Philip Cairns
The Big House plays at Factory Theatre Mainspace in the Toronto Fringe Festival. It is written and performed by the magnificent Tracey Erin Smith and directed and co-created by Sarah Garton Stanley. This solo storytelling show is absolutely fabulous!
Smith tells us about volunteering in a prison and her interactions with the inmates. She recreates a family seder, effortlessly playing numerous members of her family. Some big secrets come spewing out. Smith also reveals some painful truths about her father and his time behind bars.
Tracy Erin Smith absolutely glows throughout the whole piece. There is not one false moment. She also sings beautifully with the help of the Univox Choir who stood up in the audience and accompanied her. The scene with her family is particularly impressive because she just makes one swift body movement to suggest each different character. And it works perfectly.
The stories she tells are hilarious and, sometimes, intensely moving. Garton Stanley directs with a clear, sharp, confident hand. There are many sound cues and they add mood and substance to the show thanks to sound designer Christopher Stanton
At the end, the audience rose to their feet in a frenzy of joy. I was trying hard to hold back the tears. Don’t miss this show. It is truly wonderful. I didn’t want it to end. I want to be Tracey Erin Smith when I grow up. What a great actress she is. And the script is dynamite.
Tickets and info to all Toronto Fringe shows can be found at fringetoronto.com
The Big House plays at Factory Theatre Mainspace in the Toronto Fringe Festival. It is written and performed by the magnificent Tracey Erin Smith and directed and co-created by Sarah Garton Stanley. This solo storytelling show is absolutely fabulous!
Smith tells us about volunteering in a prison and her interactions with the inmates. She recreates a family seder, effortlessly playing numerous members of her family. Some big secrets come spewing out. Smith also reveals some painful truths about her father and his time behind bars.
Tracy Erin Smith absolutely glows throughout the whole piece. There is not one false moment. She also sings beautifully with the help of the Univox Choir who stood up in the audience and accompanied her. The scene with her family is particularly impressive because she just makes one swift body movement to suggest each different character. And it works perfectly.
The stories she tells are hilarious and, sometimes, intensely moving. Garton Stanley directs with a clear, sharp, confident hand. There are many sound cues and they add mood and substance to the show thanks to sound designer Christopher Stanton
At the end, the audience rose to their feet in a frenzy of joy. I was trying hard to hold back the tears. Don’t miss this show. It is truly wonderful. I didn’t want it to end. I want to be Tracey Erin Smith when I grow up. What a great actress she is. And the script is dynamite.
Tickets and info to all Toronto Fringe shows can be found at fringetoronto.com
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