I saw Stiff and Sons by Aidan Gouveia for Bare Theatre Collective directed by Daniel Reale at the Al Green Theatre on Saturday evening. I haven’t laughed so much for all the wrong reasons since I saw Death of Stalin. The background is a failing family owned funeral parlour. Darren Stiff is having an affair with his brother David’s wife Pam; an aspiring Hollywood actress. There is much shagging; mostly in coffins.
Toronto City Opera’s latest show, at the Al Green Theatre, is Offenbach’s Tales of Hoffmann. It’s a pretty good choice for TCO since, even with cuts, there’s plenty of fun stuff for the chorus to do and Jessica Derventzis’ production keeps a good chunk of them on stage pretty much throughout. The production concept is straightforward. It gets a late 19th century setting and the three acts are framed as presenting Hoffmann’s story to the group of drunken students. It’s unfussy and works.
operaramblings 