Toronto Fringe Favourites Return With New Show THE MERKIN SISTERS
By: Julie Musbach May. 25, 2018
Picture the bawdy humour of cartoons like Big Mouth mixed with the fanciful dance of Pina Bausch, the twins from The Parent Trap as designed by Ru Paul's Drag Race, or a Bette Midler Diva as drawn up by David Lynch: this is the universe The Merkin Sisters are conjuring. Touring extensively since 2010, Merkin Sisters artists Ingrid Hansen and Stephanie Morin-Robert have collectively performed over 400 live shows across Canada, Europe, Japan and the United States. Together they have accumulated a wealth of Best-of-Fest, Best Comedy, Best Physical Theatre, Best English Theatre, Best Choreography awards and multiple 5-Star reviews. The Merkin Sisters are plotting their Toronto premiere at the Factory Theatre July 5th, 2018 as part of the Toronto Fringe Festival.
The Merkin Sisters live show is a no-holds-barred physical comedy about a strangely hilarious sibling rivalry: two fallen socialites endeavour to create the Ultimate Piece of Art, using any means necessary. A mash-up of uncensored comedy, theatre, dance and puppetry, The Merkin Sisters may just be the most outrageous show to hit Toronto's Fringe in years. "You'll be clenching both cheeks," says Hansen, "You'll fall in love, then be terrified, thrilled, and maybe strangely aroused."
The Merkin Sisters celebrate and demystify everything about the human body, at its most divine, it's most disgusting, it's most vulnerable and virtuosic. This show chews up themes of hyper-femininity and hyper-masculinity, our relationship to concealing/revealing skin, and the secretive worlds created by siblings. Part stunt, part story, part contemporary dance piece, 'The Merkin Sisters' has been called "Wild, unimaginable, and PISS-YOUR-PANTS FUNNY," by the press.
Hansen is known to Toronto audiences for her work with SNAFU, including shows Kitt & Jane, Snack Music, and the sci-fi trip Interstellar Elder: Badass Grandma in Space. Morin-Robert is a Fringe favourite with her show Coming and Going with dance company For Body and Light. Morin-Robert is a new mother, with 3-month-old Olive having her first Toronto experience.
Watch a preview below:
Performances:
- Thurs July 5 @ 630pm
- Sun July 8 @ 6:30 pm
- Mon July 9 @ 8:30 pm
- Tue July 10 @ 10:00 pm
- Wed July 11 @ 5:45 pm
- Fri July 13 @ 12:00 pm
- Sat July 14 @ 3:30 pm
The Factory Theatre
125 Bathurst St, Toronto
Tickets: $13 at fringetoronto.com
Maturity Rating: 13+
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