Last night we saw this year's first Fringe show titled "The Slip Knot" written and performed by TJ Dawe; Sadiya and I laughed so much that our sides still hurt.
Brilliant. Just brilliant.
Background: Many of last year's Fringers will remember the show 'One Man's Lord of the Rings' which was a huge hit (that is one man, acting out the 9 hour LOTR trilogy by himself with no props, in an hour). It turns out that TJ had directed it.
This time, its him juggling three hilarious tales about crappy jobs (as a truck driver for a dumpster company, lost parcel tracker for Canada Post and a Shoppper's Drug Mart shelf-stocker) intermixing it with annecdotes and rants about euphamisms in advertising (like naming the condom isle at Shopper's as 'family planning'), bad 80s music on Shoppers radio (which reminded me of the Walmart radio....*shudder*..oh how I hated Shania in those months), failed relationships, doing acid, driving in Canadian winter, the elderly and childhood ideals we all had about what kind of jobs we would do when we grew up.
He received a 5 minute standing ovation at the end of the show for his first performance of this year.
So make note- 'The Slip Knot'.
Check it out if you are in Toronto. Spread the word.
I've atleast five more shows that I'd be seeing this year and will be reviewing them as the days progress.

For those of you with no idea what I'm talking about here is a bit of a history on the 'Fringe movement in North America'
"The first, and largest, Fringe in Canada is the Edmonton Fringe Festival which was established in 1982. Hoping to provide a direct link between theatre artists and their audiences the festival adapted a simple formula that was created by the Edinburgh Fringe Festival over 50 years ago. The main principles were to provide all artists, emerging and established, with the opportunity to produce their play no matter the content, form or style, and to make the event as affordable and accessible as possible for the members of the community."

All the proceeds from the shows go directly to the performer, for many of whom 'Fringe' is the only source of living. Considering how expensive mainstream theatre has become (the LOTR musical will be going for atleast $100 even through Mirvish) now, Fringe (which charges a measly $10 per show) IS best way to inject of bit of arts in your life these days.

'Theatre under the Stars' at High Park ( this year's feature- Shekespeare's'Much Ado About Nothing' ) looks quite promising too as well as the free movie screenings of Grease,West Side Story, Chicago and other musicals on Dundas square every tuesday till August.

Ah love the summer times in TO! :D .
Time to hit the streets.