T
ORONTO — Michael Ross Albert's experience buying his first condo during the pandemic still resonates with him, especially as the average home price in the Greater Toronto Area is expected to reach $1.19 million by year's end, a six per cent increase from 2023. To tackle this issue, he has written "The Bidding War," a biting new comedy premiering at Toronto's Crow's Theatre. The play takes place during a frantic one-day bidding war over the city's last affordable home and descends into chaos as buyers fight for ownership.

    Directed by Paolo Santalucia, the world premiere features an ensemble cast, including Aurora Browne as savvy real-estate agent Blayne and Gregory Walters as Charlie, one of the many buyers caught up in the madness. Albert hopes "The Bidding War" exposes the unfairness of Toronto's real estate system and shows that there is a different way to imagine life in the city without brutal competition over basic human rights.

    Browne says she was excited to join the 11-person cast, which is unusually large for a Canadian production due to budget constraints. She believes "The Bidding War" ultimately reveals how self-serving those working in Toronto's real estate market can be, and that laughing at the housing crisis is a necessary step towards finding a solution.