Dysfunctional Family Ties Reviewed by Mary Alderson Divorce, distance, drinking – all the ingredients of an estranged father-son relationship. Not the usual fodder for a Norm Foster comedy. But while Mending Fences provides Foster’s signature quips and quick one-liners, there is also much to think about, when it comes to family dynamics. This dramedy (drama/comedy) […]

Bring Your Clapping Hands Reviewed by Sookie Mei It was good timing that I went to see The Grand Theatre’s East Coast Kitchen Party on the same day that the lineup was announced for this year’s Home County Music & Arts Festival. Watching and listening to the musicians on stage felt like I was at […]

Back to the Eighties Reviewed by Mary Alderson If you’re looking for a time machine to transport you back to the 1980s, then look no further than the Elgin Theatre in Toronto. Rock of Ages, now on stage there, is guaranteed to make you believe you have reversed time 35 years. So “Don’t Stop Believing”. […]

Panto Means Plenty of Cute Kids Reviewed by Mary Alderson Get your tickets now and take the kids or grandkids to the Globus Theatre for Cinderella. It’s a traditional British panto, thanks to writer and director Sarah Quick who is, indeed, British. According to the U.K. definition, a panto is a traditional fairy tale complete […]

The Curse of the Cell Phones Reviewed by Mary Alderson Sleeping Beauty – A Panto Awakening, now on stage at Port Hope’s Capitol Theatre, has all the ingredients of a silly Christmas panto. But at the same time, the writers have included an indictment of the high prices cell phone companies charge in Canada. Strange […]

High Energy Dance, Heartfelt Singing, and Sweet Romance Reviewed by Mary Alderson If you’re a fan of sappy Christmas movies on TV – you know the kind – couple meets, falls in love, has a silly fight, breaks up, then makes up – you better book your tickets for White Christmas right now. The live […]

Canadians in Qatar Reviewed by Mary Alderson So you’re a big soccer fan – or should I say football – but you just can’t do the trip to Qatar to see Canada compete at the World Cup. Well, no worries, you can just go to the Globus Theatre south of Bobcaygeon and enjoy that World […]

The Rain Reigns in This Show Reviewed by Mary Alderson The film version of Singin’ in the Rain came along in the middle of the golden age of movie musicals. It hit the big screen in 1952 and made a star out of 19-year-old Debbie Reynolds who played Kathy Seldon. Also starring were Gene Kelly […]

The Best of the Jukebox Reviewed by Mary Alderson The musical Jersey Boys was wildly popular when the touring show first arrived in Canada in 2008. Then in 2009, it reopened in Toronto with an all-Canadian cast, and many fans, myself included, went back to see it again, and then a third time, too. Later […]

Erin go Bragh (Ireland Forever) Reviewed by Vicki Stokes It’s time for the final show of the 2022 season at Victoria Playhouse in Petrolia, and Director David Hogan says “This is a party show.” There are plenty of opportunities to tap your feet, clap your hands, cheer, whistle, and sing along with the immensely talented ensemble cast. […]