Soulpepper - The Royal Comedians

Soulpepper truly does know the meaning of the phrase "the show must go on". Our play tonight began with a brief prelude, to outline the construct which would be used to effect a critical scene where one of the actors was required to bend down and crawl under a table. Unfortunately he had injured his back and was unable to do so. Fortunately the problem was solved in an elegant fashion.

This is a very unusual play, set in Paris in eighteenth century France and depicting an enthusiastic acting troupe performing for the King. The lead actor, the owner of the troupe, brilliantly portrayed by Diego Matamoros. Fortunes and hopes are built and dashed by the machinations going around him, stoked by his ego. Quite delightful.

I loved the staging for this play - very clever use of doors to bring you back and forth from the stage to the wings.

I am very much enjoying the performances by Gregory Prest, who played the king of France in this production. He is a very talented and expressive member of the troupe and always a pleasure to watch.

As usual, Soulpepper does not disappoint - I encourage you to see this play

AGO - Picasso

Even if you are not particularly interested in art, you have to admire the long and prolific career of Picasso and his influence over art and popular culture. There will be pieces you recognize and an interesting story to follow, even a chuckle or two over the artistic interpretation. Drag your kids along too. They might read and absorb it all, delighting you with their comments about their favourite pieces, as my pre-teen did, or whip through to the gift shop and cafe at the other end, as my sleep-deprived teen did - Picasso is no match for a gaming sleepover. This was nonetheless an eclectic group of his work, representing pieces from Picasso's own collection, so not sure if these were the pieces he couldn't bear to part with or the ones that didn't sell ..............