Toronto is a city filled with theatre. Filled with theatre that many people don't know about. If you're a casual follower of theatre you will know about the Dora Mavor Moore awards, they get a fair bit of press, but unless you're in the theatre industry there's a good chance that you don't know about the Harold Awards, which take place this Monday, May 26, 2008.

Erika Hennebury, one of the organizers of this year's Harold Awards, describes them as "The awards are always riotous and debauched. A kind of anti-Dora's. Super fun." So, whereas the Doras are a formal affair, a gala of massive proportions, the Harolds are a place where people in the theatre industry let loose. When you get a bunch of theatre folks together in a room and let them let loose, well, that's a sight to behold.

The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios, written by Yann Martel, is part of the Performance Spring Festival at Factory Theatre which brings national productions to Toronto. The festival is in it's second year and it's looking like it's going to become a staple at Factory Theatre.

The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios is an interesting exploration into the mind of a man who supported a friend as he was dying of AIDS. It's also a bit of a quicky history lesson. Only one actor takes the stage for this show, although upon occasion there is more than one character. The show is a narrative, it tells a story, a reminiscence of years past.

There's some interesting stuff going on this week, including some that I imagine will be hard and heart-wrenching, but worth it.

As always, if there is not a description with the show, it has been described in a previous entry.

I was invited to a press conference at the Canon Theatre with a cryptic invitation to "to attend a press conference for a major announcement." by David Mirvish. No hint of what the announcement might be, just a coy invitation to whet the media's appetites.

When I arrived I pushed my way through the throngs of high school kids that were leaving the matinee and got into the auditorium to be greeted by the cast of We Will Rock You on stage. I cozied myself down in a seat at the front and immediately started speculating what the apparently top-secret announcement might be. The woman from Canadian Press that I was talking to said that if it was just something to announce that We Will Rock you was going to be extended she was going to scream. I agreed, since, really, that's the kind of thing that a press release works just fine for.

It really is the time of festivals in the city. One of these is the Performance Spring Festival at Factory theatre. This is the second year of the festival which features premiers of work from companies across the Canada as well as a 'Late Night Series' which includes live music, comedy and play readings. The festival, that runs from May 7 - May 25 began with Sexual Practices of the Japanese by Vancouver's Theatre Replacement.

With a healthy mix of irreverent humour and serious thought-provoking moments, and of course some sexy scenes, this show makes for a good way to spend an evening out.

So, theatre festivals continue on their merry way. A couple more have been added this week, and the two festivals from last week are still going on. More details after the jump.

As always, if there is not a description with the show it has be described in a previous entry.