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Little Astronaut

 
Nicholas Abrams Review by Nicholas Abrams 4 Published: 4 Jul 2026 585 Dundas St E Show Dates: 5 Jul 2026-12 Jul 2026

Engineering doesn’t often find itself at the centre of a musical. Even less so one that explores what it’s like to be a young woman trying to find her place in a discipline that still feels overwhelmingly male. Little Astronaut takes that premise and turns it into an engaging, thoughtful musical that has plenty to say - even if it doesn’t quite know where to stop.

An ambitious musical with enormous potential

Isobel Arseneau’s original musical follows Hazel, a first-year engineering student arriving full of optimism and dreams of becoming an astronaut. It doesn’t take long for reality to intervene. Surrounded by dismissive male classmates, isolated socially, and later subjected to the inappropriate behaviour of an older tutor, Hazel gradually loses the confidence that brought her there. Alongside fellow student Lily, the show explores the barriers women continue to face in STEM subjects with honesty and conviction.

It’s an important story, and one that feels rooted in genuine experience. Arseneau, who wrote the book, music and lyrics as well as starring in the production, clearly knows this world intimately. The result is a musical that never feels like it’s making a point for the sake of it; instead, it presents misogyny as an exhausting accumulation of everyday moments rather than a single dramatic event.

Musically, there’s much to admire. The orchestra is superb, lending the score a richness rarely heard at Fringe festivals, while the cast perform with real commitment. Arseneau herself gives an impressive central performance, and there’s no doubting her talent both as a performer and as a creator.

The production’s biggest weakness is its structure. Rather than feeling complete, Little Astronaut ends as though we’ve reached the interval of a much larger musical. Major storylines are introduced but left unresolved: Hazel’s tutor’s behaviour, the friendships, the hinted romances, even Hazel’s own emotional journey all stop rather than conclude. It isn’t that every thread needs tying up neatly, but audiences do need some sense that the story has reached its destination. Here, the curtain call arrived so abruptly that much of the audience seemed unsure whether the show had actually finished.

There are also moments where inexperience shows. One standout solo builds beautifully towards the kind of ending that has an audience poised to erupt into applause, only for the moment to be undercut by an immediate scene change. It’s a brave creative choice, but not one that quite serves the theatrical momentum.

Even so, Little Astronaut is an impressive achievement. Its themes remain painfully relevant, its music is strong, and its ambition is impossible not to admire. This feels less like a finished musical than the first stage of something with enormous potential. I’d be very interested to see where Isobel Arseneau takes it next.

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The Blurb:

Little Astronaut is a bold original musical playing Native Earth Performing Arts as part of the 2026 Toronto Fringe Festival. Dear Evan Hansen meets John Proctor Is the Villain: Little Astronaut asks what it costs women to survive in spaces that want them to be smaller, quieter, and easier to control. It is a story about what it takes to hold your ground, and what changes when you stop doing it alone. Hazel and Lily arrive for their first day of engineering with everything to prove.