Come one, come all. Di circus is coming to town. MASHUP PON DI ROAD is a free outdoor, bashment circus variety show–on a big truck. Punk in spirit, island in vibe and vaudeville in staging, this joyful rebellion will hit Toronto streets this summer for its world premiere. From July 19 to 27, co-directors Bahia Watson and Liza Paul will bring the show to neighbourhoods around the city. This is a free, outdoor/standing event primarily intended for 19+ audiences. Registration is encouraged.
Bahia Watson is an award-winning actor, writer and director based in Toronto and Los Angeles. Watson is the creative director at indie production company Paul Watson Productions. Liza Paul is a storyteller, comedian, curator, and producer who loves laughter, life, music, family, stories, all things bashment, impromptu dancehall-flavoured a cappella street jams, and pum-related non sequiturs. Paul is the creative producer for indie production company Paul Watson Productions inc. Produced by Paul Watson Productions, in association with Why Not Theatre, MASHUP PON DI ROAD fuses raucous humour with whip-smart cultural critique to poke fun at the constraints of the patriarchy, the expectations of womanhood, and the end of the world as we know it. Through a series of vignettes and songs, two ringmasters and their band of colourful misfits give audiences a funhouse mirror look at the sheer absurdity of this oppressive world.
Press photo by Ariane Laezza
This production has been in the works for about two years and was born of a dream to manifest as much carnival culture in the work as they could. Putting the show outside on a big truck was a reaction to the pandemic. Paul says that in a way Covid forced them into a gift that necessitated two years of dreaming, planning, zoom meetings (so many zoom meetings), and finally the glory of gathering in one place to make the show come to life.
I asked the creators who the ideal audience for MASHUP PON DI ROAD would be as I wondered if non-Caribbean people would understand or enjoy the performance as much as a Caribbean person would. For Watson, the ideal audience is anyone with an open heart and mind who wants to have a good time. “All the music and comedy and characters are spun around to create a portal for people to enter our universe and exit feeling freer than when they came, that’s the intention,” adds Watson. “I want them to look out at what was once an ordinary world on the brink of implosion and see another possibility. I want people to leave feeling themselves and feeling good.” Paul agreed, saying “It’s for everyone! And particularly in a city like Toronto, where the Caribbean diasporic influence is so strong, I think people will be familiar with more of the island vibes than they might realize. There will always be little subtleties that might resonate more strongly with a Caribbean audience, but never to the point of feeling exclusionary or inaccessible.”
Performance locations were decided on by where the truck could fit and where they could get permits, but they always knew that Little Jamaica would be a perfect fit, for the culture. It also had a lot to do connecting with people who understood and were excited about the vision. Paul said it’s an untested concept and not everyone they approached could see what it was they were trying to achieve. “It’s not every day a couple of indie artists say, ‘Hey we have this idea to bring a massive flatbed truck as part of an event that is part circus, part Caribbean carnival, part vaudeville to your neighbourhoods from 8 - 11 pm. You down?’ so it’s been a journey to try to communicate that clearly. Luckily, the place where we most wanted to be, Little Jamaica, was on board right away. Everything else kind of fell into place.” The Bentway, an outdoor, downtown venue under The Gardiner has the edgy feel they were interested in. Watson had been to a festival there before and immediately thought they had to bring the big truck there. Assembly Park was a wonderful discovery of a new growing community space in Vaughan where they could build the truck and rehearse side by side—necessary for directors/actors!
Costumes for MASHUP PON DI ROAD were created by Toronto-raised Mriga Kapadiya and Amrit Kumar of NorBlack NorWhite. Watson and Paul have had a long relationship with the NorBlack NorWhite team. They love the colour and energy and ethos of the clothes they make and like them, Mriga Kapadiya is also steeped in d’bi young’s training. Since the entire project is a mashup of artists who aren’t necessarily of the theatre world, it felt like a perfect opportunity for them to work together. Watson says she had a very clear idea on what she wanted some of the costumes to look like, while others were more collaborative, and some came from NorBlack NorWhite’s own inspirations.
Press photo by Ariane Laezza
Following their run in Toronto, Watson and Paul will take another new iteration from the MASHUP universe (called MASHUP ting!) to New York City as part of Joe’s Pub at The Public Theatre. Bahia and Liza are part of the Public’s New York Voices program, supporting the creation of new works by critically-acclaimed musicians and performers. MASHUP ting! is not a continuation of MASHUP PON DI ROAD in a linear sense but will expand and deepen their investigation of life through vignettes and music. Fall performance dates to be announced. I asked if Toronto audiences will get to see MASHUP ting! They weren’t ready to ponder that question just yet as their focus is directed on preparing to offer Toronto audiences MASHUP PON DI ROAD but said check back in August and maybe they’d have a better idea then.
The full experience begins at 8 p.m. with a pre-show warmup featuring music and local food and drink vendors. The shows begin at 9 p.m. each night, with post-show cool down until 11 p.m.
Performance Dates & Locations
Community Preview: July 19, 2022, gates at 8 p.m. / show at 9 p.m. @ Assembly Park (80 Interchange Way) Sponsored by QuadReal Property Group
July 21-23, 2022, gates at 8 p.m. / show at 9 p.m. in The Heart of Little Jamaica (Green P Lot, 1531 Eglinton Ave West)
July 27, 2022, gates at 8 p.m. / show at 9 p.m. @ The Bentway (250 Fort York Blvd) Presented in partnership with The Bentway.
Each location has a separate booking page. Find registration information here.
Connect to the MASHUP universe: Instagram: @mashupting Twitter @tingmashup TikTok @tingmashup
Interview by Glodeane Brown
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