Getting to Know You The Orillia Opera House’s Professional Theatre company will go down in history as the first theatre to reopen in Ontario after closing for the pandemic.  But lest you think the pandemic is over in Orillia and everything’s back to normal, you have another think coming. We followed all the face mask […]

Masterful Handling of the Truth Last summer, Drayton Entertainment brought us 12 Angry Men, a 1957 drama where jury members are trying to determine the truth.  This year, Drayton is presenting A Few Good Men, a 1986 courtroom drama, also seeking truth.    With 12 Angry Men, I said that director Marti Maraden deserved credit […]

Indigenous Story of Life and Death Honour Beat, currently on the Spriet Stage at London’s Grand Theatre, shows some of the cultural differences between Indigenous people and settlers (and descendants) in Canada.  But more importantly, it shows how similar families are. Those who have held a vigil at the bedside of a dying parent will […]

Rebecca Northan Shines with Audience Interaction In a one-woman show, improv expert Rebecca Northan shares the stage with a dozen or so audience members she conscripts to complete the cast.  Apparently, no one can say no to Northan as she gets full cooperation from the audience members, some with surprisingly good acting skills. Northan wowed […]

Brilliant Acting while on an Actor’s Journey Gavin Crawford as Sam, an underemployed actor, goes from despair to revenge and on to hope in Fully Committed on the Spriet Stage at the Grand Theatre in London.  He manages to do what every actor wants to do – he takes his character on a complete and […]

Magic and Delight Having seen the Disney version of Mary Poppins many times over the years, I was pleased to have this opportunity to see the Disney and Cameron MacKintosh’s stage musical.  The movie was a magical escape, and that magic is wonderfully recreated at the Grand Theatre in London. This play is perfectly staged, with flying, […]

A Hilarious, Modern Adaptation Sleeping Beauty – The Panto, currently at the St. Jacobs Country Playhouse, is as much for the adults as for the children.  In true panto style, the audience becomes part of the performance. The wonderful thing about fairy tales is that they are continually adapted to the times.  Sleeping Beauty has been traced […]

Buddy is No Cotton-Headed Ninny Muggins This Christmas season, a very tall elf named Buddy is dancing on stage at the Hamilton Theatre in Cambridge   He is hilarious, but his story will bring tears to even the most cynical eyes.  If you’re a fan of Drayton Entertainment’s fairy tale pantos, you will recognize Buddy. […]

Brilliant Performances in A Legendary Affair The Grand Dames of Canadian theatre are together on stage in a captivating musical, both giving brilliant performances.  The show is Piaf/Dietrich – A Legendary Affair and the noted leads are Louise Pitre and Jayne Lewis, both of whom inhabit their characters and bring to life the famous chanteuses. […]

Compelling Presentation of Gut-Wrenching Story Set in Israel, The Runner is a fascinating story about a practice not familiar to most of us.  Not only does this play tell an unspeakable tale, it is presented by a brilliant actor who makes his character’s pain evident. Jacob is an orthodox Jew living in Israel where he […]