Intermission

Review: Shakespeare BASH’d brings focus to Troilus and Cressida This spare, thoughtful staging prioritizes a clarity of text that comes through even when the script’s overall trajectory is less than clear.

Review: @shakesbashd.bsky.social brings focus to Troilus and Cressida #theatre #theaTO @intermissionmag.bsky.social www.intermissionmagazine.ca/reviews/troi...

Twelve indelible moments of performance from 2025 With the lights fading on another year of theatre, we asked 12 Ontario performing arts writers to reflect on a moment that stayed with them.

... Here's @intermissionmag.bsky.social 's list: www.intermissionmagazine.ca/reviews/twel... Here's R.Borochovitz @ @nextmagazine.bsky.social's list: nextmag.ca/theatre-scen... He also discussed his with @aviewfromthebox.bsky.social & Phil Rickaby on @stageworthy.ca: stageworthy.ca/toronto-thea...

First up in memorable theatre moments from 2025 in this roundup by @intermissionmag.bsky.social is a "hilariously unhinged escape sequence" from our production of The 39 Steps, performed by the hilarious and talented trio of Sébastien Heins, Kiana Woo, and Isaiah Kolundzic!

Twelve indelible moments of performance from 2025 With the lights fading on another year of theatre, we asked 12 Ontario performing arts writers to reflect on a moment that stayed with them.

With the lights fading on another year of fleeting thrills in dark rooms, we asked 12 Ontario performing arts writers to reflect on a moment that stayed with them.

The results mainly stem from Toronto theatre productions, with a few surprises weaved in.

www.intermissionmagazine.ca/reviews/twel...

Behind the scenes with Bad Dog's 'Holiday! An Improvised Musical' In order to discover the secrets of this Dora Award-nominated production, I met with members of the team as they prepared for the show.

As Bad Dog's third-annual staging of Holiday! An Improvised Musical enters its final week, Page Turn participant Melissa spoke with members of the team to find out how they manage to improvise a Sondheim-inspired musical from scratch every night.

www.intermissionmagazine.ca/features/hol...

Review: Tom Rooney dazzles in 'Rogers v. Rogers' at Crow's Rooney and Healey skewer the Rogers family with a disarmingly relaxed virtuosity that the surrounding production sometimes lets down.

REVIEW: Tom Rooney dazzles in world premiere of Michael Healey’s Rogers v. Rogers

"Rooney and Healey skewer the Rogers family with a disarmingly relaxed virtuosity that the surrounding production sometimes supports, and sometimes lets down."

www.intermissionmagazine.ca/reviews/roge...

Review: National Ballet’s 'Nutcracker' is scrumptious James Kudelka’s 'Nutcracker' treats children as imaginative equals and adults as worthy of a sprinkling of magic, too.

REVIEW: National Ballet’s scrumptious Nutcracker will melt every last Grinch-heart in town

"James Kudelka’s Nutcracker treats children as imaginative equals and adults as worthy of a sprinkling of magic, too. It’s an unwavering, saturated dream of joy."

www.intermissionmagazine.ca/reviews/nutc...

Review: Bad Hats’ 'Narnia' is a joyful, heartwarming escape The spirit of openness and the joy of discovery rule over this 'Narnia' at Soulpepper in the Distillery District. Open the wardrobe and see.

REVIEW: Bad Hats’ Narnia is a joyful, heartwarming escape

"The spirit of openness and the joy of discovery rule over this Narnia. Open the wardrobe and see."

www.intermissionmagazine.ca/reviews/bad-...

Review: 'Public Consumption' captures the internet’s emptiness Rather than directly representing online life, 'Public Consumption' speculates about how the digital world affects our bodies.

REVIEW: Lester Trips’ stylish Public Consumption captures the internet’s profound emptiness

"Rather than directly representing online life, Public Consumption speculates — with virtuosity — about how the digital world affects our bodies."

www.intermissionmagazine.ca/reviews/publ...

Review: 'Moonlight Schooner' is a poetic but uneven period piece 'Moonlight Schooner' is animated and visually stunning, but its individual pieces don’t come together as neatly as I would've expected.

REVIEW: Necessary Angel’s Moonlight Schooner offers a poetic glimpse into the lives of three Caribbean sailors

"Moonlight Schooner is animated and visually stunning, but its individual pieces don’t come together as neatly as I would've expected."

www.intermissionmagazine.ca/reviews/moon...

Review: Here For Now’s 'Reproduktion' attempts to tackle too much Amy Rutherford’s world premiere script is ambitious and the material it covers is complex — but the narrative feels disjointed.

REVIEW: Here For Now’s well-acted Reproduktion attempts to tackle too much

"Amy Rutherford’s world premiere script is ambitious and the material it covers is complex — but the narrative feels disjointed."

www.intermissionmagazine.ca/reviews/repr...

Review: Delicate Tarragon drama unpacks language's inadequacy 'a profoundly affectionate, passionate devotion to someone (-noun)': the title says it all, offering a definition for an absent word.

REVIEW: Obsidian and Tarragon co-production reflects on the inadequacy of language

"a profoundly affectionate, passionate devotion to someone (-noun): the title says it all, offering a definition for an absent word. The thing is the thing unsaid."

www.intermissionmagazine.ca/reviews/prof...

Bad Hats' 'Narnia' completes trilogy of family-friendly musicals "'[What things] have to die and fall away in order for new things to grow?’" wonders 'Narnia' adaptor-director Fiona Sauder.

Narnia completes trilogy of musicals championing a child’s-eye view of life

"What emerged for us was this idea of life cycles,” reflects adaptor-director Fiona Sauder. “‘[What things] have to die and fall away in order for new things to grow?’”

www.intermissionmagazine.ca/features/nar...

Review: 'The Christmas Market' shines a light on migrant labour Among softly falling snowflakes, dense rum cake, and a tree that twirls of its own accord, 'The Christmas Market' unfolds.

REVIEW: With equal parts joy and indignation, The Christmas Market shines a light on migrant labour

"Delicately balanced with humour and emotionally charged dialogue, The Christmas Market is vibrant and moving, bottled up like lightning in 90 minutes."

www.intermissionmagazine.ca/reviews/chri...

Review: 'Dissonant Species' features impressive visual storytelling For the first half of the show, you can’t help but focus on director Jacquie P.A. Thomas' thoughtful scenic choices.

REVIEW: Theatre Gargantua’s Dissonant Species features live science experiments and impressive visual storytelling

"For the first half of the show, you can’t help but focus on director Jacquie P.A. Thomas' thoughtful scenic choices."

www.intermissionmagazine.ca/reviews/diss...

For composer Njo Kong Kie, the word ‘artist’ is a complicated label Dora Award–winning composer Njo Kong Kie 楊光奇 on redefining what makes someone an “artist” — and why the label still feels complicated.

For composer Njo Kong Kie 楊光奇, the word ‘artist’ is a complicated label.

Intermission staff writer Nathaniel Hanula-James sits down with the Dora Award–winning composer to trace a career that’s moved fluidly between opera, theatre, and dance.

www.intermissionmagazine.ca/speaking-in-...

Review: Jessica B. Hill’s 'Pandora' thinks outside the box At face value, 'Pandora' resembles random chaos. But weave its parts together and a story emerges that is equal parts moving and fascinating.

REVIEW: Jessica B. Hill’s Pandora thinks outside the box at Stratford’s Here For Now Theatre

"Weave Pandora's disparate elements together and a story emerges that is equal parts moving and fascinating."

www.intermissionmagazine.ca/reviews/pand...

'The Comeuppance' unpacks high-school reunions with precision Macabre and drama-filled yet surprisingly gentle, 'The Comeuppance' will probably be most compelling to the around-40 crowd.

REVIEW: Soulpepper’s The Comeuppance unpacks high-school reunions with deadly, millennial-aged precision

"Macabre and drama-filled, The Comeuppance will probably be most compelling to the around-40 crowd who share its specific touchstones."

www.intermissionmagazine.ca/reviews/the-...

Review: TfT delivers funny and striking rendition of 'Le Malentendu' In this staging of 'Le Malentendu,' director Karine Ricard banishes all earthly joy from the scene, leaving behind an almost lunar coldness.

REVIEW: TfT delivers humour and cruelty in striking rendition of Camus’ Le Malentendu

"Director Karine Ricard banishes all earthly joy from the scene, leaving behind an almost lunar coldness."

www.intermissionmagazine.ca/reviews/le-m...

Tara Beagan wins 2025 Governor General’s Award for drama Her multilingual play 'Rise, Red River' connects environmental devastation with the intergenerational impacts of colonial violence.

Thank you Intermission Magazine for sharing the wonderful news about Tara Beagan’s Governor General’s Literary Award win! www.intermissionmagazine.ca/news/tara-be...

Review: Lepage’s 'The Far Side of the Moon' is insomniac theatre The Far Side of the Moon begins and ends with a large mirror on stage, and the show uses it to raise tantalizingly enigmatic questions.

REVIEW: The Far Side of the Moon is insomniac theatre

"The Far Side of the Moon begins and ends with a large mirror on stage, and it extracts enigmatic power from the tantalizing question of whether Philippe is losing himself in his reflection, or moving toward self-discovery."

buff.ly/FM2Clyb

Review: National Ballet's 'Procession' blurs sorrow and sensuality 'Procession,' the National Ballet of Canada’s brooding and stylized world premiere ballet, rushes to the stage with startling vitality.

REVIEW: National Ballet’s Procession tangles the lines of sorrow and sensuality

"Procession, the National Ballet of Canada’s brooding and stylized world premiere ballet, rushes to the stage with startling vitality — and does so at a funeral."

www.intermissionmagazine.ca/reviews/ball...

Review: 'CHILD-ish' takes a hilarious look at life through kids’ eyes Making its Toronto premiere in the Tarragon Theatre Extraspace, Sunny Drake's 'CHILD-ish' is a giggly good time, if a pinch oversweet.

REVIEW: Tarragon’s CHILD-ish takes a hopeful and hilarious look at life through kids’ eyes

"It’s a giggly good time, if a pinch oversweet."

www.intermissionmagazine.ca/reviews/chil...

Many layers to GCTC's 'Abraham Lincoln Goes to the Theatre' Sarah Kitz’s Great Canadian Theatre Company production leans into the play’s real strength: its exploration of narrative.

REVIEW: At Ottawa’s GCTC, you won’t expect what happens when Abraham Lincoln Goes to the Theatre

"Sarah Kitz’s production leans into the play’s real strength: its exploration of narrative."

www.intermissionmagazine.ca/reviews/abra...

Review: 'Blackbird' offers a close-up look at detailed performances Emerging director Dean Deffett has concocted a tight, straightforward production, primarily of interest as an intimate character study.

REVIEW: Talk is Free Theatre’s Blackbird offers a close-up look at two detailed performances

"Director Dean Deffett has concocted a tight, straightforward production, primarily of interest as an intimate character study."

www.intermissionmagazine.ca/reviews/blac...

Review: 'Bright Star' coasts on charm and likability at Mirvish Co-writer Steve Martin’s wit, which blazes in plays like 'Picasso at the Lapin Agile,' merely twinkles here.

REVIEW: Garner Theatre Productions’ Bright Star coasts on charm and likability

"Co-writer Steve Martin’s wit, which blazes in plays like Picasso at the Lapin Agile, merely twinkles here."

www.intermissionmagazine.ca/reviews/brig...

REVIEW: Kitchener’s biennial IMPACT Festival sparks with urgency Most of the six works I viewed tackled urgent topics, from the Canadian immigration system to the Palestinian experience of displacement.

REVIEW: Kitchener’s biennial IMPACT Festival crackled with urgency

"Most of the six works I viewed tackled urgent topics, from the convoluted Canadian immigration system to the Palestinian experience of displacement."

www.intermissionmagazine.ca/reviews/impa...

REVIEW: 'This Is the Story of the Child Ruled by Fear' Writer-performer David Gagnon Walker’s production puts a mythical spin on anxiety, loneliness, and the precarity of the present.

REVIEW: 'This Is the Story of the Child Ruled by Fear' takes a timid look at living through times of crisis

Writer-performer David Gagnon Walker’s production puts a mythical spin on anxiety, loneliness, and the precarity of the present.

www.intermissionmagazine.ca/reviews/this...

Review: 'Slave Play' sparks debate — so we reviewed it twice Intermission is honouring the play’s divisive reputation by presenting a pair of reviews written independently of one another.

REVIEW: Slave Play sparks debate — so we reviewed it twice

"To mark the Canadian premiere of this influential satire, Intermission is honouring the play’s divisive reputation by presenting a pair of reviews written independently of one another."

www.intermissionmagazine.ca/reviews/slav...

Review: COC's 'Roméo et Juliette' wears its heart on its sleeve I was surprised to find an image as simple as the pair peacefully spooning in bed struck a sympathetic chord with me.

REVIEW: Amy Lane's campy Roméo et Juliette wears its heart on its sleeve at the COC

"The opera is so grand, and Gounod’s music so august, that I was surprised to find an image as simple as the pair peacefully spooning in bed struck a sympathetic chord with me."

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