During all the TIFF hubbub, it’s good to remember that Toronto also has some of the finest live theatre in the English world. This fall season offers the perfect opportunity to enjoy the fruits of live performance as Toronto gears up for a new season.
The Young Centre for the Performing Arts present what is arguably one of the best one-act farces of 20th century English theatre. The Real Inspector Hound is a delicious skewering of critics and the genre of murder mysteries.
A short walk from Dupont and Bathurst lies a hidden gem one must become familiar with – the Tarragon Theatre. In essence it’s an ever-evolving factory, churning out a wide array of diverse productions which cater to a multitude of interests. Written by celebrated Quebec playwright Evelyne de la Chenelière is Bashir Lahzar, a play revolving around a substitute teacher of a traumatized grade six class who utilizes atypical teaching methods as he attempts to educate his students for a random and unpredictable world.
Out of Town
Want TIFFesque stars? Stratford’s line-up includes Brian Dennehy and Christopher Plummer who continue to delight audiences with stirring performances. Dennehy marks his introduction to the festival in a double-header presenting Eugene O’Neill’s one-act Hughie and Samuel Beckett’s Krapp’s Last Tape. George Bernard Shaw’s Caesar and Cleopatra presents Christopher Plummer (the folks at Shaw festival must be thrilled) as the weary Caesar alongside Nikki M. James as Cleopatra in what the New York Times hails as “memorable magic”.
