Articles by Malobi

‘The Drake Equation’: A Solemn Journey Through Space, Art, and Mortality
- Kick & Push Festival
- Review
- TK Fringe
The Drake Equation has an air of mystery surrounding it. The description, which makes no mention of its creator, doesn’t give much about the story beyond noting three mysterious events, which of course left me very curious as I walked into the Davies Lounge.

Nothing is Off-Limits in ‘The Naughty Bits’
- Kick & Push Festival
- Review
- TK Fringe
I must begin with a disclaimer: this review, like the show at its centre, contains an indecent number of genitalia references.

Sisters, Sanity, and Sad History Collide in ‘Madness Lies’
- Kick & Push Festival
- Review
- TK Fringe
Madness Lies is Chloë Whitehorn’s contribution to this year’s TK Fringe Festival. Described as “Hamlet meets Girl, Interrupted,” the play follows the story of Lettie (Shannon Donnelly) and Leah (Jennifer Verardi), two sisters who find themselves in a psych ward after the death of their father. Judging by that description alone, I was not expecting the amount of levity and humour that Whitehorn’s script delivers. Darkness aside, the banter between […]

‘Oh Mother F#@%*!’ Brings Laughs and Feels to the Fringe
- Kick & Push Festival
- Review
- TK Fringe
Andrea Superstein, like many women before her, was told that becoming a mother would be the single best experience of her life. But when it felt hard, and when it didn’t feel magical all the time, she started to wonder if anyone else felt the same way. So, she went looking for answers. She interviewed other mothers, wrote songs, and turned those songs into an album. Now, that album has […]

“The Best Plays Ask Questions”: Janet Kish on Playwriting
- Artist
- Interview
- Kick & Push Festival
- News
- Pub Shed Productions
- TK Fringe
Janet Kish has worn many hats in Canadian theatre, including playwright, director, and educator. She spent years teaching high school drama, and her impact has echoed far beyond the classroom. Many of her former students have gone on to build careers in the arts, with Kish cheering them on. This year, one of her plays is being staged at the Baby Grand theatre as part of the upcoming TK Fringe […]

Still Kicking, Still Pushing: Local Theatre Festival Launches its 11th Year
- Festival
- Kick & Push Festival
- Review
If there’s one thing to learn from attending theatre events, it is that live theatre is unpredictable and that’s just part of its charm. The Kick & Push Festival kicked off its 11th year with a launch event at the amphitheater by Springer Market Square. Fittingly, the opening event reflected both the spirit and the name of the festival. (A quick history lesson: “Kick and Push” comes from a nickname […]

From the Classroom to the Stage: How Two Sisters Wrote a Play
- Interview
- Kick & Push Festival
- TK Fringe
There is something beautiful and a little magical about a family that creates together. The Socrates Sisters, Stephanie Rehm and Eleanor Daly, are writers, producers, and musical composers of a new play Detention, which will be premiering at the TK Fringe Festival this summer. For the longtime educators and first-time playwrights, the journey to this year’s Fringe Festival has been a full-on family affair. “We’re not a big troupe—it’s me, […]

Creativity Gone Wild: Behind the Scenes of ‘Love? and Other Letters’
- Artist
- Interview
- Kick & Push Festival
- TK Fringe
Alina Siwy and Heiden Jacobi have the kind of creative chemistry that makes collaboration feel effortless. Siwy is currently studying Film at Queen’s with a specialization in Media and Performance Production at the Dan School of Drama and Music. She is also a writer and her newest project, Love? and Other Letters, explores the emotional complexities of loving someone else. Jacobi is a drama major, actor, photographer, lighting designer, and […]

Come Play by the Lake: ‘Sea Wall’ and ‘The Fall After Midsummer’
- Domino Theatre
- Festival
- Review
Content Warning: ‘The Fall after Midsummer’ mentions murder, violence, and discusses an emotionally abusive relationship. Although this review does not discuss these topics in depth, they are general themes in the performance.

“Theatre Reflects Our Time”: A Conversation with Kate Barker
- Artist
- Domino Theatre
- Interview
Kate Barker is not new to the role of playwright. She wrote her first plays in the 1990s, then for the next thirty years worked as a magazine writer, editor, and journalism instructor. “It is a return to my first love, theatre,” she says. In her newest play NUTZ, Barker brings Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang to their late 50s where Marcie owns a bar and Donald Trump is […]

A Walk in the Park: SPAF 2025
- Festival
- Review
- Skeleton Park Arts Festival
The best part about summertime in Kingston is there’s always something to do, and the worst part is there’s never enough time to do it all. Whether you were busy with the Princess Street Promenade or simply seeking shelter from the heatwave, you might have missed this year’s Skeleton Park Arts Festival (SPAF). If you weren’t able to make it out to McBurney Park this past weekend, we don’t want […]

Great Things Come in Threes: A Look at SPAF’s Artists
- Interview
- Skeleton Park Arts Festival
Much like many arts fests around the world, Kingston’s Skeleton Park Arts Festival (SPAF) is jam-packed with different events and activities. Of course, SPAF brings its own unique flair, and this year’s feature on the festival showcases how. Our summer theatre critics have collaborated to bring you three mini-features on an artist from each day of SPAF, highlighting some of the talented individuals who can be seen around Skeleton Park […]