The Toronto Fringe Festival 2024

30 Jun 2024 - Photos courtesy of the artists

Not even the most gifted psychic and predict which of the Toronto Fringe Festival's copious offerings with become a runaway hit and which will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The choices are overwhelming and fabulous. So I, with no psychic ability whatsoever, contacted sex of the many artists involved and got them to pitch their particular productions and ones that they are excited to see.

Drew Rowsome: What is your role in your Fringe production?

Jamie Hill of Sheila the Musical: I’m writer, composer and solo cast member. I channel my own alter ego to find this character within, and bring personal experience to the details of her life in the script and music. 

Mark Keller of Poz: I’m the writer and performer.

Ganesh Kava of Koli Kari: As the founder of Pink Banana Theatre, I had the rewarding job of assembling this fantastic team. I'll be honest, I think I did a pretty darn good job snagging these folks before they got scooped up by other projects with actual pay. But like me, as the writer and lead actor in the show, they see the importance of this production and connect with it on a deeply personal level.

Justin Hay of Saskatchewan: An Aspirational Polyamorous Adventure: Writer and director. 

Laura Landauer of Being Celine: This is a one-woman show, conceived, written and performed by me, with a little help from my friends.

Lowen Morrow of Crime After Crime (After Crime): I'll be playing many roles. Onstage I play several goons, a femme fatale, the leader of a heist, maybe a space ship or two . . . Offstage I do props/costumes, help stage the show, and do choreography. 

What is the short catchy synopsis of your show?

Jamie Hill of Sheila the Musical: Sheila, a 1950s bearded housewife, ventures on a journey of self-discovery in this black comedy.

Mark Keller of Poz: On an epic bike ride from Toronto to Montreal, Mark comes to terms with his HIV status, relationships, and whether or not he’ll cross the finish line.

Ganesh Kava of Koli Kari: To save his failing cooking show, Ravi is forced to reveal the secret recipe for his mouthwatering Koli Kari (Chicken Curry). But when the chicken comes to life and conjures up the recipe's true creator, Ravi must confront someone he thought he’d never see again — his Amma. Magical, queer, and full of flavour, Koli Kari asks what is ours to share . . . and at what cost?

Justin Hay of Saskatchewan: An Aspirational Polyamorous Adventure: A polyamorous trio move from Toronto to Saskatchewan to start a family, where their unconventional arrangement is challenged by their conventional neighbours – and they’re all shaken up by the arrival of a surprise visitor!

Laura Landauer: A multimedia extravaganza and intimate look into the daily life of superstar Celine Dion.

Lowen Morrow of Crime After Crime (After Crime):  Crime After Crime (After Crime) by Sex T-Rex is a three-in-one, cinematic-inspired, action-packed physical comedy spanning three "crime periods": film noir in the 1950s, a heist in the 1970s, and a buddy cop in the 1990s.

Why is your show the must-see of the Fringe?

Jamie Hill of Sheila the Musical: Because it’s not only ridiculously silly but also a wild emotional ride alongside Sheila, a relatable, deep, troubled soul.

Mark Keller of Poz: It’s funny, sometimes sad and honestly portrays different parts of the Toronto queer community. Everything you would want from a gay night out at the theatre. Also it won the Fringe Best New Play Contest!

Ganesh Kava of Koli Kari: Koli Kari is a love letter and a bold twist on the Canadian identity play, challenging the tropes of the "immigrant experience." Our talented South Asian cast tells a universal story about understanding family and being understood by them. This show is outrageous, funny, and heart-wrenching, breaking new ground in Canadian theatre with mask work, live cooking, and a chance for the audience to taste some delicious curry. It’s a feast for the senses that sparks meaningful conversations across generations.

Justin Hay of Saskatchewan: An Aspirational Polyamorous Adventure: A sweet, funny and surprisingly provocative take on modern relationships.

Laura Landauer of Being Celine: Because doesn't it feel so good just to laugh? And six costume changes in less than an hour is pretty exciting, I think.

Lowen Morrow of Crime After Crime (After Crime): Fight scenes! Swing dance car chases! Laser grid sex scenes! All told through physical comedy and silly mouth noises. Oh and trans representation!

What has been the most exciting part of rehearsals? The most daunting?

Jamie Hill of Sheila the Musical: The most exciting part of rehearsals is definitely bringing Sheila to life, with all of her relatable quirks. The most daunting has to be diving into the moments where we interact with her husband to try and give humanity to his character, while clearly framing him as the villain of the story. 

Mark Keller of Poz: The most exciting thing for me has been to watch the show develop from the page to a living moving thing on the stage under Nick May’s direction.

Ganesh Kava of Koli Kari: Seeing the team come together for the first time is one of the most exciting parts of any production. As the playwright, it's thrilling to watch my quirky creations, like a magical humanoid chicken, brought to life by the team. The most daunting part is preparing for the technical rehearsal at Tarragon. It was tough to take off my other hats and focus solely on acting, resisting the urge to chime in on the production WhatsApp group. But I’m confident the team will deliver an amazing show.

Justin Hay of Saskatchewan: An Aspirational Polyamorous Adventure: Seeing actors breathe life into my words – particularly bringing to life the polyamory “in the flesh” was surprisingly challenging (to me!).

Laura Landauer of Being Celine: It's been amazing to see the progression, how the storyline keeps building on itself. We keep finding more and more areas to explore. I see this production as only the beginning. As for daunting . . . well . . . it’s only me up there . . . 

Lowen Morrow of Crime After Crime (After Crime): Daunting: fitting an hour and a half show into an hour! Fitting into our costumes after five years. The most exciting part is getting to work with the team again, bunch a' cuties. 

The “content advice” for Sheila the Musical notes a “strong vocal narrative” and “bold, colourful costuming.” It is also warned that the show is “not recommended for persons under 14 years of age” and contains sexual content, graphic violence and “infant neglect.” How do you hope an audience will react to such an extreme dichotomy? What do you hope they will feel?

Jamie Hill of Sheila the Musical: I hope the audience will be kept on their toes by the show’s juxtaposition of Sheila’s innocence and charm paired with the dark reality of her unintentional, yet deliberate ignorance of her own oppression, and the displaced emotion that comes of it. Perhaps the audience can to relate her strife to their individual human experiences, and questioning their own social conditioning.

5 Guys Chillin’ was hard-hitting and realistic but also had a lot of the dark humour gays are known for when dealing with difficult topics. How does Poz handle the stigma that remains even in this era of U=U and Prep?

Mark Keller of Poz: The entire play is based on my life dealing with what it means to be HIV positive now. I even used real conversations from Grindr and texts with lovers to create some of the dialogue to show the effect of stigma in hookups and relationships. Speaking of 5 Guys Chillin’ this show reunites two of the show's cast members (Alan Shonfield and myself) with director/producer Nick May.

This is the second Fringe play I’ve encountered that mixes actual cooking onstage, the theatrical equivalent of Smell-O-Vision, with queer themes. Is there a correlation between LGBTQ and culinary skills?

Ganesh Kava of Koli Kari: While there isn’t a direct link, cooking is a powerful way to express love, especially in immigrant families. Many of us weren’t shown the "vocabulary" of familial love growing up and know we are loved through actions and food. That's why this story about a queer son's reconciliation with his estranged mother is explored within the framework of a cooking show.

Why pick Saskatchewan as a setting for an “aspirational polyamorous adventure?”

Justin Hay of Saskatchewan: An Aspirational Polyamorous Adventure: There are multiple parts to this, both personal and symbolic, but ultimately a provocation to the sitting Saskatchewan government, whose recent stance on trans youth has been on the wrong side of humanity/history. So, a touch of irony. 

Did you have to adjust your show after the documentary when Celine revealed her stiff body diseases diagnosis?

Laura Landauer of Being Celine: No. This show has always been a loving tribute to Celine Dion's body of work. She has shown the world, yet again how brave and strong she really is. It is a celebration of her larger than life persona.

You are very brave to do singalong shows. Are you not afraid of ear damage?

Laura Landauer of Being Celine: I think it’s going to be incredible to hear the crowd sing along. I’m ready for it girlfrens’!

Crime After Crime (After Crime) seems to have more of a structure than previous Sex T-Rex Fringe offerings. Is the line between theatre and sketch comedy blurring? How do you feel about that?

Lowen Morrow of Crime After Crime (After Crime): Sketch T-Rex was actually a departure from our usual format, where we challenged ourselves to write a full hour of short-form sketches - but the rest of Sex T-Rex's repertoire, including our western-inspired Watch Out WildKat, and SwordPlay (which just won a Dora Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble) is full-length comedic plays. We're excited to go back to form with Crime After Crime (After Crime). Sex T-Rex has always been in a murky middle ground between sketch and theatre in people's perceptions- we have very sculpted moments and moments that feel off the cuff and casual. If that line really is blurring, we feel great about it- blur away! Lines are boring.

What other shows at the Fringe are you looking forward to seeing and why?

Jamie Hill of Sheila the Musical: I am very excited to see Crime After Crime (After Crime). “Satire-laced chaos”?! Yes please! Sounds like my kind of show.

Mark Keller of Poz: I love horror parodies so Girls Night Cabin Fever.

Ganesh Kava of Koli Kari:  I’m thrilled about our joint promotion campaign, #southasianfringe, showcasing South Asian stories in Canadian theatre. Highlights include: Colonial Circus: A clown show tackling the legacy of imperialism through comedy and absurdity; bol, brown boy, bol: Fusing storytelling and tabla drumming to explore Canadian racism and discovering one's voice through music; and Aala Tamasha Aala: a folk theatre show about an aspiring dancer who struggles with moving to Toronto and losing his connection to his homeland. I’m also excited for Painting by Numbers by Fresh Palette Theatre Company, a comedy about the unlikely theft of a Van Gogh masterpiece, led by my talented friend Judah Parris.

Justin Hay of Saskatchewan: An Aspirational Polyamorous Adventure: Disarming Venus – 18 women telling their truth, Far-Flung Peoples – the Canadian immigrant experience is something I want to engage in, and The Delightful Chaos of Mistila and the Motlies – plays with different forms of theatre conventions.

Laura Landauer of Being Celine: Scenes from an Italian Restaurant: This dance piece is going to be phenomenal; Before we Go: I adore improv shows and this one has a stellar line up of performers; Desperate Measures: Hilarious! The story sounds hilarious!; Girls Night Out: Spooky Farce! What more can I say?; and In the Diving Bell: I’m intrigued by the creator’s idea of combining multidisciplinary art and  clowning. 

Lowen Morrow of Crime After Crime (After Crime): Before We Go, Anesti Danelis' Artificially Intelligent, Affirmative Reaction's All of Our Parents Are Immigrants, Summer Dad's Paternal Guidance, Colonial Circus - most of these fine folks are from the comedy community and are all amazing. Can't wait to see what they've been cooking up.