WT*A*F is wrong with humanity??
It’s a question that has no doubt occurred to many of us. Peter Cavell (The Second City) and Megan Phillips (The Anxiety Show) took that feeling a step further, and made a show out of it. The soldout debut at Toronto Fringe back in 2015 garnered the Best of Fringe, Patron’s Pick, and the Ed Mirvish Awards, and led to two tours through Australia.
People Suck is back at Toronto Fringe where it all began a decade later with a message that’s perhaps more relevant than ever — along with new songs and fresh material.
The Toronto Fringe Show is part of the specially curated Alliance for Canadian Musicals showcase that takes place at Theatre Passe Muraille from July 2 to 13, 2025.
People Suck
The original Fringe hit has been expanded and developed over the last ten years, including the musical elements of the show.
People Suck features 18 original songs, with titles like Where the Hell is Darwin When You Need Him?, a lyrical lament on the collapse of society, When I See You Smile (I Want To Kill You), sung as a heartfelt ballad, and the NSFW audience participation number Some People Are A**holes!.
From an earlier production:
“We’re thrilled to be bringing the show back to Toronto! When we originally wrote People Suck back in 2015, we didn’t realize just how sucky the world would soon become,” says composer Peter Cavell in a statement. “It seems people agree since the show has been picked up and produced twice by theatre companies in Australia, and we’ll soon be announcing a new production in Saskatoon this fall.”
Megan Phillips describes its popularity, “There is an inherent catharsis in making art when surrounded by the dumpster fire that is humanity in 2025. We may not be able to change the actual people, but at least we can use punch-up humour to commiserate. And when we laugh together, we feel less alone.”
“Since people somehow haven’t stopped sucking yet, it’s clear that People Suck has a long future ahead,” adds Cavell.
The show is directed by Jessica Sherman, who starred in the US and Toronto tours of Dear Evan Hansen. The humour ranges from clever to dark and back again.
And, in pointing the finger at everyone who’s annoying, be prepared for the fact that it will point back at you too.
Not sucking, after all, starts with each one and every of us.
Show Details
People Suck: a musical airing of grievances
- Showtimes: July 2 at 3:45 p.m., July 4 at 9:30 p.m., July 6 at 7 p.m., July 7 at 3 p.m., July 8 at 8 p.m., July 10 at 3:30 p.m., July 12 at 6 p.m.
- Venue: Theatre Passe Muraille, Mainspace, 16 Ryerson Avenue
Find tickets and more information [HERE].
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