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Detail of an 1879 oil on canvas portrait of a woman in profile. Her eyes are closed, hair tied loosely at the back of her head, and she wears a white dress with a high frilled collar.
Detail of an 1879 oil on canvas portrait of a woman in profile. Her eyes are closed, hair tied loosely at the back of her head, and she wears a white dress with a high frilled collar.

A famous dead actress A famous dead actress

& a young musician talk about art & life.

Home Events Performance TOFringe: Divine Monster

TOFringe: Divine Monster

From Wednesday, July 2 to Saturday, July 12, 2025 – Bernhardt Productions presents Divine Monster at the 2025 Toronto Fringe Festival. An encounter in a Paris cemetery between the ghost of the great actress Sarah Bernhardt and a young Canadian musician leads to a passionate debate about art, fame and success in a world now dominated by social media. Presented in Soulpepper Theatre’s RBC Finance Studio in the Distillery Historic District.

A supernatural meeting – full of dark humour, magic & suspense

In Paris, a distraught Martha rushes into a cemetery seeking respite. Lost, vulnerable and desperate, she finds herself at the grave of the famous French actress Sarah Bernhardt. Sarah’s ghost appears – she is trapped in the cemetery and unable to move on because of unfinished business. As the two women share the details of their lives, Sarah gets a glimpse into the 21st century; and Martha learns of the challenges and hard times that Sarah endured, despite having a successful career and achieving worldwide fame. Rounding out the cast of characters are Sarah’s fellow ghosts – one of whom has knowledge of a magic resurrection ritual that must be performed under a rare blood moon that night in order to work.

Written by Elena Kaufman and directed by Mary Dwyer, the cast includes Bonnie Anderson, Greg Campbell and Hope Goudsward.

Detail of an 1879 oil on canvas portrait of a woman in profile. Her eyes are closed, hair tied loosely at the back of her head, and she wears a white dress with a high frilled collar.

(Photo credits: Painting (detail) of Sarah Bernhardt (1879): Jules Bastien-Lepage, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.)

 

Event details

Presented by: Bernhardt Productions 

Type of event: theatre performance

Written by: Elena Kaufman 

Directed by: Mary Dwyer

Cast: Bonnie Anderson, Greg Campbell & Hope Goudsward

Dates & times: Performances take place throughout the Toronto Fringe Festival – which runs from Wednesday, July 2 to Sunday, July 13, 2025 – at various times and dates:

  • Wednesday, July 2 @ 7:45 PM ET
  • Friday, July 4 @ 6:15 PM ET
  • Saturday, July 5 @ 3:00 PM ET
  • Sunday, July 6 @ 3:00 PM ET
  • Tuesday, July 8 @ 4:30 PM ET
  • Thursday, July 10 @ 1:00 PM ET
  • Friday, July 11 @ 4:45 PM ET
  • Saturday, July 12 @ 1:00 PM ET

Latecomers will only be admitted into the theatre within the first 15 minutes of the performance. Re-entry will be permitted.

Duration: 60 minutes (no intermission)

Cost: C$15.00 plus fees, with discounts for kids and pass holders

Location: Soulpepper Theatre’s RBC Finance Studio, 50 Tank House Lane, Distillery Historic District, Toronto, ON, M5A 3C4, Canada

Booking link: Book your tickets here.

Contact details: divinemonster.neocities.org

 

Content warning: For audiences 18+. This production includes discussion of suicide, coarse language, sexual content and alcohol use.

Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible venue. More info here.