Improvised telenovela takes the stage at Fringe
Diane Jorge plays all the characters in a long-form improv show that spins audience volunteers' stories into melodrama.
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Diane Jorge explodes onto the stage with rapid-fire patter, turning audience volunteers' real-life stories into melodramatic telenovelas complete with long-lost siblings, scandalous betrayals, and star-crossed lovers.
Solovela, An Improvised Solo Telenovela runs at Arts Court Theatre until June 28. Never the same show twice, Jorge weaves different story elements together in unpredictable ways, spinning connections between seemingly disconnected items — the Youth Infringement Festival, the Canada Census, cycling, and bicycle theft all wove together seamlessly in a recent performance.
Jorge doesn't work alone. Onstage, a tickle trunk of costumes, props, and gewgaws fuels plot turns. Stage manager Matti McLean improvises sound cues in the booth to heighten drama or twist the narrative, with lighting tech ups adding theatrical flair. The audience response is infectious — laughter erupts throughout.
Tickets are $14 plus service fees online, at the Fringe box office (Fringe Courtyard, 67 Nicholas St), and at satellite box offices (3rd floor, Arts Court, 2 Daly Avenue and La Nouvelle Scène, 333 King Edward Ave). Five and ten Show Passes are available.