PAST PRESS
The Comedy of Errors - Toronto Fringe, 2016
Jordan Bimm, NOW Magazine -- "the strong ensemble maximize the many funny moments, demonstrating why they're one of the most respected Shakespeare companies on the circuit." (read more)
Tori Carlisle, The Shakespeare Standard -- "an incredible show that encompasses all that Bash’d is known for: humour, bare-bones and creative staging, and text-driven and innovative takes on Shakespeare’s plays. There are not enough synonyms for amazing, incredible, awesome, and brilliant to sum up how great this production was." (read more)
Tori Carlisle, The Shakespeare Standard -- "an incredible show that encompasses all that Bash’d is known for: humour, bare-bones and creative staging, and text-driven and innovative takes on Shakespeare’s plays. There are not enough synonyms for amazing, incredible, awesome, and brilliant to sum up how great this production was." (read more)
Hamlet – Monarch Tavern, February 2016
Lynn Slotkin -- “This production of Hamlet was crisply spoken, clearly interpreted but still detailed in its presentation… Shakespeare BASH’d is a company worthy of our attention.” (read more)
Tori Carlisle, The Shakespeare Standard – “True to Bash’d form they integrated the bar setting into the production. The final moments…provided an incredibly visceral tableau and drove home the devastation of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy.” (read more)
Tori Carlisle, The Shakespeare Standard – “True to Bash’d form they integrated the bar setting into the production. The final moments…provided an incredibly visceral tableau and drove home the devastation of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy.” (read more)
King John – Junction City Music Hall, November 2015
Tori Carlisle, The Shakespeare Standard -- “Bash’d took an underperformed gem and made it shine.” (read more)
Milica Marković, The Theatre Reader -- “this synthesis of old and new dramatic storytelling is astronomically passionate. I wholeheartedly recommend it to Shakespeare enthusiasts and newcomers alike.” (read more)
Milica Marković, The Theatre Reader -- “this synthesis of old and new dramatic storytelling is astronomically passionate. I wholeheartedly recommend it to Shakespeare enthusiasts and newcomers alike.” (read more)
The Merry Wives of Windsor – Toronto Fringe, 2015
Jon Kaplan, NOW Magazine -- “The company understands how to make Shakespeare’s language clear…there are lots of laughs in this warm-hearted production, presented in a bar so you can drink during the show.” NNNN’s (read more)
Laura Stein, Mooney on Theatre -- “this spirited rendition of one of Shakespeare’s comedies deserved its sold out audience… this was my first time seeing one of their performances and I can see why they’re so popular.” (read more)
Laura Stein, Mooney on Theatre -- “this spirited rendition of one of Shakespeare’s comedies deserved its sold out audience… this was my first time seeing one of their performances and I can see why they’re so popular.” (read more)
The Taming of the Shrew – Monarch Tavern, April 2015
Jon Kaplan, NOW Magazine -- “As always, the company handles the text with admirable sureness and clarity, and their physical comedy is just as entertaining.” (read more)
Macbeth - Monarch Tavern, November 2014
Nicholas Catania, The Theatre Reader -- "The ensemble’s enthusiasm and dedication to the piece not only triumphs, but courageously ascends and transforms the stage." (read more)
Maral Chouljian -- "I think I only enjoy watching Shakespeare on stage when the director's vision changes my interpretation of the play. And that's exactly what James Wallis did with the BASH'd production." (read more)
Lynn Slotkin -- "intriguing, inventive production" (referenced in another production review)
Maral Chouljian -- "I think I only enjoy watching Shakespeare on stage when the director's vision changes my interpretation of the play. And that's exactly what James Wallis did with the BASH'd production." (read more)
Lynn Slotkin -- "intriguing, inventive production" (referenced in another production review)
Love's Labour's Lost - Toronto Fringe, 2014
Carly Maga, Torontoist -- "The interpretation works delightfully—it’s clever, unpretentious, and most of all, it makes for one heck of a party." (read more)
Jon Kaplan, NOW Magazine -- "You can always expect a good Bard production by Shakespeare BASH'd, and the rarely staged Love's Labour's Lost is no exception...director James Wallis injects it with frat-boy boisterousness (its pre-show involves a game of beerpong) and moves it along briskly, finding all the laughs as well as the sombre turn at the end." (read more)
Jon Kaplan, NOW Magazine -- "You can always expect a good Bard production by Shakespeare BASH'd, and the rarely staged Love's Labour's Lost is no exception...director James Wallis injects it with frat-boy boisterousness (its pre-show involves a game of beerpong) and moves it along briskly, finding all the laughs as well as the sombre turn at the end." (read more)
Romeo & Juliet - 3030 Dundas West, November 2013
Jon Kaplan, NOW Magazine -- “[The production has] the company’s hallmark clarity: it’s a simple, intimate production, no gimmicks, that focuses on story and text. Director James Wallis makes sure that the actors understand what they’re saying and why, which isn’t always the case in productions of the Bard.” (read more)
Todd Aalgaard, Torontoist -- “For two years in a row, the collective creative effort founded by James Wallis has been upending the way local audiences experience the Bard’s work…Raucous, rowdy, and splashed with what could be likened to the energy of the early Globe Theatre, there was no unnecessary affectation, and there were no stuffy accents…Rather than alienating audiences with DiCaprio-style emoting, cast members bring a disciplined, carefully interpreted honesty to their roles…Shakespeare Bash’d is a who’s-who of some of Toronto’s most talented actors, with two years’ experience making audiences a part of each performance.” 5 stars (read more)
Annie Hodgins, Theatromania -- “Putting a fresh face on one of the world’s most famous plays is a daunting task, but director James Wallis’ bare bones philosophy and immersive approach is up to the challenge.” 4 stars (read more)
Todd Aalgaard, Torontoist -- “For two years in a row, the collective creative effort founded by James Wallis has been upending the way local audiences experience the Bard’s work…Raucous, rowdy, and splashed with what could be likened to the energy of the early Globe Theatre, there was no unnecessary affectation, and there were no stuffy accents…Rather than alienating audiences with DiCaprio-style emoting, cast members bring a disciplined, carefully interpreted honesty to their roles…Shakespeare Bash’d is a who’s-who of some of Toronto’s most talented actors, with two years’ experience making audiences a part of each performance.” 5 stars (read more)
Annie Hodgins, Theatromania -- “Putting a fresh face on one of the world’s most famous plays is a daunting task, but director James Wallis’ bare bones philosophy and immersive approach is up to the challenge.” 4 stars (read more)
Much Ado About Nothing - Toronto Fringe, 2013
Jon Kaplan, Now Magazine -- "The text is always clear under Eric Double's direction, and the cast resonant in their exuberance." NNNN's (read more)
Kelly Bedard, My Entertainment World -- "They do Shakespeare exactly the way I most love Shakespeare to be done- simple and smart with an emphasis on story and character beyond anything else." (read more)
Tarah Kennedy, Mooney On Theatre -- "Much Ado About Nothing is a must see at the Toronto Fringe Festival this year. I can’t wait to see what Shakespeare BASH'd brings to the stage next." (read more)
Lauren Gillett, Theatromania -- "Another exciting offering from a company that clearly gets Shakespeare and wants to share his works in fresh and interesting ways." (read more)
Colette Shaw, The Charlebois Post -- "(T)his was a light, fun, romp through Shakespeare’s text." (read more)
Kelly Bedard, My Entertainment World -- "They do Shakespeare exactly the way I most love Shakespeare to be done- simple and smart with an emphasis on story and character beyond anything else." (read more)
Tarah Kennedy, Mooney On Theatre -- "Much Ado About Nothing is a must see at the Toronto Fringe Festival this year. I can’t wait to see what Shakespeare BASH'd brings to the stage next." (read more)
Lauren Gillett, Theatromania -- "Another exciting offering from a company that clearly gets Shakespeare and wants to share his works in fresh and interesting ways." (read more)
Colette Shaw, The Charlebois Post -- "(T)his was a light, fun, romp through Shakespeare’s text." (read more)
The Taming of the Shrew - Toronto Fringe, 2012
Winner - 2012 My Entertainment World Award - Best Fringe/Summerworks/Showcase/Cabaret Production (read more)
J.A. MacFarlane, Play Shakespeare -- "(W)hat they are aiming for seems clear, and it is a relief to find a production that neither treats Shrew as little more than a Fawlty Towers sketch nor turns it into a dreary and depressing commentary on the oppression of women." (read more)
Jon Kaplan, Now Magazine Toronto -- "(T)his version of Shrew benefits from energetic performances, the actors' sense of freshness and spontaneity, and a strong, clear handling of the text." (read more)
Tavish McGregor, Mooney On Theatre -- "The Shakespeare Bash’d perfomers exhibit a sharp sense of comedic timing and an ability to deliver dialogue in a way that makes old characters seem new, and breathes life into sex jokes that are older than Canada." (read more)
Holger Syme, dispositio -- "(T)he cast act as a close-knit ensemble, thoroughly familiar with each other’s movements, instincts, and tics, and that sense of connectedness is what allows the staging to be as speedy and smooth as it is without ever slipping into glib superficiality." (read more)
Lauren Gillett, Theatromania -- "This is a play that would have been performed for the rowdy masses in Elizabethan England, and bringing it outside of the confines of the theatre into an unconventional space like the Victory Cafe not only allows the play to grow and change with its surroundings, it also nods towards the history of the text." (read more)
CBC Here and Now Audio Discussion with Theatromania's Lauren Gillett (Listen Here)
J.A. MacFarlane, Play Shakespeare -- "(W)hat they are aiming for seems clear, and it is a relief to find a production that neither treats Shrew as little more than a Fawlty Towers sketch nor turns it into a dreary and depressing commentary on the oppression of women." (read more)
Jon Kaplan, Now Magazine Toronto -- "(T)his version of Shrew benefits from energetic performances, the actors' sense of freshness and spontaneity, and a strong, clear handling of the text." (read more)
Tavish McGregor, Mooney On Theatre -- "The Shakespeare Bash’d perfomers exhibit a sharp sense of comedic timing and an ability to deliver dialogue in a way that makes old characters seem new, and breathes life into sex jokes that are older than Canada." (read more)
Holger Syme, dispositio -- "(T)he cast act as a close-knit ensemble, thoroughly familiar with each other’s movements, instincts, and tics, and that sense of connectedness is what allows the staging to be as speedy and smooth as it is without ever slipping into glib superficiality." (read more)
Lauren Gillett, Theatromania -- "This is a play that would have been performed for the rowdy masses in Elizabethan England, and bringing it outside of the confines of the theatre into an unconventional space like the Victory Cafe not only allows the play to grow and change with its surroundings, it also nods towards the history of the text." (read more)
CBC Here and Now Audio Discussion with Theatromania's Lauren Gillett (Listen Here)