Video Cabaret looking forward to hosting Toronto Fringe Festival productions from July 2 to 13

By MARIA CALLEJA

The lighting is being set, the final touches on sets are being made, and last rehearsals are underway at the Video Cabaret Theatre in Leslieville for the upcoming Toronto Fringe Festival.

The Toronto Fringe Festival runs this year from July 2 to 13 and has a brand new central hub in the East End in the Distillery District. 

Anand Rajaram, the new Artistic Director of Video Cabaret, is excited about the theatre’s inaugural involvement in the Fringe Festival as an official venue. 

“I want to be a unique fringe venue, at Video Cab(aret). The initiative was to convert this theatre into the round, of doing something innovative; to challenge Fringe artists to work differently, and for audiences who go to the Fringe to come and see a different kind of presentation.”

The theatre, tucked behind bustling Queen Street East at 10 Busy St., is hosting eight new Fringe plays this year including veteran Fringe actor, and British comedian Jimmy Hogg’s one man show The Potato King. Also, The Clown Comedy with Victor and Priscilla will come to the innovative theatre in the round space with hilarious gender fluid characters from the Victorian era. 

“Toronto Fringe is so excited to be working with Video Cabaret as a new satellite venue in Toronto’s East End. The team at Video Cabaret has been so welcoming to our artists, and we are thrilled to have found another venue partner who understands the important platform that we create every year with this integral Festival,” said Rachel Kennedy, Executive Director of the Fringe Festival.

Rajaram is supporting behind the scenes crews, overseeing venue touch ups, scheduling Fringe rehearsal times, and directing two Fringe plays himself. He is connecting with Fringe artists, offering them free rehearsal space, and encouraging them to connect with one another to share set equipment. 

“It is just trying to build a sense of community around the Fringe, instead of it being singular, shows that are competing with each other,” said Rajaram.

An actor, director, and writer who has deep roots in the Toronto theatre community, Rajaram has been in productions at the Stratford Festival, with CanStage and Second City. Over the last 25 years he acted in several Video Cabaret productions, and was the first playwright in residence at the theatre. 

He is also keenly aware that the legacy of Video Cabaret is one that helps diverse artists to produce plays that are often passion projects that can be expensive to produce. The Video Cabaret which started in 1976, with the wit of Michael Hollingsworth, and the creativity of Deanne Taylor had its humble beginnings in small theatre spaces like the back room of the Cameron House on Queen Street West.  

Video Cabaret has always had a vision of connecting to the local community through putting on shows that commented on Canadian history and the concerns of its neighbours. Hollingsworth showcased VoxPop plays where local residents could speak their mind and represent the popular voice of the area.

Hollingsworth and Taylor hoped to connect to local Canadians with their satirical history plays that engaged the audience with issues that they were dealing with daily. The plays incorporated a unique black box theatre style, video installations, rock music, innovative costumes, and props.

“They were comedic but rooted in real history. Interesting productions, it was important in those days to dramatize Canadian history even in an irreverent way,” said theatre-goer Bruce Morton.

The unassuming brick building on Busy Street, with the bright red garage door, has been a part of the Leslieville community since 2019. The theatre company will continue to contribute to the East End arts scene by producing a new season of plays with start dates to be determined. 

Rajaram hopes that the Fringe Festival shows and future plays at the theatre will attract local schools, business owners and community organization members.

 He is also eager to entice other Torontonians to catch a groundbreaking play at the Video Cabaret as he is optimistic that an influx of theatre goers will also boost the neighbourhood’s economy as they gather on patios, and browse through the local stores. 

For tickets to Fringe Festival plays, please go to https://www.fringetoronto.com/

For more on Video Cabaret, please go to https://videocab.com/