I spent a good chunk of last weekend in Hamilton at the Hamilton Fringe Festival. Having participated in the Hamilton Fringe last year, I was hoping to bump into old friends... and I did! One of the productions that made a hit last year was Harold Pinter's Betrayal. It's a wonderful story which was so appealing to me because it took place backwards in time (Like a love story version of Memento, written thirty years earlier.) It was also a very large ensemble that went all out in terms of set and lighting design (compared with some productions, like mine, which consist of only a performer, a stage manager and a technician.) It was also one of the festival's longer productions at ninety minutes.
This year, the same company took another shot at an even larger production: Death and a Maiden. This a seriously dark and chilling play, definitely not intended for children. I loved it and the almost-two-hours flew by. While the Hamilton Fringe is over, Death and a Maiden is appearing this weekend in Toronto at the "One More Night Festival" at The Box Friday and Sunday night. If you have the chance, go check them out:
Death and the Maiden Friday, August 2 @ 9:00 PM Sunday, August 4 @ 7:00 PM Tickets $10 - limited seating
My only regret is that because of the late shows, I missed the official Fringe Talk-Show at the Baltimore House and the presentation of the coveted Larry Awards. Oh well... there's always next year.