Review — Kingston Theatre Alliance

We all know how it is: watching the It Crowd dance the night away, witnessing a force both indifferent and judgemental. We’ve all felt the push and pull of desire to join them, to be them. On August 8th, for one night only,  the Kick & Push (K&P) Festival presented The Butterfly Who Flew Into The Rave and granted its attendees the opportunity to decide: will you dance, or will […]

Say it with me now, don’t be scared… “Yog Sothoth!” I recently saw Theatre Kingston’s 2026 Fringe production of The Silk Lining, a one-man Lovecraftian horror play written and directed by Dan Walmsely. The show is staged as a “lecture” detailing the experiences of our leading man, Professor Isaac Vincent (Henry Korba-Babcock). He leads us on a journey into obsession incited by his coming into possession of an ancient artifact. […]

A trip down memory lane, with a fork in the road—which path will you follow, his, or hers? I recently set out to the Thousand Islands Playhouse to see their production of The Last Five Years. Written and composed by Jason Robert Brown, this tumultuous story of two lovers fighting to stay with each other through the years has long been a theater favourite. Jamie (James Daly) and Cathy (Tess […]

How can you prove what only you know to be true? How do you prove it to yourself? I recently caught the Theatre Kingston Fringe production of Speaking of Hilary, written by Elias Campbell, at the Tett Centre for Creativity and Learning. Stuck in a pent up wave of dissatisfaction, Hilary (Mimi Matamoros) becomes obsessive over her health concerns and conditions, diagnosing all negative feelings as physical malady. Often confiding […]

Content Warning: ‘Who is Esther?’ deals with mentions of racism and sexual harassment. Although this review does not discuss these topics in depth, they are general themes in the performance.

Your wedding, your way— and what a way to go! Sandy Gibson is a marriage officiate, privy to the wild wild world of weddings. I recently caught a showing of this hour-long comedy special, Making It Official, at the 2026 TK Fringe Festival. Gibson outlines his amusing career experience, guiding the audience down  the rocky road of nuptial affairs.  Running a diverse selection of gags, sketches, and bits, this entertaining […]

Set in the rural villages of Sierra Leone in the 1970s-1980s, Nancy Edwards’ Rethinking Good Intentions retraces the steps taken towards providing medicinal aid during her teaching nurse residency at Serabu Hospital. I was lucky enough to attend one of her performances as a part of Theatre Kingston’s Fringe Festival. Driven by a deep respect for the oral traditions of the Mende people, Edwards delivers her story as a one-woman […]

A propellant examination of the juvenile social psyche, The Third Law is an original, one-act play written and directed by 15-year-old Kai Kerr. The Third Law is part of Theatre Kingston’s 2026 Fringe Festival and is staged in the newly refurbished TK Studio. Winging through the halls of an allegorically ambiguous high school-slash-airport, protagonist Arya (Addie May) navigates budding relationships, neurodivergence, bullies, a hidden queer identity, and dying friendships.  This […]

“A desired object is still an object” Presented by the Theatre Kingston Fringe 2026 and Of The Sea Productions, There is No Anger Like That of a Woman, written by Grace Delamere, takes place in a present-day brothel over the course of one hour. This small window of time is shared between Eve (Grace Delamere), a sex worker, and Adam (Liam Armstrong), a banker; yet what occurs is beyond their […]

A unique collaborative piece questioning the space between reception and comprehension, Speaking Vibrations is a Deaf and hearing-friendly performance exploring the many facets of identity as shaped by communication, which ran from August 7th to 9th as part of TK Fringe.  Technically innovative and exciting, this piece includes the option to watch the show with the aid of a vibrating pillow. Audience members can keep the pillow on their lap […]

Is it fair that someone’s life should change because of one little nosebleed? Nosebleed poses this question and more to audiences at the 2026 Theatre Kingston Fringe Festival. Written and directed by Iulia Rus, Nosebleed follows Jean Doe (Isabella Tarantino), who experiences a vicious attack after having a nosebleed and is suddenly thrust into a bizarre talk show featuring charismatic host Mr. Mumray (Kyle Campbell). Alongside a series of comedic […]

Hillary Yaas’ M.O.W.W. (Miserable Old White Women) is an excellent example of the longstanding adage that drag fans and theatre fans are two sides of the same coin. What better way to bring together both crowds and leave room for more exposure than at this year’s Theatre Kingston Fringe Festival? Opening with a campy, hilarious lip sync number filled with her hottest of takes, Yaas takes the stage with immense […]