REVIEW: HOPE IN HOT TIMES

Kids Under 12: $5

Kids Under 2: FREE!

Age Suitability: All Ages (everyone - including young children and sensitive viewers)

Genre: Theatre—Comedy, Musical/Concert/Opera, Dance

Run Time: 60 mins

Venue: The Westdale

A clown comedy musical with tremendous heart and important environmental messages underneath its silly visage, Hope In Hot Times, brings the influences of family friendly entertainers such as Sharon, Lois and Bram and Fred Penner to the Hamilton Fringe.

Each cast member introduces themselves, encourages typical theatre faux pas and explain their roles along with their respective likes/dislikes. There’s some unique costumes such as Old Man Willow and lots of fun prop use and even puppetry. The cast also performs catchy songs with repetitive choruses for families to sing along with. While all this is relatively kid-friendly, the underlying messages about the earth, its climate change crisis and other environmental factors, reach audience members of all ages. We must have hope but more importantly, we must do better.

Highlights include a song about riding the Barton Street bus, a song about making connection with others beyond the internet and an unexpectedly funny and relatable song about why people need to be a little nicer to one another.

Hope in Hot Times keeps it simple and it works. It’s not the most polished piece of theatre but the energy, physical comedy and commitment from the cast are so enchanting you focus on what’s important: the show’s overall message about the environment. Invite your whole family to this charming production by the Play Play Collective. And bring a baggie. You’ll thank me later.