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aisling murphy

@aislingmurph.bsky.social
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"ash-ling" | theatre reporter + critic @ the globe and mail | aislingmurphy@globeandmail.com

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aisling murphy @aislingmurph.bsky.social · 13h
Canadian Stage's WINE IN THE WILDERNESS didn't work as well for me as I hoped. I found Mazin Elsadig to be underpowered, and I'm once again wishing for more stories of the Black Canadian experience on Toronto's stages. Review @theglobeandmail.com: www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/stag...
theglobeandmail.com
Wine in the Wilderness at Canadian Stage is a compelling but uneven examination of misogynoir in 1960s Harlem
Virgilia Griffith’s sizzling Tommy is a pleasure to watch in Jordan Laffrenier’s production, even if other performances don’t fully land
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The Globe and Mail @theglobeandmail.com · 29/09/2026
theglobeandmail.com
Heated Rivalry production company launches real-life Irina Foundation to support inclusivity in sports and arts
Created by Accent Aigu Entertainment co-founders Jacob Tierney and Brendan Brady, new fund is based on Shane and Ilya’s fictional charity
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aisling murphy @aislingmurph.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I was pleasantly surprised by HELL'S KITCHEN. The book's not life-changing but it's deeper than you'd expect, and the music sounds terrific – I particularly enjoyed the new arrangement of Empire State of Mind. Review @theglobeandmail.com: www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/stag...
theglobeandmail.com
Hell’s Kitchen at the CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre is a rarity – a jukebox musical with soul
Written around the music and lyrics of Grammy-winning sensation Alicia Keys, the show honours her eponymous childhood neighbourhood writ large
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aisling murphy @aislingmurph.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
I loved House + Body's MEASURE FOR MEASURE last year – and was really pleased to see it return for an encore. (Wait, was there another high-profile "encore" today..?) The production's as weird and wonderful as ever. Critic's Pick @theglobeandmail.com: www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/stag...
theglobeandmail.com
Equal parts sexy and strange, Measure for Measure at Crow’s Theatre gets a well-deserved victory lap
Christopher Manousos’s production is one of the more original takes on Shakespeare’s knottiest problem play
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aisling murphy @aislingmurph.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Oh, sorry. I must be thinking of another Taylor Swift, the one who so emphatically said The Life of a Showgirl wouldn't receive a deluxe edition or bonus tracks. That said, the new songs are a ton of fun. Mostly. Review @theglobeandmail.com: www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/musi...
theglobeandmail.com
The Life of a Showgirl was Taylor Swift’s worst album. Its encore is a whole lot sharper
The four new tracks – Patient Zero, Cleveland!, Pink Clouding and Babylon – are markedly better than the rest of Swift’s record-shattering record
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Stratford Festival @stratfest.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
A decade after moving to Canada from the U.S., Globe and Mail theatre critic Aisling Murphy shares the 10 productions that helped define her understanding of what it means to be Canadian, including our Casey and Diana and Anne of Green Gables. ow.ly/uL9B50ZPqzo #SFGreenGables #SFCaseyDiana
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I left the U.S. for Canada a decade ago. These plays and musicals taught me what it means to be Canadian
These works made me fall in love with the Great White North
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aisling murphy @aislingmurph.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Got to speak with Alicia Keys ahead of HELL'S KITCHEN, which begins performances this evening at the CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre. She hasn't seen Matt Johnson's BlackBerry (but apparently wants to!). And she really, really wants you to see Hell's Kitchen. www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/stag...
theglobeandmail.com
Alicia Keys immortalizes her childhood neighbourhood in Hell’s Kitchen, playing in Toronto this month
The semi-autobiographical jukebox musical runs at the CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre from Sept. 23 until Oct. 25
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Peter McGillivray @pmcgillivray.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
I completely agree. Incredible performance!
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J. Kelly Nestruck @nestruck.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Big structural experiments, indeed. Programming-wise, I'm most interested in seeing Chris Abraham's production of The Merchant of Venice with Saul Rubinek as Shylock.
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aisling murphy @aislingmurph.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Big changes happening at the Stratford Festival next year. (Revised performance times! Three musicals! A two-part play!) Some familiar work in 2027, too: Anne of Green Gables and Chicago are back as remounts. Lots more @theglobeandmail.com: www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/stag...
theglobeandmail.com
Stratford Festival 2027 season will include earlier start times and the return of Des McAnuff
Incoming artistic director Jonathan Church’s first season features Mary Poppins plus remounts of Chicago and Anne of Green Gables
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Dylan Reid @dylanreid.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
So glad she mentions the croquembouches! We noticed them right away. 100% agree with this ecstatic review. I think this production shows you don't have to cleverly subvert a classic opera to make it interesting. Find some inner meaning and play it sincerely, creatively, and well.
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aisling murphy @aislingmurph.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Beyond pleased to report that LA TRAVIATA at the Canadian Opera Company is a must-see. And, in the case of luminous coloratura soprano Kathryn Lewek, a must-hear. Critic's Pick @theglobeandmail.com: www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/stag...
theglobeandmail.com
The Canadian Opera Company’s unmissable La Traviata features a world-class Violetta
American coloratura soprano Kathryn Lewek is enchanting in the role, as expressive an actor as singer in Arin Arbus’s excellent staging
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The Globe and Mail @theglobeandmail.com · 21/09/2026
theglobeandmail.com
The Canadian Opera Company’s unmissable La Traviata features a world-class Violetta
American coloratura soprano Kathryn Lewek is enchanting in the role, as expressive an actor as singer in Arin Arbus’s excellent staging
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Brad Wheeler @bradwheelerglobe.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Interesting aside in @aislingmurph.bsky.social's review of Soulpepper's production of the 1906 German tragedy Spring Awakening. Some thought they were coming to see the 2006 Broadway musical adaptation by Steven Sater & Duncan Sheik (who died a few days ago). www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/stag...
theglobeandmail.com
Spring Awakening at Soulpepper marks an audacious start to the company’s Santalucia era
Adapted and directed by new artistic director Paolo Santalucia, Spring Awakening is a promising – but imperfect – kick-off to the new season
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aisling murphy @aislingmurph.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Soulpepper's SPRING AWAKENING didn't entirely work for me. Even so, Paolo Santalucia's stylish production marks a fresh era for the company with a tender – if rather male – new adaptation of Wedekind's 1891 script. Review @theglobeandmail.com: www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/stag...
theglobeandmail.com
Spring Awakening at Soulpepper marks an audacious start to the company’s Santalucia era
Adapted and directed by new artistic director Paolo Santalucia, Spring Awakening is a promising – but imperfect – kick-off to the new season
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aisling murphy @aislingmurph.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Big day at TIFF yesterday, starting with a wide-ranging Hudson Williams Q&A (including a wild clip from one of his indie films) and ending with the world premiere of YAGA, adapted for Crave from Kat Sandler's 2019 play. Lots more @theglobeandmail.com: www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/film...
theglobeandmail.com
Hudson Williams and Yaga premiere leave TIFF crowd buzzing
Heated Rivalry star talks about the show’s second season, Yaga’s ‘witchy feminist rage’ and working in Canada
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aisling murphy @aislingmurph.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
The tissues distributed at Tuesday night's Sara Bareilles concert ought to have warned us what was next. But the GOOD GRIEF tour, equal parts weepy and warm, packed more of a wallop than even free Kleenex could have telegraphed. Review @theglobeandmail.com: www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/musi...
theglobeandmail.com
At Massey Hall, Sara Bareilles walked audiences through her grief – and shepherded them through their own
Bareilles, best known for the affable pop music that made her famous in the late 2000s, offered an intimate concert rooted in loss
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The Globe and Mail @theglobeandmail.com · 16/09/2026
theglobeandmail.com
Kenneth Law, who admitted to aiding at least 93 suicides, says he is not a ‘diabolical madman’
The Canadian engineer who sold toxic substances online said ahead of his sentencing that ‘we all learn from our mistakes’
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aisling murphy @aislingmurph.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
PRE-EXISTING CONDITION didn't entirely work for me. But Amy Rutherford and Philip Riccio make Marin Ireland's ambiguous script feel specific and devastating – even when when the writing feels like a rehash of familiar ideas. Review @theglobeandmail.com: www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/stag...
theglobeandmail.com
Pre-Existing Condition tells a familiar story of intimate partner violence at Coal Mine Theatre
Director Linda Kash’s sparse, well-acted production ultimately lingers in the heart, despite Marin Ireland’s intentionally ambiguous script
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Judith Pereira @heypereira.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
I just saw Othello @stratfest.bsky.social and @aislingmurph.bsky.social is bang on with her thoughts about it. jobflocks.com/culture/stag...
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aisling murphy @aislingmurph.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
One hardly needs to wonder why A FINE BALANCE is so close to sold-out. Irani's adaptation of Mistry's novel is astonishing, and Abraham's direction ensures there's not a single wasted moment over three hours. Critic's Pick @theglobeandmail.com: www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/stag...
theglobeandmail.com
A Fine Balance at Crow’s Theatre is an exquisite – and nauseating – exploration of Emergency-era India
The adaptation of Rohinton Mistry’s novel tests the emotional and physical limits of its audience
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JRyerson @jryerson.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Canada has benefited from your national coverage reviews . Thank you @aislingmurph.bsky.social #theatre #elbowsup indeed www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/stag...
theglobeandmail.com
I left the U.S. for Canada a decade ago. These plays and musicals taught me what it means to be Canadian
These works made me fall in love with the Great White North
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aisling murphy @aislingmurph.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
I moved to Canada a decade ago. For @theglobeandmail.com, I wrote about the ten plays and musicals that made me understand what it means to live in this country – and, in my case, to stay here. www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/stag...
theglobeandmail.com
I left the U.S. for Canada a decade ago. These plays and musicals taught me what it means to be Canadian
These works made me fall in love with the Great White North
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aisling murphy @aislingmurph.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
A follow-up to the situation at Randolph College: A restraining order has been issued to the school, ordering it to cease operations as a career college. For @theglobeandmail.com: www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/arti...
theglobeandmail.com
Randolph College for the Performing Arts ordered to cease operations
A restraining order was issued against the school by the Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security, ordering it to cease operations
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aisling murphy @aislingmurph.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Scoop: Randolph College for the Performing Arts has closed after failing to renew its accreditation with the Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security. Story @theglobeandmail.com: www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/stag...
theglobeandmail.com
Randolph College for the Performing Arts closes after failing to renew its accreditation
On Tuesday, 86 enrolled students received an e-mail from MCURES stating that the theatre school can no longer operate as a career college
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aisling murphy @aislingmurph.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Hot off the presses! Next year, the Shaw Festival will stage TWO mainstage musicals: South Pacific and The Color Purple. A certain trio of goblins will also make their debut in the studio theatre. Lots more @theglobeandmail.com: www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/arti...
theglobeandmail.com
Shaw unveils 2027 season, featuring two musicals and a Goblin extravaganza
South Pacific and The Color Purple will share the Festival Theatre stage for most of the season
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Judith Pereira @heypereira.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
And @aislingmurph.bsky.social gives @stratfest.bsky.social's The King James Bible Play a Critic's Pick. I will have to catch it in Ottawa at the NAC. www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/stag...
theglobeandmail.com
The King James Bible Play at Stratford is a powerful treatise on the act of translation
Charlotte Corbeil-Coleman’s play is witty and profound, with scorching performances by Deborah Hay and Cyrus Lane
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aisling murphy @aislingmurph.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Oh wow, THE KING JAMES BIBLE PLAY. It's weird, and its second act is less convincing than its first. But I really love how Charlotte Corbeil-Coleman portrays camaraderie between men – especially flawed ones. Critic's Pick @theglobeandmail.com: www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/stag...
theglobeandmail.com
The King James Bible Play at Stratford is a powerful treatise on the act of translation
Charlotte Corbeil-Coleman’s play is witty and profound, with scorching performances by Deborah Hay and Cyrus Lane
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aisling murphy @aislingmurph.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
THE TAO OF THE WORLD doesn't quite live up to Jovanni Sy's last triumph, 2024's gorgeous Salesman in China. Still, some nice performances (and shameless Crazy Rich Asians references) in Sy's production. Review @theglobeandmail.com: www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/stag...
theglobeandmail.com
The Tao of the World at Stratford is a sparky examination of Singapore’s ultrarich upper crust
The mash-up between Restoration humour and the modern Asian rom-com waffles between overstating its thesis and vaulting the plot ever-forward
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Barry Hertz @hertzbarry.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
So what good did the capitulation to the U.S. in terms of the Online Streaming Act accomplish? Any way, here’s the Canadian Media Producers Association response to last night’s trade breakdown:
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aisling murphy @aislingmurph.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Breaking news: Kevin Matthew Wong has been named Factory Theatre's next artistic director (and interim MD). The company, he said, is on concerned status with the Canada Council, and has lost funding at every level of govt. More @theglobeandmail.com: www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/stag...
theglobeandmail.com
Factory Theatre in Toronto announces Kevin Matthew Wong as new artistic director
Wong, best known for his work with Why Not Theatre, will oversee upgrades at the troubled company
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aisling murphy @aislingmurph.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Spent a few days in beautiful Gananoque this month, where I rather enjoyed Brett Christopher's take on THE LAST FIVE YEARS, starring Tess Benger (great!) and James Daly (OK!). For @theglobeandmail.com: www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/stag...
theglobeandmail.com
Looking for a late summer theatre fix? Consider Thousand Islands Playhouse in Gananoque, Ont.
‘The Last Five Years’ is a worthwhile showcase of what Thousand Islands Playhouse does well
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aisling murphy @aislingmurph.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
THE GREAT GATSBY – man, what happened? Tepid script, ugly design and an utter mockery of Fitzgerald's novel. Couldn't recommend less. Review @theglobeandmail.com: www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/stag...
theglobeandmail.com
The Great Gatsby in Toronto is an anemic ride through the Roaring Twenties
Kait Kerrigan’s script rejects the most crucial themes of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, and instead focuses on syrupy romance
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aisling murphy @aislingmurph.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
The current tour of MAMMA MIA! isn't great. But also, it's Mamma Mia, so you're probably not gonna care a ton. Review @theglobeandmail.com, with one of my favourite ledes in a while: www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/stag...
theglobeandmail.com
Mirvish’s uneven Mamma Mia! is the ultimate guilty pleasure
Director Phyllida Lloyd’s production is a squishy mess – but it’s also the most fun you’ll have in a Toronto theatre this month
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aisling murphy @aislingmurph.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Had the chance to chat with one of my heroes, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, about his take on CINDERELLA (surprise!) at the Shaw Festival. Q&A @theglobeandmail.com: www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/stag...
theglobeandmail.com
Wait, why is the Shaw Festival staging two versions of Cinderella this year?
The company will present playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’s A New Work in Progress, which is inspired by familiar source material
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aisling murphy @aislingmurph.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
A few months ago, I spent the day in Toronto's PATH system, hanging out with the shoe shines who keep Bay Street looking its best – and who spend their evenings acting on some of Toronto's most prestigious stages. Feature @theglobeandmail.com: www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/stag...
theglobeandmail.com
A side hustle with extra polish: Inside Bay Street’s actor-owned shoe shine
Working actors in Toronto have embraced a surprising side hustle in the underground shoe shining business
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aisling murphy @aislingmurph.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
This summer, three so-called Taydaughters – Maisie Peters, Olivia Rodrigo and Gracie Abrams – released albums that suggest an impasse for the musicians who came of age in the glow of Taylor Swift’s career. Enjoyed writing this for @theglobeandmail.com: www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/musi...
theglobeandmail.com
Swifties dubbed them the Taydaughters. Now they’re wrestling with Taylor Swift’s double-edged influence
This summer, three singers released studio albums that suggest an impasse for the musicians, who came of age in the glow of Swift’s career
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aisling murphy @aislingmurph.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Historically, I've been grumpy about Dream in High Park – Toronto's mercurial weather can make it tricky to plan ahead. With that in mind, I'm pleased to share that TWELFTH NIGHT is a well-executed delight that leans into the quirks of outdoor theatre. www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/stag...
theglobeandmail.com
In Canadian Stage’s terrific Twelfth Night, the park’s the thing
Director Gregory Prest offers a robust staging that easily accommodates the unpredictability of outdoor theatre
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Richard Lam @rickyslams.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
best part of being a Wife Guy is the specific joy you get when they print something nice about your wife in the big newspaper
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aisling murphy @aislingmurph.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Hey, folks – get thee to the Shaw Festival for ONE FOR THE POT, another Chris Abraham/Peter Fernandes collab that had me in stitches the whole time. It's a fab farce that ought to top your Shaw itinerary. Critic's Pick review @theglobeandmail.com: www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/arti...
theglobeandmail.com
One for the Pot is fun for the lot in Shaw’s silly staging
Peter Fernandes stars as a bumbling set of twins (and later triplets) in Chris Abraham’s kinetic take on the 1961 British farce
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The Globe and Mail @theglobeandmail.com · 22/07/2026
theglobeandmail.com
An open letter – and date night recommendation – to Justin Trudeau and Katy Perry
Even if you’re not the former prime minister or his girlfriend, the all-Canadian production of & Juliet is worth another watch before it closes Aug. 2
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aisling murphy @aislingmurph.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
What started as a joke became an 800-word screed about why Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau ought to see & JULIET before it closes. We like to have fun here on the theatre beat. Column @theglobeandmail.com: www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/stag...
theglobeandmail.com
An open letter – and date night recommendation – to Justin Trudeau and Katy Perry
Even if you’re not the former prime minister or his girlfriend, the all-Canadian production of & Juliet is worth another watch before it closes Aug. 2
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aisling murphy @aislingmurph.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Is Sara Farb Canada's greatest star? Based on her performance in Shaw's FUNNY GIRL – not to mention her writing of one of the best new plays this year (plus a musical!) – the answer is a resounding yes. Profile @theglobeandmail.com: www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/stag...
theglobeandmail.com
Is Sara Farb Canada’s greatest star?
The singer, actor and writer has been preparing for her Funny Girl role for a decade
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aisling murphy @aislingmurph.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
I liked THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS, mostly. Fiona Sauder could've adapted the script with a heavier hand – at present, the story feels untouched – but her staging makes gorgeous use of the Shaw Festival's studio theatre. Review @theglobeandmail.com: www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/stag...
theglobeandmail.com
The Wind in the Willows at Shaw is timeless, lively and sweet
While Fiona Sauder’s script is uneven in spots, the writer-director conjures a wonderfully whimsical world on the Studio Theatre stage
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aisling murphy @aislingmurph.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Oops — the embargo for this news was supposed to lift tomorrow morning, but an eagle-eyed Redditor found it early. Coming to Harbourfront Centre this winter: the Shaw Festival’s productions of SLEUTH and A CHRISTMAS CAROL. harbourfrontcentre.com/series/shaw/
harbourfrontcentre.com
Shaw Festival at Harbourfront Centre - Harbourfront Centre
Toronto’s New Stage for World Class Theatre.
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aisling murphy @aislingmurph.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
HEARTBREAK HOUSE at the Shaw Festival has its moments – most of them are supplied by Tom Rooney – but splitting the play into a very short first act and an endless second one just doesn't work. Review @theglobeandmail.com: www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/stag...
theglobeandmail.com
Heartbreak House at Shaw is a meandering case of bourgeois blues
Tim Carroll’s lopsided production feels endless in places, but Bernard Shaw’s class commentary remains powerful as ever
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aisling murphy @aislingmurph.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Update: Tonight’s performance has been cancelled.
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aisling murphy @aislingmurph.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
The air quality in Toronto is awful. Enough so, in fact, that Canadian Stage cancelled Dream in High Park's final preview last night. So it's a little puzzling that the company has chosen to move forward with opening tonight, when the air quality is several times worse today than yesterday.
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aisling murphy @aislingmurph.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
THE SECRET CHORD: A LEONARD COHEN EXPERIENCE was lovely – these docu-concerts always are. But I really found myself missing the personal edge that made Inside American Pie feel like such a revelation. Review @theglobeandmail.com: www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/stag...
theglobeandmail.com
The Secret Chord: A Leonard Cohen Experience offers a remix of the legendary musician’s work
Part verbatim play, part tribute act, the piece traces Cohen’s career from top to tail
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aisling murphy @aislingmurph.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Happy to share that I loved HEATED RIVALRY: THE UNAUTHORIZED MUSICAL PARODY. Great music, sharp jokes, killer performances. Wish this had been a full staging, but it's worth catching at @justforlaughs.com if you're in Montreal. www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/stag...
theglobeandmail.com
This excellent Heated Rivalry stage spoof might just ease the wait for season two
Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody captures the restless beating heart of the source material without once punching down
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