We are in the second half of summer, which means Summerworks — one of Toronto’s most creative indie theatre festivals — is just around the corner. The festival features 11 days of theatre, dance, music and live art. Here are my picks for the performances you need to check out this year.
…And You’ll Never Believe What Happens Next
After being rejected for a job at Buzzfeed, an editor teaches Graham Isador how to tell an effective story. In …And You’ll Never Believe What Happens Next, Isador uses personal anecdotes to question the way media shapes our point of view and why we like the things we like.
This show is produced by Jiv Parasram and Tom Arthur Davis, the creators of Take D Milk, Nah, which was the best ‘identity plays’ I have ever seen. It is sure to be thought-provoking and captivating!
It takes place at The Theatre Centre – BMO Incubator. The first performance will be this Thursday August 9th at 5pm.
b side
Traversing a Queen West laneway, two performers and an audience work to colour outside the lines of their surroundings, highlighting our unseen sides. Using sound and movement, they engage in a meditative act of witnessing and wandering, giving life to what is hidden in plain sight.
If you like travelling, then you will like travelling in your own backyard, so go see b side.
It will take place at a secret location that will be emailed to you after you purchase your tickets. The first performance will be next Tuesday August 14th at 5:30pm.
4inXchange
An interactive, site-specific game with four players and $1,000 cash – 4inXchange is a pop art business meeting that guides you through a series of dialogues, chances, competitions, and meditations. Use the cash on the table to get to know your fellow participants, while xLq ask provocative questions about value, intimacy, love, and truth.
How often do we worship money over all else? 4inXchange makes space for us to question the very way we live our life.
It will take place at the Toronto Media Arts Centre in the Meeting Room. The first performance will take place this Thursday August 9th at 6pm.
The Extinction of Hong Kongers
It is 2017, 20 years after the UK handed Hong Kong sovereignty over to China. In a long-lasting see-saw battle between Hong Kong’s democrats and communist China, Hong Kong’s local culture is being slowly eroded day by day. Theatre du Poulet re-creates the historical city of Hong Kong in miniature, using puppets made of recycled materials to show you how Hong Kong will be threatened, destroyed, and finally, extinct.
With a huge production team, The Extinction of Hong Kongers promises to expose audiences to an honest perspective of Chinese politics, in a new, engaging way.
It will take place at the Toronto Media Arts Centre in the Main Gallery. The first performance will be on Friday August 10th at 8pm.
THE PRIVATE LIFE OF THE MASTER RACE
Join us for a night at Das Kabarett as we explore a new adaptation of a Brecht classic. Delve into the deepest secrets and naughty desires of a numb population.
Creation is about re-creation and it sounds like director Esther Jun has painted this production with a lot of new personality.
It will take place at The Theatre Centre – BMO Incubator. The first performance will be on Thursday August 9th at 8pm.
