MONKS

After a handful of limited appearances—including a breakout Fringe run—Veronica Hortigüela and Annie Luján's *MONKS* gets its first full Toronto engagement at Tarragon. The pair created, direct, and perform this one-hour interactive clown epic, which is proudly ridiculous and more carefully constructed than its chaos suggests.

What to expect

Two medieval brothers live in an isolated hilltop monastery. When the abbot leaves for town, they invite a wagon full of strangers inside and turn their austere daily routine into a quest. Counting lentils, caring for a donkey, and keeping the building upright all become high-stakes problems.

This is physical comedy with an audience-facing streak: loose, surprising, and willing to make a joke out of nearly every possible interpretation of the word “ass.” Tarragon is presenting the show in its Extraspace, where the room's intimacy should make the interactive elements land particularly well.

The venue

Tarragon Theatre is at 30 Bridgman Avenue, north of Dupont between Bathurst and Christie. Walk west from Dupont station or take the 7 Bathurst bus. Because the show runs only an hour, it pairs easily with dinner in the Annex.