An Independent Toronto Theater Festival of Cutting-Edge Productions
What:
Next Stage Theatre Festival
Where:
Factory Theatre
125 Bathurst Street
When:
January 6-17th
Tickets:
$10-$15
The good folks at Fringe have done it again, with ten groundbreaking independent shows during the 9th Annual Next Stage Theatre Festival (NSTF), January 6-17th. Carefully curated to give Fringe artists a funded opportunity to launch larger productions to a broader audience (upwards of 7,000), NSTF is a theater lover's dream lineup of promising stars of tomorrow. This year is the largest yet, featuring everything from fresh musical comedies to heartbreaking dramas, insightful think-pieces, and urban dance ensembles.
“January is the New July”
That’s the motto behind NSTF, as all the vibrancy of the Toronto Fringe Festival materializes at Factory Theatre for 12 days and nights this winter. Keeping the broad scope of Fringe at heart, highlight selections at this year’s fest include:
- Heart of Steel – This rollicking musical comedy tells the tale of the ladies working at Sydney Steel Plant during World War II, complete with foot-tapping folk and boogie-woogie tunes to get everybody dancing.
- Urban Myth – Speaking of dancing, prepare to scrape your jaw up off the floor as this fleet of breakdancers pop, lock, and krump their way across the stage.
- All Our Yesteryears – A starkly important piece, this topical play weaves the story of two sisters kidnapped by Boko Haram, and the scars such trauma inflicts.
Warm Up at Steam Whistle Beer Tent
Grab a craft beer or warming glass of wine at this festive bar outside Factory Theatre – perfect for mingling with family, friends, cast and crew before and after each show, less than 10 minutes from our hotel on Bloor Street.