Toronto Reviews

TORONTO STAR, Bruce DeMara, Headline: Ladies Who Can Act

Rating: Highly Recommended
Talk about minimalist theatre that works. No lights, no curtains. Just two actors who enter and start playing a multiplicity of characters – female and male – in costumes better suited for spring cleaning. Yet somehow, Andrea Risk and Debra Hale draw us into a touching, compelling story about aging and loss that propels us back and forth from the present to wartime Britain; it's funny, sad, quirky and sweet all at once.

EYE REVIEW, Chris Bilton: THE BEST OF THE FRINGE LIST
Editorial Rating: 4 STARS
Andrea Risk and Debra Hale master the nuances of old men, British war brides, Jamaican restauranteurs and an odd-coupled octogenarian nursing home escapee and her alcoholic homecare assistant in this two-woman show. Such believability is only accentuated by the couple’s unbelievable execution of the clever blocking and fast-paced script that sweeps them through their many roles….benefits from many chuckle-worthy quips on the risqué side of quaint and at least a few genuinely touching dramatic turns.

Blog TO, Tatiana Kachira
Rating: two thumbs up + a standing ovation
"...one of the best shows Fringe 2008 has to offer. The play is about an 85-year-old who is trying to escape "the morgue" (as she "affectionately" calls her retirement home), and a younger woman, glad to take on the job of the old lady's "personal assistance". As it turns out, though, it is not clear which of the two needs the other's assistance more. The acting by Andrea Risk and Debra Hale is nothing short of superb. Each actress plays about half a dozen of instantly recognizable characters seemingly effortlessly. The play has just the right mix of dramatic moments, tragic moments, bittersweet moments, and, of course, lots of comedic moments.

Show History: Debuted at the 2008 Toronto Fringe. It was originally work-shopped by Thousand Islands Playhouse’s associate director Kathryn MacKay. The Toronto Fringe debut was directed by Kim Blackwell and Stage Managed by Alexis Chubb. Debra Hale’s two other plays have both had critical acclaim. I Won’t Tell A Soul (Gryphon Theatre; Port Hope Festival) review headline “Tell Everyone—play is really good” Cobourg Daily Star and “It’s worth telling your friends about.” Barrie Advance. Soul had 3 other productions, one of which was a divisional winner at ACT-CO. Heads Will Roll, first played at Fringe Nord. Press quote: “I was bowled over by the high quality…to date, theirs’ is the finest…Strong! Strong! Strong!” Sudbury Star.