Lupe: Latin Heat

“An outrageously funny Spanish Spitfire.” Jon Kaplan, NOW Magazine

“Hilarious interactive comedy.” James Simons, EYE Magazine

Lupe Undone

NOW Magazine says:
NNNN, Critic’s Pick, Outstanding Performance, Outstanding Overall Production
Reviewed by: Jon Kaplan
The ever-hopeful Lupe (Melissa D'Agostino) plans a tryst with her lover David Mirvish (yes, that David Mirvish) in the alleyway behind Honest Ed's, but the audience turns up instead of her paramour. Lots of funny clown work and some touching moments as D'Agostino plays with audience and serves us chips and salsa. Olé, as Lupe would say.

J.Kelly Nustruck
The Globe and Mail
A recommendation: Lupe: Undone, which takes place behind Honest Ed's at Bloor and Bathurst, is a loosely structured delight…It's silly, it's funny, it's the kind of show you are only likely to see at the Fringe.

Eye Weekly gave it 4 Stars ****
James Simons
Melissa D’Agostino’s title character is outlandishly hilarious yet undeniably human, exchanging warm, witty banter with audience members as she waits for her boyfriend, David Mirvish, to arrive.

Johnnie Walker
Torointoist.com
It may be too early to call, but Lupe: Undone might just be the funniest thing at this year's Fringe. This completely insane one-woman show starring Melissa D'Agostino as a charismatic South American woman is one of the freshest, weirdest, and utterly charming pieces of theatre we've seen in a while. D'Agostino is an incredible performer and improviser who has been working on her Lupe character for a while now (you'll probably want to check out the first episode of her web series The Lupe Show, in which she interviews David Miller). And Lupe: Undone is the perfect introduction to the wacky world of this hysterical woman.

Curtain Rising Magazine
Justin Haigh
Now this is what you call a performance piece.
By far the most interesting of the bring-your-own-venue concepts at this year’s festival… it is really Lupe’s infectious energy, lovable and quirky personality, and the good natured (if sometimes embarrassing) interactivity she imposes on the audience that makes for a delightfully different kind of fringe show. This one will leave you beaming.

Theatre Across Canada
Jessica Ruana
Directed by Adam Lazarus and performed by Melissa D’Agostino this was perhaps the best one-woman show I have ever seen…this actress is talented and smart and insightful and she loves chatting with the audience. And she listens to the audience! What an important thing.

Audience Feedback

“Good old fashioned clownish slapstick polished with a pinch of the "hot stuff"… D'Agostino's hilarious seamless caricature expressing her "raison d'etre" in a torrid love-wrenching, walking tabloid diary style is pure entertainment! Think of 30's Latin Spitfire, Lupe Velez mixed with the clownish genius of Lucille Ball and Judy Holliday paying homage to a culture of truth, tequila and viva Latina feminista!” (Caroline Azar, audience member of Latin Heat at the Factory Theatre)

“Real emotion made really funny”.
(Bruce Hunter, audience member Latin Heat)

“I liked just hanging out with the character.  Since the formality of a theatre space is removed it moved beyond the comedy and performance into a real discussion and experience.”
(Adam Paolozza, Audience Member at Dufferin Mall)

“It's the details like surprises that I find really exciting…It is really quite brilliant to gather all these people and have them participate like this. It was amazing how it instantly bonded a group of strangers together!  I kept looking forward to the next surprise or detail.”
(Julie Tepperman, Audience Member at The Dufferin Mall)