Jewish refugees from the Nazis walk out into the snow. Sat on a tree trunk, they discover the atom can be and has been split. And the world is never the same again.

FIVE MUSICALS

Billy & the Dreamerz (p.44).

Set in the tumultuous political and cultural landscape of the UK in the 1980s, Billy & the Dreamerz tells the story of four young immigrants who form a band and try to find their way in a white working-class town. When they win a national music contest, they are presented with the opportunity of a lifetime - a tour of the USA. But tragedy strikes and a difficult decision must be made. Written by Neil Coombs, Grace Kosaka, this Fringe presentation is a 1-hour showcase of the longer full two-act musical, and features some terrific musical talent including Ma-Anne Dionisio, Devaughnte Lawrence, Jon-Alex MacFarlane, Molly Moore, Jadyn Nasato, Jakob Sonnenberg and Siam Yu.

The Crack of Doom (Or: How I Learned to Love the Meteor) (p.44).

Originally commissioned as part of Bravo Academy’s New Music Theatre Intensive where I saw its premiere incarnation, I’m excited to revisit this highly entertaining darkly comedic musical at Fringe. With music and lyrics by Suzy Wilde and a book by Matt Bernard, a group of university students who stayed on campus for Thanksgiving receive news that a meteor will collide with the Earth in the next few hours. How would you spend your last few hours before the end of the world? Hopefully being as entertained as I was watching this musical. Cast includes Fae Alexander, Cade DeBorba, Rayhan Jabbar, Ben Kopp, Jawon Mapp, Daniel McCormack, Krizia Natale, Ben Page, Grace Rockett, Nicole Sherwin.

Neverwonder: The Musical (p.45).

NeverWonder is a new, Mad, and Queer Canadian musical by Jess L. Callaghan which combines the worlds of J.M. Barrie’s Neverland (Peter Pan) and Lewis Carroll’s Wonderland (Alice in Wonderland), telling the story of Wendy and Alice, two young women who bond over the adventures and mishaps of their fantastical childhoods, and follows their journey of support and recovery. This looks like a fascinating way to deal with topics of mental illness and surviving trauma through the musical form. It stars Tamyka Bullen, Rhys Whitham, Jess L. Callaghan, Peter Mundell, Dalton Bolton, Tallan Alexander with understudies Shayna Burns and A. Blaine.

A Perfect Bowl of Pho (p.45).

I love that this musical by Nam Nguyen and Wilf Moeschter, which originally premiered at the University of Toronto Drama Festival, then presented by fu-GEN Asian Canadian Theatre at Factory Studio, is now receiving an entirely new production with (I think) an entirely new cast, directed by 郝邦宇 Steven Hao. Ostensibly a musical history of the Vietnamese diaspora told through its foods, this version from a new perspective will be performed by Kryslyne-Mai Ancheta, Isabelle Bergman, Randy Chang, Joshua Kilimnik, Honey Pham, Donny Phan, Chris Vergara, Mya Wong, Victoria Yip.

Statistics (p.45).

Another musical that originated at the University of Toronto Drama Festival, this one won the 2020 Fringe Adams Prize for Musical Theatre, and is now receiving its Covid-delayed Fringe Premiere. Writer and composer Shreya Jha, currently in medical school at U of T, is definitely an artist to watch and makes her professional debut as a musical theatre writer here. Statistics shows the side-by-side stories of two female scientists separated by half a century - Rosalind Franklin (who took Photograph 51, changing the course of the discovery of DNA) struggles against misogyny while current-day premedical student Rose Andersson fights cutthroat competition for medical school admission. Performed by Oliver Daniel, Michael Manning, Rachel Mundy, Nam Nguyen, Colette Richardson and Maddie Sekulin.

FIVE PLAYS

9428 (p.48).

Winner of the Fringe’s 2020 New Play Contest, 9428 is written and directed by Iranian Canadian artist Amin Shirazi, and tells the story of Arman, a child recently immigrated from the Middle East who lands in Canada with his parents. As Arman tries to cope with the new world, a shape-shifting monster, 9428, frequently visits to remind him of fears and difficulties this new environment has forced upon the family, and Arman’s only refuge is an imaginary world full of colours, dreams and music. Starring Aylin Oyan Salahshoor, Parnian Pourzahed, Parsa Hassanzadeh, Shadi Karimpour and Sina Sasanifard.

Crazy Dave Goes To Town by Daniel David Moses [UPDATE: SHOW HAS WITHDRAWN FROM FESTIVAL AND ALL PERFORMANCES CANCELLED]

This one is a bit of a heart-breaker, being the last play written by the great Daniel David Moses before he passed away in July, 2020, adapted from the novel by Basil Johnston. It’s based on the true story of David McLeod, an Indigenous man mistaken for a Japanese soldier one day as he wanders into town. Set on the Cape Croker Reservation during 1944, it examines the intense racism and xenophobia that poisoned the nation and how its ripples continue to permeate in today’s society. Presented by Centre for Indigenous Theatre, the only school of its kind, preparing students for a future in theatre and performing Arts, drawing from a distinctively Indigenous cultural foundation. Its directed by Ed Roy, starring Pearl Pheasant-Dumont, Diem Lafortune, River Waterhen, Kehew Buffalo, Francis Gladue, Kean Buffalo, Jesse Wabegijig, Nolan Moberly, Jeremy Proulx.]

The Garden of Alla (p.37).

Steven Elliott Jackson had a huge hit at Fringe with The Seat Next To The King, and his most recent play Three Ordinary Men just closed a sold-out run at Theatre Centre, so there is certainly a lot of interest in The Garden of Alla, directed by Roseneath Artistic Director Andrew Lamb. This is a look into three of the Golden Age of Hollywood’s boldest queer artists as Alla Nazimova (Rebecca Perry) decides to film Oscar Wilde’s play, Salome in 1922, directed by her “husband”, Charles Bryant (Shawn Lall) and designed by her lover, Natacha Rambova (Neta J. Rose). The film would achieve an artistic quality and queer sensibility like no other… but at what cost to the artists?

John Who (p.31).

I feel like I have more writer friends then ever who can relate to the idea of a playwright, struggling to write a “Last Play”, inspired by muses who also create chaos in their mind, wondering if they are suffering from severe writer’s block or losing their grip on reality. Written by Ken Pak and directed by Birdland Director Stefan Dzeparoski, John Who is described as a live deconstruction of a playwright in crisis, trying to navigate the effects of the past couple of years. Starring Julia Dyan, Kevin Forster, Adrian Griffin, Blythe Haynes and Ken Pak, this should be worth stepping away from reality for an hour to catch.

The Sorauren Book Club (p.41).

Haven’t had enough time the last few years, and just could not accept an invitation to participate in a virtual Zoom version more recently, but ordinarily I am a sucker for a good book club! So the premise of Lisa Randall’s first play The Sorauren Book Club definitely appeals, along with the producing company The Universe Over 50 being a collective of fierce, strong women over 50 from diverse communities coming together to make art. Cast includes Tricia Williams, Jasmine Sawant, Maria Syrgiannis, Catherine Speiran and Lisa Randall.

FIVE COMEDIES

Carson & Taylor Promise To Do A Bunch of Flips (p.27).

This show will always hold a distinct place in my memory as the last live show I saw in March, 2020 before Covid shut down live performance for many months. It was part of the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival and it was the funniest show I had seen that year. Directed by Paul Bates, Carson Pinch and Taylor Davis may or may not actually deliver on their title promise, but they definitely deliver a lot of hilarity, and I’m thrilled that Fringe audiences will have the chance to flip over this show as I did.

Don Valley Girls: A Sketch Comedy Revue (p.29)

After far too much time in traffic on the Parkway, I’m really looking forward to laughing instead of crying about the Don Valley with the Don Valley Girls - a mashup of Somali / Korean / Palestinian / Pakistani Canadian perspectives from women and non-binary folks, in a show filled with weird (sometimes heartfelt) sketches, songs and occasional video interludes. Surer Qaly Deria, Mona Hersi, Andie Hong, Rabiya Mansoor and Fateema Al-Hamaydeh Miller are directed by Liza Paul with music direction by Ayaka Kinugawa.

Flight of the Ballooncaster: The Hottest Air (p.30).

Second City alumni and very funny people Devon Hyland and Connor Thompson are both Fringe veterans who return with their original two-man musical comedy about two broadcasters on top of the sportscasting world, until one abruptly retires then goes missing, while the other becomes the number one suspect in the disappearance. A madcap, swashbuckling adventure which asks, how much hot air can one show blow? Good question!

Gay For Pay with Blake & Clay (p.30).

Fringe audiences will surely have heard that there is nothing more prestigious than playing gay. But for actors facing a burning dilemma… Fringe veterans Curtis teBrinke and Daniel Krolik unveil an eight part seminar that is a must for any aspiring actor ready to bravely limp their wrist for a bid at awards season gold. Performed by Krolik and Jonathan Wilson, we may see such gay-acting touchstones as Adversity For The Unadversed, Accountability: A Platform is More Than Just a Runway and of course, Finding the Faggotry, any of which may cause a few indignant walk outs. But if you can handle some blistering cultural satire that is as scathing as it is candid, this could be the show for you.

Sex T-Rex presents Sketch T-Rex (p.32).

Really not much more I should need to say then “a new show from Sex-T-Rex!” to make this a guaranteed pick for Fringe audiences. After so many hilariously entertaining shows, from Swordplay: A Play of Swords to Watch Out WildKat!, from Bendy Sign Tavern to Crime After Crime (After Crime), Conor Bradbury, Julian Frid, Kaitlin Morrow and Seann Murray return with a brand-new full-length sketch comedy review, an hour of high-octane laughs, puppets and silly mouth noises, which I’m betting will deliver the most laughs-per-minute of any show at Fringe. But no pressure Sex T-Rex…

FIVE SOLO SHOWS

Alia Ceniza Rasul: Moro Girl (p.49).

Best known to Fringe audiences as a member of the award-winning Tita Collecftive, comedian and author Alia Ceniza Rasul embarks on her first solo show with Moro Girl. Born in the Philippines but raised mostly in the Middle East, Rasul shares stories about growing up half-Muslim, half-Christian and obsessed with her very Catholic country of birth. Now mid-thirties, grappling with her seemingly conflicting identities, she is looking to finally figure out who the heck she is, why she likes charcuterie so darn much, why every single school she went to was haunted and whether or not she really was descended from pirates.

Anesti Danelis: This Show Will Change Your Life (p.25).

It has been a joy watching Anesti Danelis taking his solo musical comedy shows (starting with Songs for a New World Order, then Six Frets Under) starting from Toronto Fringe to the international Fringe circuit, seeing rave reviews for his work coming from Edinburgh and elsewhere, and now anticipating his third This Show Will Change Your Life spoofing wellness culture and self-help advice. Catch this in Toronto in July, or in Edinburgh in August.

Aliya Kanani: Where You From, From (p.25).

Aliya Kanani may be better and more recently known to Toronto audiences by her Canadian Screen Award nominated turn in feature film SCARBOROUGH, but she has been developing her comedy chops for years, and this solo show Where You From, From has played to sold-out crowds at Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Sydney Comedy Festival, Perth FringeWorld and Just For Laughs, and heads to Edinburgh after Toronto. Aliya Kanani is made up of 30 countries, 10 schools and 6 languages so… where IS she from? Maybe we’ll find out at Toronto Fringe.

A Small Part of the Whole Story (p.50).

These last couple of years have certainly brought a significant amount of grief to many people, myself included, so I’m specially intrigued by the central question of this piece, whether grief can be funny. A comedy/storytelling hybrid by Chris Graham, who is the speaker coach at TEDxToronto, it combines humour, live music and storytelling to explore loss, love and memory. It’s also directed and dramaturged by Fringe veteran Graham Isador who has a proven track record of excellence on solo shows, making this one to keep an eye on.

And the last show in this category is a bit of a cheat, because I was torn and couldn’t decide between a number of fully solo shows, but then this, which features a different solo storyteller each night, caught my eye.

Blast From The Past Presents… One Night Only (p.26)

In this show inspired by childhood show-and-tell, at each performance, a different (solo) storyteller is invited to share a real-life story from their past, then that story is reimagined into a completely unscripted improve comedy by a rotating cast of comedians. The storytellers (one per night) are Elaine Gold, Adil Dhalla-Kim, Franco Nguyen, Alia Rasul, Jada Rifkin, Rico Rodriguez and Pat Silver, while the rotating cast (varies each night) include Rosh Abdullah, Leigh Cameron, Janet Davidson, Alison Haines, Isaac Kessler, Chelsea Larkin, Chantal Lim, Quentin Matheson, Candace Meeks, John Richardson.

FIVE OTHERS OF VARIOUS VARIETY

Bubble Babz: Songs From The Tub (p.44).

Don’t know too much about this show outside of its description about finding award-winning performer, writer and choreographer Barbara Johnston in hot water and completely in her element, telling stories and singing original songs with a little help from her friends. But she has co-written some of Toronto Fringe’s biggest musical hits of the last few years, including Summerland, Blood Ties, The Fence, Maddie’s Karaoke Birthday Party and One Small Step, and she has a lot of very talented musical friends including performers Mateo Chavez Lewis (also music directing), Carter Hayden and Masini McDermott, so expect to be fully entertained here.

Jay & Shilo (p.52).

There are not one, but TWO new Jay & Shilo adventures as part of KidsFest this year, Nightmare Neighbours and Prop Catastrophe. Written by Alisse Lee Goldenberg, Jake Schindler, Anthony Bastianon and Brett McCaig, Fringers, especially those with younger members, will remember previous KidsFringe adventure Sibling Revelry, these entertaining and magical mini-musicals are suitable for ages 4-10 (and accompanying adults). Cast includes Kenton Blythe, Lise Cormier, Khalen Moodie-Powell and Jada Rifkin.

The Occasion (p.47).

A troupe of traditional Korean drummers, dancers, and musicians weaving ritual & theatre with dance & music, sounds pretty amazing! This multi-disciplinary spectacle starts by the house doors, where Ensemble Jeng Yi performs a short “gate cleansing ritual”, ensuring no evil spirits enter the house. Then follows an hour full of music and dance from members of Ensemble Jeng Yi, with guest artists Joo Hyung Kim who performs the Kayugum, the traditional Korean zither, and dancer / choreographer Soojung Kwon. Along with five ribboned-hats, 25 silk strings and one feathered hat!

Sleeping Tucked in the lonely Purple (p.47).

Facilitated by two long-running artist-led Toronto companies, tiger princess dance projects and Theatre Gargantua, this is a collaboratively-created, lyrically moving dance expressing the lived experiences of senior-citizen artists. Performers Susan Applewhaite, Susan Cuthbert and Harold Tausch worked with choreographer Yvonne Ng, each using the same ‘map’ of instructions, plan and opportunities to arrive at three deeply personal and unique performances. Sleeping, Tucked in the lonely Purple unites these performances into a compelling exploration of identity that transcends age and proves once again that gathering for live performance is one of the best antidotes to isolation.

X and da spirit (p.42).

Created by Donovan Hayden, performed by Hayden and Trinity Lloyd, X and da spirit follows X, an unassuming Black man who encounters ‘da spirit of da struggle’, an entity that carries and transmits the knowledge of Black resistance through a mural created by MC, a charismatic graffiti artist and rapper. The show is a celebration of Toronto Blackness using rap, dance, spoken word and other audio-visual elements to reflect on the personal struggles of becoming an activist. Look forward to feeling ‘da spirit’ here.