The Toronto Fringe Festival has announced the programming and listings for the Digital Toronto Fringe Festival running from July 21 to July 31, 2021. Taking place completely online, Toronto Fringe 2021 will present over 65 shows in four virtual series including the Fringe On-Demand series, KidsFest On-Demand series, Fringe Primetime series, and POSTSCRIPT Live(stream) events.
Fringe On-Demand is a series of 56 pre-recorded audio, video, and visual shows by artists from around the world that audiences can watch at any time from anywhere over the course of the festival.
Highlights from Fringe On-Demand:
Bannock Republic
Company/Creator: The Centre for Indigenous Theatre/Kenneth T. Williams
A hilariously touching, hard-hitting comedy/drama about love, loss, politics and power on the Rez.
Dance of Torn Paper
Company/Creator: Nowadays Theatre/Mohammad Yaghoubi
A double-bill immersive 360˚ film experience, presented in both English and Farsi, by Mohammad Yaghoubi known for their sold-out run of Winter of ’88 at the 2020 Next Stage Theatre Festival.
Deaf Spirit Theatre: ComMUTE
Company/Creator(s): Deaf Spirit Theatre/Elizabeth Morris, Juan Jaramillo, Robert Bhola, Theresa Upton, Susan Oram, Michael T. Cyr, Marc Heyez
ComMUTE features new short works written by emerging and established artists in the Deaf community across Canada.
From L-R: Pesch Nepoose, Jeremy Proulx, Sam Twinn Photo by Taye Alvis 
From L-R: Aida Keykhaii and Maryam Mahdavi. Photo by: Mahsa Ershadifar 
Deaf Spirit Theatre’s ComMute
KidsFest On-Demand is a series of pre-recorded shows with content that has been carefully created for children and their grown-ups! Each KidsFest On-Demand show is accompanied by free activities for various ages in the Digital KidsFest Club.
Highlights from KidsFest On-Demand:
dougiEworld Real Food Puppet Theatre
Company/Creator(s):dougiEworld/Douglas Hurst & Rebecca Anand
Two vegetable heroes are on a quest to save their communities from going missing.
Nookie and The Big Wind
Company/Creator: Runaway Hotel Kollective/Tanya Leblanc
An educational play based on a children’s book series where a hot-blooded wasp, an insomniac moth, and an optimistic ladybug join forces with a girl to find the Indigenous teachings from an owl and save Mother Earth.
To Bee or Not To Bee
Company/Creator(s): Piti Theatre Company/Jonathan Mirin & Godeliève Richard
An award winning musical where children help Farmer James figure out how to bring the bees back.
The 56 shows in Fringe On-Demand and 6 shows in KidsFest On-Demand were programmed by a lottery draw this past spring. This year, Toronto Fringe reserved 50% of the digital lottery slots for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour) artists. This change ensures more representation across the festival, and will be carried forward in festival planning for the foreseeable future.
Other programming include: Fringe Primetime, which shows are live, appointment viewing, digital theatre experiences including pre- and post-show lobby chats and social time. There is also the POSTSCRIPT Live(stream) virtual patio for FREE live streamed fun and community building.
Details on all the programs available at this year’s Digital Toronto Fringe Festival are available at fringetoronto.com.
