Toronto Fringe Festival 2026
1920s Walking Around in a Dream
Unspoken Theatre
Genre: Musical Theatre
Venue: Factory Theatre Mainspace, 125 Bathurst St. M5V 2R2
Festival: Toronto Fringe Festival
Low Down
An entertaining flashback hour to a simple, colourful time, portrayed by a talented cast.
Review
1920s Walking Around in a Dream is inspired by Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, transformed to a musical comedy. Like Shakespeare, it has its own unique language, steeped in the jazz slang of the 1920s (the show even provides a dictionary for those who aren’t familiar with the vernacular phrases). It is a mixed-up love story, with the typical father who doesn’t approve of the suitor for his daughter and a conceited rich man who believes he can have any girl he chooses. There is slapstick comedy, full-cast dances, and drama.
We time travel to the Speakeasy decade, where the women are in flapper dresses and the rich men are in suits. The opening song “Button Up Your Overcoat”, a popular tune from 1928, sets the mood. Eggs is a hard-working dad who admonishes his daughter, Herme, for her choice of boyfriend, Andy. Eggs considers Andy to be an ordinary man who is unworthy of his daughter. Dad’s choice is Dimitry, a wealthy Russian.
However, Herme is truly in love with Andy, so they plot to run away together. Andy and Dimitri fight over her. There is a rousing boxing match, accented by sound effects, to determine who can marry Herme. There is a drunken scene, accompanied by the background song “There’ll Be Some Changes Made”, a 1921 hit that sends the perfect message in the plot. Eventually the couples find their best match.
The actors are well-cast: Tom Beattie as Eggs, the dad; Ari Crooks as Helen; versatile performer Gareth Finnigan as Andy; Fabiana Mercurio in the role of Hips; Daytoni Raye as the arrogant Dimitry; Kimberly Van Vo as the demure yet determined Hermie; and Josh Welsh as the gangster-type Thomas Theseus, who is in charge of the speakeasy. They are strong singers and deliver on the stylized 1920s dance routines.
The costuming is impeccable. The show has recreated the imagery of the era with basic scene design. The music very much enhances the moods of the scenes. The extensive 1920s slang is charming but feels overused. With less contrived dialogue, the story would move faster and be more engaging for the audience. Overall, it is an entertaining flashback hour to a simple, colourful time, portrayed by a talented cast.
Unspoken Theatre is celebrating its 15th year. Nina Kaye is the playwright and producer. The company has produced more than 20 new Canadian plays in Toronto. Their focus is on developing new plays and musicals by Canadian playwrights with a historical, classical, or mythological element.
1920’s Walking Around In A Dream is playing at Toronto Fringe until will be remounted in an outdoor production by Old Town Toronto BIA and Alumnae Theatre on Saturdays and Sundays at 4pm and 7pm at St. James Park August 8-16.
