A MOMENT FOR FRAYED NERVES to Make World Premiere at Toronto Fringe

A Moment for Frayed Nerves is an experimental new musical by Kevin Wong and Alysa Pires at Theatre Passe Muraille as part of the 2026 Toronto Fringe Festival, co-directed by Rielle Braid. Performances will run 2-12 July.

Immerse yourself in a musical bath of song and movement, following emotionally-linked vignettes inspired by Ghibli cooking scenes, lo-fi study mixes, warm baths, and the quest for existential meaning. This show is a love letter to the ways our modern human experience is at once confounding, infuriating, hilarious, and heartening.

Frayed Nerves is the first collaboration by musical theatre creator Kevin Wong (Patrons' Pick winning creator of Polly Peel and Drama 101, three time winner of the Playwrights Guild of Canada Tom Hendry Award for New Musical Theatre) and choreographer Alysa Pires (Exterminating Angel, New York City Ballet, National Ballet of Canada). It is an experimental musical of completely original music and choreography, rooted in the sounds of Lauridsen choral harmonies, 80s Japanese city pop, 90s early R&B, and 2020s synth pop.

The musical features Book, Music & Lyrics: Kevin Wong, Co-Director & Choreography: Alysa Pires, Co-Director & Dramaturgy: Rielle Braid. The cast includes Delia Clark-Bautista, Nathaniel Cadougan, EJ Candelaria, Sarah Evasiw, Claire Haig-Halsall, Violet Legarde, Marissa Monk, Bryan Nothling, Chris Otchere, and Helena Shields-Ballantyne.