"HIGHLY RECOMMENDED ... one of the most appealing shows at the Fringe." -- Toronto Star (Mark Selby)
"Fun to watch, and guaranteed to make you laugh, Between Commutes is smart and satisfying – you won’t want to miss it!" -- Fast Forward Revue (E. Sempe)
"Thoroughly entertaining... [Carly Jones'] subtle performances make the production playful and funny." -- EYE (Phil Brown)
"Both comics are comfortable and convincing, no frills necessary." -- NOW (Tara-Michelle Ziniuk)
"PATRONS' PICK" -- 2008 Fringe of Toronto Theatre Festival
"Life is the stuff that happens between your commutes." -- Anonymous Transit Worker
View/Download Press Materials (PDF)
A sketch comedy show, about how we battle our way across the urban landscape. Everyday characters move back and forth from work to home and elsewhere, fighting their daily frustrations even as they fight to just get where they want to go. Popcorn-free offices. School exams. Sorting junk mail. Wrangling kids. The Afterlife (currently on strike). And everywhere, traffic.
It's sketch comedy in less time than it takes you to get to work!
Sit back, relax and let us do the driving. Have a laugh... Between Commutes.
CONTENT ADVISORY: Some scenes contain coarse language.
FROM THE PRESS RELEASE:
Raitt says the title Between Commutes comes from a conversation he once overheard between a TTC subway worker and a passenger. "I was on a subway that was stuck in the tunnel, and a passenger was chatting with the conductor. The passenger said that all his commuting was cutting into his life, and the conductor said 'Life is the stuff that happens between your commutes.' And it struck me as funny because, in a way, commuting was that conductor's life, the same way it is for everybody who drives a bus, or a cab.
"So, in the show, we make jokes about commuting every time the scenes change, as we move from work to home and elsewhere, mirroring people's lives as they travel through their day."
This matches well with Raitt's writing style, which deals with everyday events taken to bizarre extremes. In one scene, a bored office worker begins living out his life as a Shakespearean fantasy. In another, two students writing a test resort to an elaborate game of charades to pass the answers to each other. A commuting blackout sees a driver's GPS system giving directions for driving in a traffic jam: "Drive two metres. Stop. Drive six inches. Stop. Place vehicle in Park." And the show closes with a musical number about solo drivers yearning to drive the HOV lane.
Raitt credits the ongoing debates over Toronto's transit problems with the inspiration for much of the show. "When I got the idea for commuting as a theme, I began to research the issues. That very same week there were at least three articles published in local magazines and newspapers, about traffic, transit, and the upcoming white papers by Metrolinx [the new Greater Toronto Transportation Authority] about how to fix all of it.
"And then, of course, there was the TTC strike in April, which was gold. I already had a scene in the show about how Heaven deals with an angel strike, and I completely rewrote it to reference the TTC trouble.
"People get really angry and frustrated about this stuff, which of course makes it perfect material for comedy. We're inviting [Metrolinx Chair] Rob MacIsaac and his staff to the show - not to give them ideas, more to give them a break!"
Performances
- 17 & 24 April 2009
The Second City - 2-13 July 2008
Fringe of Toronto Theatre Festival 2008
Original Credits
- Featuring
- Carly Jones (Evil Dead: The Musical)
David Raitt - Written by
- David Raitt
- Technical Direction by
- Tabetha Wells
- "HOV" Accompaniment Produced by
- Jim Clayton
- Special Thanks
- Paul Bates
Christy Bruce
Darryl Hinds
Toronto Port Authority
The Second City
Fringe of Toronto Theatre Festival - Made possible through the support of the Canadian Actors' Equity Association
Latest News
- 30 March 2009
Two special celebration performances - Carly and I announced our second run of the show at The Second City.
- 10 July 2008
"PATRONS' PICK" of the FRINGE - ...as the hottest selling show at our venue. Thanks to all who have supported the show and brought us this honour.
- 29 May 2008
Press Materials now available for download - Hard copies of this document, in addition to additional publicity materials, are available by courier. Please contact me.
- 15 April 2008
Between Commutes Page Online! - We'll be posting updates here as the show comes together. Check back often!
