September 2019

Realizations

Remount of 2018 Fringe Festival production

The Guild in Charlottetown presents a remount of Realizations, a sold-out production from the 2018 Island Fringe Festival. Written by Kandace Hagen ...

Review: Singalong Jubilee

A Musical Tribute to the Canadian Phenomenon

For more than 10 years in the 1960s and early 1970s Canadians crowded around their television sets faithfully every week to watch Singalong Jubilee. T...

Know Your Audience

Dennis Trainor embarks on Countryside Tour

Interviewer Dennis Trainor: Hello Dennis. I must admit, I didn’t expect to talk with you again so soon. Dennis Trainor: What do you mean? We chat a...

Salt-Water Moon

Moonstruck

One sees certain plays repeatedly in the reviewing racket, especially classics, and the best of these hold up well. It’s partly a matter of pure, en...

Mamma Mia! casting update

Artistic Director Adam Brazier has announced a casting change for the production of Mamma Mia! at The Charlottetown Festival. Sara-Jeanne Hosie will ...

Review: Mamma Mia!

When members of your audience hum the music to your show on their way into the theatre that’s a pretty good indication you may have a hit on your ha...

Review: Island Fringe Festival 2019

Fringe Oddities

Despite his oft-muted mug, your somber scribbler likes a fun time. The Island Fringe Festival’s literally random selection of plays tends to be hit-...

Review: Island Fringe Festival 2019

Fringe Femmes

The Island Fringe Festival’s selection of shows via random drawing tends to produce an eclectic mix, but this year’s slate yielded an interesting ...

Review: Island Fringe Festival 2019

Magic vs. Science

Fringe 2019 features productions that are deep, dark, moving, profound, thought-provoking, stunningly original and/or just plain bizarre. My second-fa...

Review: Real Estate

Playing House

Your reckless reviewer often likes going into a show cold – knowing as little as possible about the play and the players beforehand, so as to make t...

Review: Atlantic Blue

The shortest journey home is always through the heart. For it is there that we store everything of real value in our lives. And it is there we go to f...

Kronborg to tour

David Carver Music acquires touring rights

Confederation Centre of the Arts has announced that David Carver Music has acquired the world-wide touring rights to the acclaimed Kronborg—The Haml...

Spinning Yarns

Q & A with show creator Stephen Guy-McGrath

This summer the Charlottetown Festival presents Spinning Yarns at the Mack. Set in Newfoundland in the early 1980s, this play brings to life a world o...

The experience

Talking with members of the Young Company

The TD Young Company is back for another year at the Charlottetown Festival and its production of Aqsarniit with some new and former company members. ...

Anncademy Awards

Audience reactions to Feast Dinner Theatre in Summerside

There’s an ear-splitting cackle that sends tables erupting in laughter as the character Imogen, a grumpy old woman, hunches over the microphone as t...

Mamma Mia! run

Popular musical returns for August and September at Charlottetown Festival

As the ABBA lyric reads, “Here we go again!” Confederation Centre of the Arts is set to raise the curtain for one of the most popular musicals in ...

Review: Murder Inn

Good Inn Tensions?

Georgetown, sweet Georgetown – the town so gorgeous they named it George-ish (almost certainly not their official motto, though we haven’t looked ...

Review: Spinning Yarns

Tales and Tunes from a homesick Newfoundlander by Stephen Guy-McGrath

Spinning Yarns is a ripping good time. But don’t just take my word for it, see for yourself. Seriously. Stephen Guy-McGrath’s one-man show abou...

Review: Meanwhile in Ward 16

Brilliant Mistakes

“I was a fine idea at the time,” Elvis Costello once sang. “Now I’m a brilliant mistake.” That lyric’s been on your susceptible scribbler�...

Review: Crimes of the Heart

According to the principle of Chekhov’s gun, any firearm that appears in the first act of a play must be shot by the third, the point being to exclu...

Review: Boeing Boeing

Ready for take-off

In comedy, they say timing is everything, and the fleet-footed comedic farce Boeing Boeing at the Watermark Theatre revolves around a very specific ti...

Review: Highland Storm

College of Piping July 8 – August 15 Performed by House Band: Peter Gallant, Christine Gallant, Max Gallant, and Gilbert Arsenault. Pipe Band: ...

Review: Heaven to Me

Songs & Stories of Prince Edward Island

If you’re looking for one more reason to love summer in Prince Edward Island, I have one for you. The P.E.I. Brewing Company is playing host to thre...

St Peters Courthouse Theatre

Theatre, music, storytelling, poetry and escapes

St Peters Courthouse Theatre is located in an historic building overlooking St Peter’s Bay. Once again this year the theatre is offering a variety o...

Local talent at Watermark Theatre

Jenna Marie and Jacob Hemphill act their parts

The people of Prince Edward Island never fail to be proud when their young folk step up to demonstrate their talent. This year Watermark Theatre has c...

In the Wake of the Tale

River Clyde Pageant in New Glasgow

In the Wake of the Tale is the fourth edition of The River Clyde Pageant, the annual outdoor spectacle on land and water in New Glasgow. The River Cly...

Review: The Island Summer Review

Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused. Who originally said that I cannot tell you, but I can tell you ...

All the world’s a Fringe

August 1–5, 2019

This year’s Island Fringe Festival (IFF) features 10 acts of theatre, music, comedy, dance and more. IFF chooses acts from a lottery to be performed...

Review: Kronborg—The Hamlet Rock Musical

Powerful Work

Remounting a production at the Charlottetown Festival after an absence of 45 years, particularly one that had been as popular during its initial two-y...

Review: Where You Are

Victoria Playhouse June 25-July 28 Performed by Francine Deschepper (Glenda), Debra Lynne McCabe (Suzanne), Helen Killorn (Beth), and Benton Hartl...

Atlantic Blue

Tara MacLean brings her show to The Mack

PEI’s Tara MacLean, a JUNO-nominated songwriter and mother of three, has a new album and is preparing to launch the new version of her song-and-stor...

Review: Culture Shock

3x2 = Funny

Lorne Elliott usually works alone. He’s not antisocial – the witty, wild-haired comedian/actor/writer/musician has dabbled in many collaborations ...

Review: Anne of Green Gables – The Musical™

Sweet 19

For your anglophile analyst, the Charlottetown Festival’s endless run of Anne of Green Gables – The Musical™ feels a bit like the British sci-fi...

Summer fun at Kings Playhouse

Music, theatre, storytelling and more

Georgetown fills with the spirit of live music, theatre and storytelling this summer at Kings Playhouse. Sundays begin with a High Tea at the Playho...

The inside story

Interview with Patrick Ledwell and Mark Haines

A visit to the Island Summer Review has become an Island tradition. It stars Patrick Ledwell and Mark Haines. It’s witty, it’s moving, it’s musi...

Anne debut

Emma Rudy stars as Anne Shirley number 19

The Charlottetown Festival has been presenting Anne of Green Gables–The Musical™  for 55 consecutive summers and this season the 19th Anne Shirle...