The Creative School talent takes the stage at Hamilton Fringe Festival

Minimum draws laughs and attention at one of Canada’s longest-running theatres

By: Mays Saifan

August 12, 2025

A team of students and alumni from The Creative School presented Minimum, a new original comedy, at this year’s Hamilton Fringe Festival (external link, opens in new window) . Written by MFA Scriptwriting & Story Design alum Victoria Sullivan, the show follows a newly elected Premier forced to live on minimum wage as he navigates Hamilton rent, public transit, and alimony payments with comical results.

Performed at The Players' Guild of Hamilton, one of the oldest continually operating theatres in North America, Minimum was featured on CBC Radio’s Fresh Air and received an enthusiastic response from audiences. “Audiences of all ages have been laughing so hard I’m worried we’re going to run over our time,” said Sullivan. “It’s so satisfying as a writer.”

The production starred Sullivan, Brandon James Sim, and current Performance: Acting student Gavin Sibley, with a talented team behind the scenes:

Shailyn Pierre-Dixon – Director (Performance: Acting alum)
Morgan Angus – Stage Manager / Sound Designer (Performance: Design and Production student)
Johnson Wang – Assistant Stage Manager / Lighting Designer (Performance: Design and Production student)
Mima Higashi – Fight / Intimacy Coordinator (Performance: Acting alum)

Overhead shot of three actors on stage in a dark theatre, with a spotlight on the main actor and the audience visible at the bottom.

The cast of Minimum on stage at The Players’ Guild of Hamilton during the 2025 Hamilton Fringe Festival.

Wide shot of Victoria Sullivan sitting on a couch and smiling at the camera at a CBC location. The couch is black, and the wallpaper shows loud shapes that are red, orange, yellow, and blue.

MFA Scriptwriting & Story Design alum Victoria Sullivan at CBC ahead of her Fresh Air interview about Minimum.

The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University

The Creative School is a dynamic faculty that is making a difference in new, unexplored ways. Made up of Canada’s top professional schools and transdisciplinary hubs in media, communication, design and cultural industries, The Creative School offers students an unparalleled global experience in the heart of downtown Toronto.