Sure, most performing arts companies launch their new seasons in the fall, but there’s plenty of great stuff – in theatre, dance and comedy – to see in the final month of summer.
Sensational SummerWorks
There’s always an embarrassment of riches in SummerWorks, partly because it’s a curated festival that draws on shows from Toronto and the rest of the country. Now for the first time it ventures to Europe with Schützen, a performance piece by Cecilie Ullerup Schmidt that examines modern-day warfare and how killing affects the human body. There’s lots else to anticipate, including works by Sky Gilbert, John Millard and Peter Anderson, Alex Poch-Goldin, Jani Lauzon, and Adam Lazarus and Guillermo Verdecchia. Extra bonuses this year: two productions featuring the wonderful Karen Robinson (Salome’s Clothes and Entitlement) and two directed by David Ferry (Entitlement and The Life Of Jude). August 8 to 18 at various venues. summerworks.ca.
Night of the Hunter
Character comics and impressionists often get less respect than their stand-up, improv and sketch counterparts. Emma Hunter seems to have defied that rule with a series of jaw-dropping performances in which she’s morphed into pop culture types like Carly Rae Jepsen, Paula Deen and the most annoying of the annoying Kardashians. Now the theatre-trained comic (who’s also a member of the fierce all-female sketch troupe She Said What) mounts a full-length show, complete with guests and a whole new roster of savagely satiric impressions. August 23 at Buddies in Bad Times. 416-975-8555.
Footloose finds
Yvonne Ng’s biennial dance: made in Canada/fait au Canada is one of the best places to find out what’s happening on the forefront of modern dance. She and two other dance creators help curate the program with separate series, resulting in an always fresh and diverse lineup. This year’s guest curators are Serge Bennathan and Cylla von Tiedemann, and the choreographers include Benjamin Kamino (who’s also doing a piece at SummerWorks), William Yong, Blue Ceiling Dance and Femmes du Feu. In addition to the mainstage series, there’s a late-night series and more, including a community line dance and live video dance installations. August 14 to 17 at the Betty Oliphant Theatre. totix.ca.
Richard’s conniving history
There’s no better villain in Shakespeare’s canon than the gleeful Richard III, who does everything to gain the English throne, ridding himself of all those who, by birth or politics, stand in his way. Shakespeare in the Ruff, which was revived last year with a fine production of Two Gents, returns to Withrow Park (725 Logan, south of Danforth) with the company’s first history play, featuring Alex McCooeye as the crook-backed king-to-be who reveals his darkest secrets to the audience in an entertaining fashion even as his victims breathe their last. Astute director Diane D’Aquila also plays Richard’s mother, who realizes too late just what her son is plotting. From August 13 to September 1. shakespeareintheruff.com.
Brand new Russell
With pop tart Katy Perry and that unfortunate Arthur remake behind him, Russell Brand returns to stand-up comedy, where he first made his mark. He’s brutally honest and in the moment and won’t hold back when he hits the Sony Centre on August 22. 1-855-872-7669.
