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2012 Toronto Fringe Festival: Q&A With TICK Director Jajube Mandiela

Jajube Mandiela talks about directing Matthew Mackenzie's family-friendly play at the Toronto Fringe Festival

By Lauren Gillett • July 1, 2012

Jajube Mandiela.

The kids are alright in TICK, a play about a 10-year-old girl named Tickailia, or "Tick," who leads her friends in a revolution to save her local library from closing. Written by award-winning SIA playwright Matthew Mackenzie, the show (a top pick at the 2010 Edmonton Fringe) is back on stage in a new Toronto Fringe Festival production directed by Jajube Mandiela (Degrassi, SIA), and starring Jessica Moss (Modern Love), Daniel MacIvor's Was Spring, and Necessary Angel's Toute Comme Elle).

Here, director Jajube Mandiela explains what makes this fun all-ages production TICK.

Theatromania: What inspired Matthew Mackenzie's script?

JM: TICK is a comedy about a 10-year-old girl who rallies her friends to try and save their local library from being closed! Matt, the playwright, admires how kids love to learn and most often truly believe their actions can change the world for the better. He wrote TICK to remind himself, as well as anyone who is older than 10 years old of those feelings of being unstoppable which everyone experiences while growing up. And with the recent cuts to Toronto public services, Matt was further inspired to write about how Torontonians have been affected…from a kid’s perspective!

Theatromania: As a director, how do you bring the 10-year-old kids out of these grown-up cast members?

JM: I literally ask the actors to play! I ask them to tap into their 10-year-old selves, and through improvisation, children’s games, and the script’s sharp writing, they found their way into being 10 years old.

Theatromania: Has the production changed much since the 2010 Edmonton Fringe Festival?

JM: Yes, it is a whole new production for Toronto: rather than being set in an Alberta suburb with Tick trying to stop an unnecessary curfew from coming into being, it is set in Toronto with Tick leading her friends into battle to save their local library.

Theatromania: Why should people of all ages see this play?

JM: Adults, grandparents, teens, and kids should come see TICK because it’s gonna be a hoot! TICK has comedy that everyone can enjoy: gags, wordplay, pop culture references, physical comedy, and even serious drama mixed in to make the story all the more powerful!

Theatromania: What excites you most about this year's Toronto Fringe Festival?

JM: I am most excited about seeing the other shows; I am hoping to make it to as many as I can. It is enthralling to be part of a festival with other shows that look like they’ll be great too!

TICK runs from July 5 to 14 at the George Ignatieff Theatre (15 Devonshire Place). Visit fringetoronto.com for more information and to buy tickets.

Show Times:

July 05 08:15 PM
July 08 07:30 PM
July 09 02:00 PM
July 11 02:15 PM
July 12 04:00 PM
July 13 08:30 PM
July 14 05:45 PM