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aislingmurph.bsky.social
aisling murphy
@aislingmurph.bsky.social
"ash-ling" | theatre reporter @ the globe and mail | [email protected]
Yesterday, I saw Wicked: For Good and Zootopia 2.

One was an unnecessary sequel about the plight of animals, brought to life onscreen in garish colours.

The other was Zootopia 2.

Here's my Critic's Pick review of Disney's best sequel in years.

www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/film...
Zootopia 2 corrects the ‘cop-a-ganda’ record of the first movie with punny style
Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde re-evaluate their platon-ish relationship – with policing as a means of creating positive change in the world
www.theglobeandmail.com
November 25, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Mixed thoughts on profoundly affectionate, passionate devotion to someone (-noun). (Say that five times fast!)

I wanted to love this. But the wispiness of the script – a classic British anti-romance – just didn't work for me.

www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/arti...
This wordily titled British play sees three couples fight for love in all its forms
Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu directs the sparse North American premiere of debbie tucker green’s a profoundly affectionate, passionate devotion to someone (-noun)
www.theglobeandmail.com
November 21, 2025 at 6:08 PM
The headline. The lede. The "moral courage of a frosted cupcake." 😮‍💨
November 21, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Wow, White Christmas at the Shaw Festival. Now that’s how you do a vintage musical. (Review tk next week, but haven’t left a musical feeling so energized in quite a while!)

Go see! ❄️
November 19, 2025 at 8:43 PM
Reposted by aisling murphy
A few months ago @thelocal.to got a promising pitch from a writer with bylines in whole bunch of reputable publications—The Cut, The Guardian, Dwell, Architectural Digest, etc. Then I started investigating. Here's a story about fabulists in journalism's AI slop era. thelocal.to/investigatin...
Investigating a Possible Scammer in Journalism’s AI Era | The Local
A suspicious pitch from a freelancer led editor Nicholas Hune-Brown to dig into their past work. By the end, four publications, including The Guardian and Dwell, had removed articles from their sites.
thelocal.to
November 19, 2025 at 2:10 PM
Stepped into U.S. politics this weekend to cover Kamala Harris at Meridian Hall in Toronto. It was a mostly joyful afternoon, give or take the handful of pro-MAGA protestors blasting "YMCA" on Front Street.

Story in today's @theglobeandmail.com:

www.theglobeandmail.com/world/us-pol...
Four take-aways from the Toronto stop of Kamala Harris’s book tour
The former U.S. vice-president offers some insights and speaks about hope
www.theglobeandmail.com
November 18, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Managed to catch Shrek at YPT in Toronto yesterday, and it was fine, but I cannot fathom cutting “Who I’d Be” from the TYA version of the show. It’s the thesis of the story and one of the best “I want” songs in the canon. What gives?
November 16, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Really loved THE CHRISTMAS MARKET. Kanika Ambrose has such an impressive way of writing about Canadian immigration – she highlights the inequities baked into this country's systems without weighing down her stories or characters.

My Critic's Pick review:

www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/stag...
The Christmas Market is a feel-bad holiday story – and one of the best new plays of 2025
Kanika Ambrose’s story of three temporary foreign workers in Ontario is timely, sharp and emotionally charged
www.theglobeandmail.com
November 13, 2025 at 9:48 PM
Borrowed @bradwheelerglobe.bsky.social's beat for the weekend and reviewed the divine Sarah McLachlan at Massey Hall. Those high notes on Fear are something else, man.

In @theglobeandmail.com today:

www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/musi...
Sarah McLachlan time-travels back to the ‘90s in intimate Massey Hall concert
After a bout of tour-pausing laryngitis, the Canadian singer is back onstage in luxurious voice
www.theglobeandmail.com
November 10, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Really wanted to love THE COMEUPPANCE, but ultimately the direction doesn’t support the writing and performances in the way you’d hope. This was a disappointing one.

www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/stag...
In its Canadian premiere at Soulpepper, The Comeuppance never quite ignites
Despite a formidable cast and clever writing from American playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Frank Cox-O’Connell’s production is a touch uneven
www.theglobeandmail.com
November 8, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Reposted by aisling murphy
This version of the Persian dish tahchin incorporates common Thanksgiving ingredients. It is deeply savory and buttery, like stuffing, and some may say even better because it has a whole lot more texture coming from the crispy rice that everyone will be fighting over.
Caramelized Onion, Cranberry and Rosemary Tahchin  Recipe
Tahchin is a Persian rice dish in which the rice is mixed with yogurt, oil, egg yolks and saffron and baked until a golden crust forms at the bottom (Persians refer to this as the tahdig) The rice on the inside becomes buttery and almost cake-like and is often layered with chicken and barberries, a tart dried fruit that has a beautiful crimson color This version incorporates common Thanksgiving ingredients like rosemary, sweet-tart cranberries and buttery onions to make a striking dish that feels more like a main than a side
nyti.ms
November 7, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Reposted by aisling murphy
I'll never forget seeing OUR PLACE in 2022. Kanika Ambrose's understanding of the Canadian immigration system was clever and devastating, and written like a piece of music.

Kanika opens two new plays this month: THE CHRISTMAS MARKET and MOONLIGHT SCHOONER.

www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/stag...
In two new plays, Kanika Ambrose explores feminism and oversimplified portrayals of Black men
The Christmas Market and Moonlight Schooner, while separated by time, place and narrative thrust, overlap more than you might think
www.theglobeandmail.com
November 6, 2025 at 3:20 PM
THE FAR SIDE OF THE MOON – often beautiful, but ultimately a miss for me. Disappointing, especially given the lingering thud of Lepage's Macbeth a few hours west.

My review for @theglobeandmail.com:

www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/stag...
The Far Side of the Moon is peak Robert Lepage – but the human drama suffers for it
High-tech production is impressive, but the story at the centre of Lepage’s script doesn’t always justify the stagecraft
www.theglobeandmail.com
November 5, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Today the Canadian Theatre Critics Association announced the call for submissions for the 2025 Nathan Cohen Awards. An excellent opportunity for theatre writers based in Canada!

Deadline is Jan. 6. Feel free to drop me a line if you want to learn more!

www.facebook.com/share/p/16Tu...
November 4, 2025 at 7:09 PM
Finally had the chance to catch GOBLIN:OEDIPUS this weekend (what, did something else happen on Saturday?). Loved the show – and especially glad it lived up to the goblins' Mackers.

Here's my profile of Spontaneous Theatre:

www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/stag...
Spontaneous Theatre has had a benchmark year – and not just because of the goblins
Goblin:Oedipus is the most recent in a string of well-received, semi-improvised plays by the theatre company
www.theglobeandmail.com
November 3, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Hugely enjoyed CHILD-ish at Tarragon. You’ll win verbatim theatre bingo if you choose to go see it, but you should go anyway — it’s a lovely, sweet little show.

My Critic’s Pick review:

www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/stag...
CHILD-ish is an imperfect love letter to childhood. But at Tarragon, it’s unmissable
While Sunny Drake’s verbatim play falls into a few dramaturgical traps, its central premise is beautifully executed by director Andrea Donaldson
www.theglobeandmail.com
October 31, 2025 at 4:21 PM
I have never cared about sports this much. This week I’ve thought about little else. I think I’m a baseball person now. #WANTITALL
October 29, 2025 at 3:33 PM
I’ve had this conversation approximately 80 times in the last few weeks, so it seems time to scream this out to the universe: Why, oh why, is no one in Toronto doing Parade right now? Why didn’t Mirvish pick up the tour? Any company that dabbles in musicals should be snatching up those rights.
October 18, 2025 at 4:48 PM
Reposted by aisling murphy
Still wishing and hoping for a cast recording of Suzy Wilde and Rose Napoli’s musical After The Rain, but for now, “Forever” sung by Annika Tupper is pretty great.

youtu.be/u2mB9JQm0e4a
youtu.be
October 17, 2025 at 2:41 AM
For @theglobeandmail.com, I spoke to eight (or nine, if you count Stratford) of the new artistic directors at theatres across Canada.

Lots of great ideas in these roles. Now comes the hard part: making them happen.

www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/stag...
These incoming artistic directors have big ideas about the future of Canadian theatre
Eight recently appointed company leaders from coast to coast talk about a new era of national culture
www.theglobeandmail.com
October 11, 2025 at 4:53 PM
I missed BREMEN TOWN when it premiered at Next Stage in 2023 – wow, am I glad to have caught it at Tarragon. Gentle, touching and gut-wrenching all at once.

My review for @theglobeandmail.com:

www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/stag...
This gorgeous play at Tarragon Theatre explores the finer details of old age
Gregory Prest’s Bremen Town blends a German fairytale aesthetic with startlingly contemporary societal critiques
www.theglobeandmail.com
October 11, 2025 at 12:46 AM
BRIGHT STAR – a lovely production of a hopelessly syrupy musical. Tough not to lament the programming choice, but that cast (particularly Kaylee Harwood) is superb.

My review:

www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/stag...
Bright Star is schlocky and sentimental – but Kaylee Harwood is stunning in the lead role
The Mirvish/Garner Theatre co-production is tight and well-conceived, and the music is outstanding
www.theglobeandmail.com
October 9, 2025 at 10:28 PM
I wanted The Life of a Showgirl to grow on me. But Taylor Swift's likely use of generative AI to market the album crossed a line I'm not sure I'll ever be able to look past.

My op-ed for @theglobeandmail.com:

www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/musi...
Wait, did Taylor Swift use generative AI to market The Life of a Showgirl?
Swift’s Easter eggs are legendary within her massive fandom. But the likelihood she used AI to generate promotional videos makes them tough to enjoy, writes Aisling Murphy
www.theglobeandmail.com
October 8, 2025 at 6:33 PM