[Todd Campbell]

Just wanted to let any Toronto western martial artist and sword afficianatos know about my stage play about dueling at this years Toronto fringe festival. 'Duel of Ages' contains six original scenes (see below) and where ever possible we tried to use period fight manual (or rather the interpretations of a lot of you fine folks) as the inspiration for the choreography we use in the show. So if you live in the Toronto, Ontario area please come out ad see this amazing show. We just got a 4 star review in one of the local papers (Now Magazine)and with only five shows left it is sure to sell out so book your tickets early. Thanks,



DUEL OF AGES
Spectacular Duel / Fight Show Premieres At Toronto Fringe

Twenty-One Performers!!! Five Writers!!! Four Directors!!!
One of the most ambitious shows EVER staged at the Toronto Fringe…


Toronto, Ontario… True Edge Productions is thrilled to announce that DUEL OF AGES will premiere at the Toronto Fringe Festival, opening Thursday July 5 at 6:30 pm at the Factory Theatre, 125 Bathurst Street, Toronto (full schedule below). The Fringe runs July 4 to July 15, 2007.

One of the most ambitious Fringe productions of all time, Duel of Ages consists of six original playlets, commissioned from some of Toronto’s finest writers, including Denis McGrath (Top Gun! The Musical), Mike McPhaden (Poochwater), Gregg Taylor (Black Jack Justice) and Michael Rubenfeld (Spain), and involves 21 of Toronto’s finest actor-combatants and fight directors.

Play 1: Le Coup by Denis McGrath and directed by Dean Gabourie. A retelling of the famous Duel de Jarnac, said to be the last judicial duel in Europe and containing elements of the duel of chivalry, trial by combat and the duel of Honour. This celebrated sword and buckler duel also contained one of the most famous ‘Botta Segrettas” the infamous ‘coup de Jarnac’.

Play 2: Le Duel Des Mignons written and directed by Michael Rubenfeld. An almost verbatim account of the duel between six of the King’s favourites, his Mignons, in 16th century France.

Play 3: La Maupin conceived and directed by Todd Campbell combining stage combat, movement and dance this piece tells the tale of a deadly encounter between three gentlemen and one of the most infamous duellists in 17th century France the opera singer, swashbuckler and notorious bisexual Julie D’Aubigny also known as La Maupin.

Play 4: The Pistoleers by Mike McPhaden directed by Dean Gabourie. This scene depicts the often farcical nature of 19th century pistol duelling through one of the last pistol duels in Canada which took place in Newfoundland in 1873.

Play 5: Egos and Icons written and directed by Gregg Taylor is a humours (and fictional!) depiction of a duel (both fake and real) between two of Hollywood’s most celebrated “Swashbucklers” Errol Flynn and Basil Rathbone.

Play 6: The One conceived and directed by Todd Campbell. This last scene will take a look at the type of fictional fights we like to see on our screens today. Namely The Matrix style ‘Wire-fu’. This movement piece is a martial arts extravaganza that incorporates contact improvisation to create a wire-fu look without wires.

check out www.trueedge.ca for more info

DUEL OF AGES plays at the Factory Theatre Mainspace, 125 Bathurst Street (at Adelaide) at the following times:
Monday July 9 at 1 pm; Wednesday July 11 at 7:30 pm;
Friday July 13 at 9:15 pm; Saturday July 14 at 12:30 pm; Sunday July 15 at 3:30 pm

Tickets: $10.00, call the Fringe Box Office at 416.966.1062 for more info or www.fringetoronto.com