Photo of Freddy Van Camp

Freddy Van Camp

Past Contributor

Freddy Van Camp is currently pulling double duty as a Theatre Critic with the Kingston Theatre Alliance and acting as Assistant Designer of Sets and Props at the Stratford Theatre Festival! With a BFA in Performance Creation from Concordia University, Freddy is constantly testing the limits of what that degree can do! She is thrilled to be returning to the Kingston Theatre Alliance in 2023 and keeping tabs on the Kingston Theatre Community! Instagram: freddy.vancamp

Articles by Freddy

Red curtain across a stage.

What is the Point of Theatre Criticism?

  • Industry
  • Kingston Theatre Alliance
  • News

What is the Critic Looking For? What a loaded question! Let me ask you one. What makes great theatre? I’ll even tell you the answer.  Artists.  You want artists to be there. Artists, technicians, administrators, engineers, carpenters, bartenders, ushers, whatever their job title, you want these masters of their craft there. You want them in there doing what they love to do; making theatre happen. Ideally, you’ll find artists who […]

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An orange background with yellow leaves faintly appearing on the left side. Text readsn "PXR 2022," "Single Thread," "Electric Company Theatre," "November 12th - November 19th 2022," "Canada Council for the Arts," "Ontario Arts Council"

PXR Review Loading…

  • PXR Conference
  • Review
  • Single Thread Theatre Co

Like many, the idea of an online theatrical experience doesn’t excite me like it did pre-pandemic.  The anticipation of being involved with new technology has been dimmed by having to creatively engage with it out of necessity rather than curiosity for the last two years. This was the unfortunate attitude that I held when I went into the PXR (Performance and Augmented, Virtual and Mixed Reality) Conference. Immediately I felt […]

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A beige background. In the top right corner Santa is writing on a piece of paper while talking with three kids. Text reads "Miracle on 34th Street," "Adapted by the Mountain Community Theatre," "From the Novel by Valentine Davies," "Directed by Valerie Winslow," "By permission of Dramatic publishing," "Thursday ~ Saturday," "December 1 ~ 17," "Curtain 7:30, 2:00 curtain on final Saturday," "Tickets available through the Grand Theatre Box Office," "For more information www.dominotheatre.com," "with support from the Kingston Media Group."

‘Miracle on 34th Street’ Showcases Family Fun

  • Domino Theatre
  • Review

At the Domino Theatre, a by and for family Christmas meditation on what it means to believe is showing. Miracle on 34th Street as it exists onstage was adapted from the 1947 film of the same name. The premise of the show sees a stranded Kris Kringle (Phil Perrin) as he tries to spread Christmas spirit around New York City, encountering the unlikely trio of Doris Walker (Jennifer Tryon), her […]

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Kingston Meistersingers Usher in Long-Awaited Musical Comedy for Kingston

  • Kingston Meistersingers
  • Review

Mel Brooks’ film The Producers was his 1967 directorial debut. Starring Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder, the story followed fading Broadway producer Max Bialystock (Mostel) as he and accountant-turned-producer Leo Bloom (Wilder) attempted to put on the worst Broadway show of all time. The Broadway musical adaptation of the film, and subsequent movie musical, stars Nathan Lane and Matthew Brodrick, following the same plot. Put on by The Kingston Meistersingers, […]

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Three men appear. Two are in are dressed in suits. One man is is wearing a cowboy hat. Text reads: "Theatre Kingston THESE DEEDS Written and Directed by CRAIG WALKER"

‘These Deeds’: A Masterclass in Staging Historical Fiction

  • Review
  • Theatre Kingston

Craig Walker’s These Deeds is one of those shows that feels rewarding as you watch it. Historical fiction as a genre has this charming quality about it—ever feel “in” on the plot when a historical figure pops up in a Tarantino movie? That feeling is what Walker is able to draw out of the audience. The play follows Walker’s fictional characterizations of author Bram Stoker (George Masswohl), actor Sir Henry […]

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A drawing on the left of three sitting in a building under construction, doing work on it with the words 'mere mortals' displayed. A middle drawing of a man and woman holding hands and sitting on a lily pad with the wording 'time flies' displayed. A drawing on the right of a man walking down the street. He passes a mirror and the reflection is of a similarly dressed, similar looking man who isn't quite the same. The wording 'degas, c'est moi' is displayed. Above the three drawings, 'Time Flies: An Evening of Ives October 13 - 30 The Bottle Tree Studio Series' is displayed.

‘Time Flies’ will make you wish Time Stood Still

  • Bottle Tree Productions
  • Review

Effortlessly effervescent and fantastically funny, Time Flies, an Evening with Ives had me stifling my laughter from beginning to end. In the small—but effective—studio of Bottle Tree Productions, I was so pleased to be in such an intimate setting for this performance and at a run time of only one hour, I was desperate for more.  The performance consists of three vignettes and two transitional monologues (performed by Kyla Todd). […]

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Vivek Shraya poses against pink, shimmering curtains wearing a pink coat with pink makeup and licking an ice cream cone

‘How to Fail as a Popstar’ Revels in its Missteps

  • Grand ONStage
  • Review

Upon entering Kingston’s Grand Theatre, I felt I was terribly mistaken.  Throngs of people were lined up in every direction. It wasn’t the crowd I was expecting, mostly older folk. Had I not done my pre-show research on the right show? As I scanned my ticket the box office attendant asked, “Are you Colin James?”  I nervously replied, “No, I’m Freddy Van Camp.” As it turns out, Colin James is […]

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A thin stream leads up to a small, wooden stage that has red curtains pulled across. There is one lawn chair on each side of the stream. A man sits in a wheelbarrow on one side of the stream smoking a pipe and playing a guitar. Trees surround the stage and one has two archery boards attached to it. At the bottom reads: ROBIN HOOD.

‘Robin Hood’ was more than just Fanciful Fun

  • Festival
  • Kick & Push Festival
  • Kingston Theatre Alliance
  • Lakeside Players
  • Review

I was nervous when I strolled through City Park and I saw a haphazard setup of black boxes and forest-themed shower curtains. But, the Lakeside Players production of Robin Hood charmed me from start to finish. The well-known fairytale format was both honoured and upended for a modern audience. The writing spoke to the entire crowd, appealing to even the youngest. It was somehow modern and poetic; delectable to the […]

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A logo titled ' The Murderous Mansion of Mr. Uno' with a dark, creepy mansion that has two lightning bolts striking it.

‘The Murderous Mansion of Mr. Uno’: A Slick and Stylish Escapade

  • Festival
  • Kick & Push Festival
  • Kingston Theatre Alliance
  • Review
  • Theatre Kingston
  • TK Fringe

Lovers of Clue, and Murder by Death will be sad to know that they missed out on  Kingston Fringe’s The Murderous Mansion of Mr. Uno presented by The Not So Amateur Amateurs. The story is one you’re likely familiar with. Think Agatha Christie or “closed circle” stories like And Then There Were None. But what makes it exceptional, is the ensemble of young artists that made it happen!  The play […]

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Studio 013’s ‘R.E.D.’ ⁠— Proof That “Easy” Doesn’t Mean “Good”

  • Festival
  • Kick & Push Festival
  • Kingston Theatre Alliance
  • Review
  • Theatre Kingston
  • TK Fringe

A one woman, one robot, one act show set on a space station, R.E.D. is the frugal producer’s dream show. But the cracks start to show almost immediately.

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I Wish ‘Gone’ Would Never Go

  • Festival
  • Kick & Push Festival
  • Kingston Theatre Alliance
  • Review
  • Theatre Kingston
  • TK Fringe

Shrimp cocktail.
Top 40 hits of the 1990’s.
The shady dealings of the 1%.
An unhinged rendition of I am The Greatest Star.

All of these elements and more can be found in Gone, presented by Toronto-based writer and performer Amber Mackereth. A romp in the anxieties of the global citizen, this work is unlike anything else playing at the Kingston Fringe.

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From Young Artists to Young Audiences—Once Upon a Time: A Play with Music

  • Bottle Tree Productions
  • Festival
  • Kick & Push Festival
  • Kingston Theatre Alliance
  • Review
  • Theatre Kingston
  • TK Fringe

While the show is clearly intended for a younger audience, there is an undeniable charm in Anne Marie Mortensen’s writing and the performances from the teenage actors. 

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