This first week of Fringe is coming to a close and the time has been flying by! I’m having so much fun getting to see so many different shows this year; as of today’s shows I’ll have passed my total from last year! I’m also very happy to have the proper time to bring you my round ups daily, and keep you informed about what I’m seeing!

Featherhead – Birdbrain Theatre Collective

At some point in our lives, I think we’ve all wished for the ability to talk to animals, and that’s exactly what Rooney can do! Well, just with birds, but it’s still an incredible super power! Featherhead introduces us to Rooney and the pigeons on her roof in a funny and touching story about friendship in a time of forced separation. Written by Sydnie Phillips and directed by Darcy Gerhart, Featherhead is an endearing and hopeful piece of theatre.

The cast of this play is fantastic; particularly the actors playing the pigeons. They never sat still, even when they weren’t the main focus of the scene. This brilliant physicality brought so many laughs and smiles. Keren Edelist is so sweet and earnest as Rooney. Liam Peter Donovan is a perfect foil for her as the injured pigeon Pidgy (love the name!). Jonnie Lombard, Jenn Tan, and Valeria Venturo play the aforementioned pigeons, proving a chorus-like aspect to the play while also being hilariously funny.

The pandemic’s influence on this play is easily recognizable, but that makes it all the more relatable. Like Rooney, I moved to Toronto in November of 2020, a mere days before the province-wide travel bans came into effect, which cut me off from family and friends for 5 months. I could totally understand the loneliness that Rooney faced as letters and messages weren’t being answered and she only has the pigeons, who she finds to be quite rude, to talk to. Featherhead is charming, engaging, and definitely needs to be added to your Fringe list for this year! For more information and tickets, visit: Featherhead | Toronto Fringe Festival (fringetoronto.com)

Blake and Clay’s Gay Agenda – Gay for Pay Productions

After last year’s wild success with Gay for Pay with Blake and Clay, the fabulous duo is back with Blake and Clay’s Gay Agenda. This Ted-Talk style show, written by Curtis Campbell and Daniel Krolik, is ready to educate audiences about the 2SLGBTQIA+ experience. With their incredible chemistry and perfect comedic timing, it’s no wonder that Blake and Clay are playing to sold out houses day after day!

I was so disappointed to have missed Gay for Pay last year, so there was nothing going to stop me from seeing Blake and Clay’s Gay Agenda this year; not even the ridiculous downtown Toronto traffic! Thankfully we made it just in time and only really missed their introduction. After that it was all laughs and they outlined their major points for their Gay Agenda and what they think is necessary to unite the queer community. They make references to so much queer pop-culture I couldn’t stop laughing, and their more adult jokes had the whole place roaring with laughter. As I mentioned before, their timing is perfect: letting jokes hang while we laughed or smacking us in the face with an unexpected punchline. From the first moments I could understand why they were such a crowd favourite last year and will clearly be again this year.

Blake and Clay’s Gay Agenda is a must-see this year. Their charming, funny, and insightful take on 2SLGBTQIA+ life is, to me, an essential part of our understanding of one another. I had such an amazing time and I’m so glad I was able to catch this year’s installment of Blake and Clay’s theatrical legacy. Make sure you don’t miss out on the fun either! Visit: Blake & Clay’s Gay Agenda | Toronto Fringe Festival (fringetoronto.com)