"An Oak Tree", Luminato Festival, Toronto, ON

I volunteered this evening at the world premiere of An Oak Tree (United Kingdom) at the Jane Mallett Theatre (Front Street E), part of Luminato Festival ... my third and last shift.

When I say sleep, you’re free again … In celebration of the work’s 20th anniversary, Luminato presents Tim Crouch’s groundbreaking ‘An Oak Tree’, one of the most influential and hypnotic theatrical experiences of our time.

A father loses his daughter in a car accident. The driver of the car that killed her is a stage hypnotist. The two men meet for the first time when the father volunteers for the hypnotist’s act. What follows is an entrancing live performance where reality and suggestion blur – a bold and absurdly comic story of loss, transformation, and the power of the mind to reshape our world.

Each performance creates its own mesmerizing reality as Tim Crouch is joined on stage by a different guest artist, who will have neither seen nor read a word of the play they’re in – until they’re in it. Like being under hypnosis, no two shows are ever quite the same, even with identical lines, creating a uniquely rejuvenating experience each night.

"Queen of the Night Communion", Luminato Festival, Toronto, ON

I volunteered this evening at the world premiere of Queen of the Night Communion (it's Canadian) at the Metropolitan United Church (Queen Street W/Church Street W), part of Luminato Festival.

Sneak into church after dark for an unexpected opera experience that turns sacred space into sonic rebellion. Opera's most fascinating characters - the mad, the misunderstood, the magnificent - come to life in this immersive musical journey.

From Mozart to modern day, experience classical music unleashed from tradition. As voices echo through the grand architecture, performers move freely through the space, illuminating performances that challenge everything you thought you knew about opera. Part ritual, part concert, part revolution - this is opera reimagined for today's audience.

Director Michael Hidetoshi Mori transforms the historic space into an immersive realm where the Queen of the Night presides over a secret society, celebrating a thrilling blend of music that spans centuries. Whether you're an opera aficionado or complete newcomer, this unique production promises an unforgettable night of visual and musical wonder.

It was my first opera and the venue was lovely. The voices were strong and powerful.

Before it started ...

As the performers taken their bows at the end ...

"Rainbow Dreams", Luminato Festival, Toronto, ON

Luminato Festival started today. I had signed up to spend the afternoon volunteering at Rainbow Wheel, which is part of Rainbow Dreams, at Brookfield Place. 

The Experience

Amid the rush of the day, find a moment to pause, play, and reconnect. Three vibrant, site-specific environments—each infused with Hiromi Tango's signature rainbow aesthetic—invite you to explore pathways toward well-being. These installations are designed to spark joy, movement, and reflection, reminding us that mental health is an active, creative practice.

Internationally acclaimed artist Hiromi Tango brings her transformative vision to Toronto for the first time in North America. Drawing from her extensive body of work, these environments feature designs uniquely inspired by Toronto's striking glass towers and dynamic energy, offering spaces of color, playfulness, and mindfulness. In collaboration with neuroscientist Dr. Emma Burrows, Tango transforms the rainbow into more than just a symbol—it becomes a practice, nurturing the most valuable space we own: the one square foot between our ears.

There are three parts to Rainbow Dreams and I checked out the first one before my shift.

WONDER with Rainbow Garden at Bay Adelaide Centre: Immerse yourself in Garden, a whimsical landscape of oversized rainbow flowers and interactive elements. This gentle wonderland invites you to embrace playfulness as a source of joy and renewal.

I headed to Brookfield Place and started my shift at Rainbow Wheel.

"Home", Bluma Appel Theatre, Toronto, ON

I saw HOME, which is part of the Luminato Festival this afternoon.

Homes are more than four walls and a ceiling. They are living, changing things that hold and shape our lives. Experience the Canadian premiere of Geoff Sobelle’s captivating and interactive theatrical work, HOME. The immensely popular piece constructs a house from nothing right in front of your eyes. Delight in this unique mix of illusion, choreography, construction, music and live documentary. Follow as this house becomes a home through the sometimes painful, messy and transformative process of life.

It was entertaining, bizarre, lively, synchronized and had audience participation. It was not what I was expecting but I enjoyed it.

"360 ALLSTARS", Young People's Theatre, Toronto, ON

I saw 360 ALLSTARS, which is part of the Luminato Festival this morning.

Get ready to be blown away as the international sensation 360 ALLSTARS bring their electrifying urban circus to Luminato Festival Toronto for their 10th anniversary world tour. This show is not your ordinary circus; it’s a unique fusion of BMX, basketball, breakdancing, acrobatics, drumming and more. Prepare to be amazed by this jaw-dropping cast of world champions and record holders as they transform the stage into a vibrant display of skill, speed, and sound. Don’t miss out on this reinvented circus experience of the extraordinary artistry that emerges from street culture.

Wow! So much energy, action, audience interaction and humour! 

After the show, they sold merchandise and signed autographs.

"Afrikan Party - Supa Rich Kids", Bluma Appel Theatre, Toronto, ON

I saw Afrikan Party: Supa Rich Kids, which is part of the Luminato Festival this evening. 

Afrikan Party - Supa Rich Kids is a futuristic ode to Afrika, and a celebration of life. Join the party and experience this mesmerizing showcase of dance, fashion, music, and performance. Crafted by the visionary choreographer Oulouy, an icon in the global street dance movement, and performed by him with his crew Supa Rich Kids.

I had no idea what it was about but it was entertaining. It started off slow and ended with a colourful bang! The dancers were energetic and enthusiastic and always moving. 

"Loss", Luminato Festival 2023, Toronto, ON

I volunteered with the Luminato Festival this afternoon as a theatre wayfinder at Loss at the Harbourfront Centre Theatre.

"Loss" is a deeply honest, live retelling of an intergenerational family story, written by Ian Kamau and his father Roger McTair. 

This multi-media performance begins as a mirror into a winter of depression, then slowly unravels the mystery surrounding the death of his paternal grandmother Nora Elutha Rogers. 

An orchestration of memories using live music, video, and storytelling — "Loss" is an exploration of grief in Afro-Caribbean communities, and an immersive experience towards healing shared with the audience.

We volunteers were able to watch it. The theatre had a cool set-up.

"Treemonisha", Luminato Festival 2023, Toronto, ON

I volunteered with the Luminato Festival this evening as a theatre wayfinder at Treemonisha at the St. Lawrence Centre.

Originally written by Scott Joplin (c. 1911), "Treemonisha" is one of the few pieces set soon after the abolition of slavery, written by a survivor of that era. 

Fusing European classical music with the sounds of ragtime, folk, and gospel to create a thrilling and distinct sound, and introducing a young woman protagonist chosen by her community to lead, Joplin’s nearly-lost opera was far ahead of its time. 

This reimagined version tells a revolutionary story of a young Black woman who, in discovering the truth of her past, and overcoming enormous personal loss, discovers her power to unify a divided people, and lead her community towards a new future.

We volunteers were able to watch it. Yay! It was my first opera and I enjoyed it. It was a great story and the singing was amazing.

"Nuit", Luminato Festival 2023, Toronto, ON

I saw Nuit at the Luminato Festival this evening at the Fleck Dance Theatre at Harbourfront.

Nuit is legendary Canadian choreographer Jean-Pierre Perreault’s seminal work exploring the individual among the collective through fiery, demanding contemporary dance. During the harsh night, eight performers grapple with the hurly-burly of everyday life, pushing themselves to the limit where tensions emerge and a troubling, subterranean vulnerability is expressed.

In "Nuit", dance becomes a ‘sculptural material endowed with mobility’, which makes this a major work, not only in Perreault’s legacy but in the history of Canadian choreography.