'Potato Potato' Toronto Fringe 2025

‘It’s The Totally Cannon Historical Famine! (just don’t check your history books)’

My name is Emma Golden, I am a music theatre writer and performer born and raised in Halifax Nova Scotia, and I have a story for you! Remember the Potato Salad Guy? The man who ate five pounds of potato salad at the Holy Cross Cemetery? A brand new musical inspired by this story is making its way to downtown Toronto this summer.

Yes thats right, this show is inspired by a real Halifax moment. A story stuck with me, not just because it was hilarious, but because of what it reflected about our city, systems, the absurdity of publicity, and survival.

‘Potato Potato’ has already had a workshop performance with Factory Theatre in collaboration with Theatre Sheridan’s Writing showcase. Has gone through multiple stages of readings, and collaborative workshops this year at Sheridan College, and now is being produced with a team of 22 performers and creative artists.

This is such an exciting opportunity to develop my new work right after wrapping up my degree in Music Theatre Performance at Sheridan College, and is an incredible opportunity not only for myself but for my fellow peers and young upcoming performers to enter the theatre industry.

As college students, we are neck deep in both student loans, and bigbigbig dreams. There are a few upfront fees that must be paid to enrol my show in the festival. Festival fee's and theatre rentals alone cost $1900, thats before rehearsal fees, costume, set, instruments, props ect. Putting on a musical is expensive, especially for young emerging artists/students like us. That is why every donation is valuable, and helps to bring our story to life.

Printing fees, advertising, costumes, travelling accommodations, rehearsal spaces ect. are all needed during this process. $20 can help purchase shoes for cast members, $50 rents out a truck for set transportation to our venue, $100 helps to pay music transcribers to develop the sheet music/scoring. Anything helps, and even just sharing this fundraiser would be

AH-MAY-ZING.

Soooo WHAT IS Potato Potato (puh-tay-toh puh-tah-toh)?

Potato Potato follows the story of a second politically induced potato famine in Halifax, Nova Scotia . The story presents as a comedic satire, all the while embedded with a darkly politically driven heartbeat. Thiiiink East Coast fisherman farmers, think famine on the streets… but then add SOOOO much glitter sparkle, with a pop influenced musical theatre score.

As the title of the show 'Potato Potato' implies, it strives to examine the illusion of difference where there is none, the destructive values in which our modern-day political structures thrive and prosper, are the very roots in which history had built them with.

I have had the opportunity to develop this project as part of writing/composition for music theatre stream at Sheridan College this year, and have grown deeply connected to the messages audiences will hopefully be able to get from its performance. Now more than ever I believe this material has incredibly topical subject matter. I also believe there is a direct tie between art and activism, and as history has shown, theatre has the ability to create deeply influential socio-economic and political shifts, therefore the way we can help each other to listen, and for true shifts to be ignited, we must welcome our audience in, open their minds through entertainment, and only when we are willing, can we let ourselves learn.

If you have any more interest in this shows production, you can reach me through my personal socials @emmagoldenxo on Instagram and make sure to follow @potatopotatothemusical as well for more updates!!!!