Toronto Fringe Review: Joan & Olivia A Hollywood Ghost Story

I didn’t know much about Joan & Olivia A Hollywood Ghost Story before walking in, assuming it would be much like campfire ghost stories presented on stage. Although there is indeed a sensational story of Hollywood-tinged sibling rivalry at the core of this story, what takes place on stage truly brings this ghost story to life.

Joan Fontaine and Olivia Da Havilland were sisters and stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood achieving the accolade of being the only sisters to ever both take home Academy Awards for acting. Their sibling rivalry became legendary as the two often bickered over roles, men, friends, awards, and their parents’ affection. 

In Joan & Olivia, we see Nicole Moller play Olivia and Georgia Findlay play Joan continuing their ongoing rivalry beyond the grave now haunting their childhood home. To their surprise, a new family with two young sisters have moved in. With nothing else to do, Joan and Olivia continue their sibling rivalry by taking these new young girls under their wings.

Hats off to Findlay for making her debut as a playwright with this production, as not only has she done a fine job with her role as Joan Fontaine but the writing here is also superb. I was quite impressed by the dialogue delivered by Joan and Olivia while they were both simultaneously grooming their younger protégés Molly (Crystal Casera) and Celeste (Mackenzie Kelly). Though these separate conversations occurred at the same time for the audience to see, the pacing in the script blended them together seamlessly. Also, the blocking throughout was visually very impressive with the use of levels of having the younger siblings in the forefront sitting or lying down with the ghost sisters hovering above. I also liked how the younger sisters kept within the spaces defined as their rooms while the ghost sisters could phase through the walls at will. 

Both Moller and Findlay are mesmerizing as these Hollywood legends, both oozing glamour and elegance in their demeanors from their speech to their mannerisms. They were earnest in their beliefs that they were helping the young sisters they cared for rather than just pushing them towards a goal they were no longer alive to achieve. Casera and Kelly were also endearing to watch as young sisters growing up with these conniving ‘fairy godmothers’ whispering in their ears and pushing them along. As someone with a sibling I rarely got along with, their relationship was indeed relatable.

Joan & Olivia A Hollywood Ghost Story is a clear audience favourite at the Fringe this year for good reason. As a visually appealing and engaging piece of theatre, this performance is ticking all the boxes.

Joan & Olivia A Hollywood Ghost Story is on now until July 16 as part of the 2022 Toronto Fringe Festival.
Find show times and tickets here.