Oof, it was certainly a hot one for Canada Day this year! And though the Fringe offerings were a little less because of the holiday, I was still able to get out and see a show while also enjoying a nice mid-week unwind with my fiance!
○ Costume Designer: Camila Farah
○ An actor with short, brown hair wears a dark half-mask over their eyes and
leans toward another actor. The second actor also wears a colourful half
mask over their eyes, with blue streamers flowing out of it. She holds a red
fan up to her face, blocking the other actor’s view of her
Such Ado – This Duck Productions
What do you get when you mix the hype of FIFA with a bit of the Bard? You get the brilliant, funny, and decidedly queer Such Ado. Written and directed by Emily Elizabeth, Such Ado takes Shakespeare’s beloved enemies-to-friends rom-com and gives it a “She’s the Man” college soccer twist, all through a queer lens which makes for a unique and exciting experience.
Such Ado is being performed in the Cake Cabaret, a multi-level space which the production makes good use of. Though, despite the raised stage, there were still times where even in the second row of seating, I found myself unable to see all of the action on stage. I highly recommend getting there early, so that you can get a great seat and don’t miss a moment of the action.
I love how Such Ado uses predominantly modern language, though it does have moments where a slightly more elevated tone is used, particularly when Ben and Bea are either fighting, or expressing their love. It’s a nice nod to the original text, while making it feel accessible to a modern audience. I also really enjoy how they’re able to work in queer issues within the context of the play: from an all-gender soccer team facing protests from the community to staying in the closet because of a parent, Such Ado actually gives the work greater stakes because of the homophobia which some of the characters face.
Demi-Lee Bainbridge, Elise Bauman, Frances Loiselle, Henrique Santsper, Jillian Robinson, Keren Edelist, Liam Kinahan, Naomi Morales, and Siyu Han expertly bring this story to life. Their passion shines through in their performances; they make us laugh and cry in equal measure.
When people say they’re doing a queer adaptation of Shakespeare, this is the kind of show I envision. Such Ado is certainly one of my fave Fringe shows to date!
https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/show/such-ado
Cover Photo: Photo by Barry McCluskey featuring Naomi Morales (L) and Keren Edelist (R)
○ Costume Designer: Camila Farah
○ An actor with long brown hair, wearing a light blue shirt, stairs off into the
distance. In the background, we see another actor who is wearing a blue
and pink soccer jersey and black shorts.
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