DUEL OF AGES (True Edge Productions) at Factory Mainspace.
Times: Jan 6 at 7:15 pm, Jan 7 at 9:15 pm, Jan 8 at 5 pm, Jan 9 at 9 pm, Jan 11 at 6 pm, Jan 12 at 6 pm, Jan 13 at 9 pm, Jan 14 at 11 pm (Toronto Fringe fundraiser, $25), Jan 15 at 9 pm, Jan 16 at 7:15 pm
Rating: NNNN
After informing the audience that the last of the show’s nine duels was cancelled due to an injury to cast member Siobhan Richardson, and then battling through some sound and projector issues, this epic battle royale finally came out swinging.
More than just a vehicle for well-choreographed stage fights, Duel Of Ages features short, historically-inspired scenes (each written and directed by a different team) that inevitably end with a violent contest.
While the costumes, props, and fights are (mostly) realistic, tongue-in-cheek dialogue provides a nice comic balance to the intense sword strikes and jolting gunshots. The well-constructed segments range from medieval France to the Wild West to Newfoundland to a Samurai duel in Japan, and each offers an intriguing lesson from history that makes this show an exciting mix of brains and brawn.
