Week of August 24, 2006, Issue #566
FRINGE REVIEWS
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
It was a long, hot first weekend at Hi Yo Fringe Away! Reviewers and patrons sauntered around the grounds, looking for the best swill and thrills. As always, we found some shows to be worth the tipping of a 10-gallon hat, while others made us realize that this town might not be big enough for all of us.
We’ve compiled a list of this year’s 144 plays, as well as a handy rating system to let you know what’s what. Bear in mind, however, that no two cowboys ride the same, so we want you to think of our writeups not as definitive judgments but as an entry into the dialogue of theatre so that you may negotiate your way through this final weekend of the Fringe’s 25th birthday.
Our reviewers: David Berry DB, Chloé Fedio CF, Brian Gibson BG, James Gittens JG, Scott Harris SH, Tyson Kaban TK, Sherry Dawn Knettle SDK, Alex Konye AK, Steve Lillebuen SL, Jared Majeski JM, Gavin Mealing GM, Omar Mouallem OM, Eden Munro EM, Carolyn Nikodym CN, Jasmine Politeski JP, Sheena Rossiter SR
2112 (4)—Billed a time-travel love story, this play isn’t as perplexing as you would think. Sure, there’s quantum physics, the dissemination of complicated theories, and terms like “causal loops,” but writer/performer Chris Caswell explains just enough for the science behind the plot to make sense. In the role of Parsely, from ages seven to 112 years old, Caswell is remarkably confident on stage, and as her mother Sage, Courtney Cunningham is the perfect sad, hopeless romantic. Don’t hurt your head trying to comprehend it all, but if you stick it out, you’ll be left with a satisfying, bittersweet conclusion. 3/5 TK
******Blacklisted (13)—There are moments in Blacklisted that hit that comedic button with amusing results, but for the most part these moments come too few and far between to warrant any kind of positive review. Most of these sketches rely too heavily on taking cruel pot shots at celebrities rather than having anything clever to say. An extended scene involving Mel Gibson’s battle with alcoholism, for instance, comes off as so mean-spirited that it only mustered a few uncomfortable chuckles. While this sketch-comedy team should be praised for the fact that they don’t shy away from the controversial, they unfortunately can’t back up their attacks with great execution. 1/5 SL
40 Needles (3)—As Kristian Reimer took the stage, he reminded the audience that “what happens in the lab, stays in the lab.” At the risk of retribution, here are a few details. The story depicts a struggling comedian who willingly submits himself to a life normally reserved for lab monkeys. Reimer plays a likeable lead and he conjures up several other memorable characters who he meets in the lab. The tedium of the experience is perhaps a little too obvious at times, but the character’s arc is ultimately a satisfying one. Ah, but I’ve already said too much. This review never happened. 3/5 EM
52 Pick-Up (11)—It’s a neat concept: take a deck of cards and flick them on the floor, pick them up at random and act out a vignette of the mundane, romantic, caring, tenuous moments that comprise a three-year relationship. The actors have real chemistry and great comedic timing. Imagine Martin Short and a talented Victoria Beckham (with the accents reversed) loving, hating, screaming and cooing—and doing it differently every show. You find yourself laughing, slapping your knee and saying “it’s funny ‘cause it’s true.” 4/5 AK
87% True: The Lies That Bind (9)—A daffy, sprightly little comedy about the stories that families need to believe in. Orson and Ursula, while going through things in the attic of the family homestead, discover that their grandmother has left “the house and farm ... to whichever one of you is not adopted.” The bear-named former twins try to figure out who’s the false sibling, even as they offer different takes on homespun histories, Ursula’s cheeriness and dry factual accounts jarring with slacker-hoser Orson’s colourful myths. From a stuffed bear head to a cat named Chairman Meow, this play is witty, zany, and constantly offbeat. 3.5/5 BG
Adam Butterfly (8)—It might be too much to ask for subtlety in a play about porn, but Adam Butterfly’s ultimate problem is that it paints with far too thick a brush to be humorous and engaging for much past the length your average sketch comedy skit. There’s some admirable comedic commitment, particularly in Bob Rasko’s Johnny Allcock, the king of gay ’80s porn, but parody porn titles can only be funny for so long, and bellowing “pork sword” is a little obvious even the first time around. A clever set used for a ridiculous conceit doesn’t terribly help matters, but it’s the gay opera lover/gay leather-clad biker dichotomy that’s ultimately disappointing. 2/5 DB
Advance to Next Level (1)—Retreating into your basement to play Nintendo, where achievement is simply a matter of having the stamina to sit on a beanbag chair covered in bedsores, seems a little dated. If the point was to highlight losing oneself in a videogame, you’d figure there’d be some mention of immersive, interactive universes, where you could waste away in an elf avatar, talking with other lost souls/avatars, trekking around and saying “forsooth” every so often. Advance to Next Level is, at best, a nostalgia piece for gamers. Parents are too old for it and the kids are almost ready to tackle VR. Pacman hinges backwards, and winks off the screen. 1/5 AK
The Aleatory Project: An Experiment in Fate (5)—It’s an experiment within an experiment. A professor and an male escort in a hotel room playing a random get-to-know-each-other card game to see if two complete strangers could be interconnected. They ask questions, tell jokes and show scars until they find a connection. Because the cards picked and answers are various, no two shows are the same: free tickets were offered for the next performance to prove it. Aleatory is a gripping and fascinating petri dish of enlightening dialogue. It is blemished only by the unnatural performances, lines delivered like they are slowly remembered from one of too many scripts. 4.5/5 OM
And More Tales from the Calabash (12)—This is true children’s theatre, as in it involves the kind of repetitive storytelling that only children could tolerate and embrace. Erik de Waal is an intense storyteller with the charisma of the Crocodile Hunter, only he hunts invisible creatures like Takalash—a finger-sized imp with a disproportionately large tail. He plays ignorant, forcing the children to take charge, and he depends on their answers to get through the show. Sometimes, by the time the kids get the right answer, we’ve forgotten where the story was going. But he reiterates and continues to offer life-long lessons that could only be articulated with hand puppets. 4/5 OM
Anne of Green Gables (H)—The audience sat uncomfortably cramped in the basement of the church in front of an unexpectedly appealing set. And with a cast of 20 characters ranging in age from seven to 18, the story of the precocious and innocent Anne Shirley is told. With over a dozen different song arrangements, Green Gables managed to keep the kids entertained, and even offered the adults a chuckle here and there. Standouts were young Alexandra Bowker (Anne) and Samantha Mason (Ms Stacy). All of the kids in the play were there to experience and learn about live musical theatre. If you want to see a performance by kids learning about musical theatre, check this one out. 1.5/5 JM
Aphrodite’s Turn (6)—There is one word to describe the bubbly and voluptuous Alison Williams’s Aphrodite’s Turn: potential. All of the ingredients were there, they just need to be mixed the right way. Williams’s vivid, borderline twisted imagination is most evident here. It is half old-time carnival, half fantasy novel. The dialogue, at times, sounded like it was taken from Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song. In essence, her words were near-poetic, but the delivery was at times bunched and choppy, and those annoying little giggles inserted into almost every sentence lessened the effect of said lines. 2/5 JM
Are Ya Dating? (10)—Solo performer Steven Karwoski weighs in on the world of singles and dating in San Fransisco in this relatively unremarkable play. Tied together with anecdotes that at times make little sense and laughs that are few and far between, Karwoski opines on a series of dating questions but delivers little real insight into them. There are moments of humour and some amusing situations, but not enough to make it all worthwhile. 1.5/5 SH
At the End of All Things (1)—Have you ever noticed that rifle-fire sounds like thunder? It’s a fact that occurred to me while watching this show about the accidental opening of Pandora’s Box, and the ensuing stormy doom that awaits the plays cast. The original play follows four friends who are enlisted by Jude to stave off the evil that leapt from the box in a funny and thought-provoking endeavour. Stephen William Gunn was especially funny, while Tasha Weenk tended to grate with her somewhat-one-dimensional bitch character. All in all, though, a solid effort by these young writers and actors that managed to toe the adolescent/adult line with aplomb. 3/5 CN
Back to Berlin/Back to Burlington (1)—There’s not a wasted word in either of these companion plays. Vern Thiessen delves deep into a son’s relationship with his father, telling his story with a beer in hand and tired frustration in his voice, while Sharon Richardson stars as a dancer dealing with her own difficult relationship with her mother. Richardson’s play is a change of pace from Thiessen’s more minimalist piece, utilizing a small set and effectively building on the emotional payoff of Thiessen’s narrative. There’s a thoughtful ambiguity at work here, giving the characters a welcome depth as they reveal themselves through their relationships. 4.5/5 EM
Beach Boogie (5)—A campy homage to ’60s California love. Or at least it starts that way. After a few beach party anthems, they start derailing into irrelevance like “Devil in Disguise” and “Can’t Hurry Love.” Soon enough, it’s dress-up karaoke with inflatable props. It’s still cute, but by the 15th song, the actors and audience look exhausted. Which is why I was surprised when they somehow found time to quiz the audience and lei them for correct answers. When the otherwise PG production makes an attempt at adult humour, it’s tangled in lameness. However, Boogie is an okay excuse to see beautiful, half naked 20-somethings get wet. 2/5 OM
BEHIND THE MASK (4)—It’s a bad sign when the playbill doesn’t actually tell you what the play is about. Sure, I get the story: a composer loses the love of his life, so he settles for the next woman to cross his path. But it’s extremely heavy-handed and everything is just so obvious. And the actors are of variant ability. Stuart Hoye, although a pro on the piano, acts on the surface, while his female conscience, with tics and a Woody Allen stutter, is fantastic. Ultimately, though, it’s a convoluted love story that never quite lands on its feet. I think. 1.5/5 TK
Bené Live (7)—What happened to Bené? Ben, eh? It seems Indonesian prison was a little rough on this flowering troubadour. Go figure. Impeccable style, astounding riffs and an almost complete mastery of English with a French accent herald Bené’s return (or is it arrival?) as an international pop icon. As one of four members of the audience at the Friday night show, I hoped Bené would rise to the occasion and play some miraculous songs or tell some astounding stories. Maybe it was a warm-up for some full-on rocking out later. I hope he served up plenty of fromage at later shows. Merci, Bené. 3/5 GM
BETWEEN TAKEOFF AND LANDING (10)—A very funny and touching recollection of four days spent in Gander, Newfoundland by a New Yorker on his way home from a family gathering in Dublin, Ireland on the morning of September 11, 2001. Well written and expertly acted by accent- and persona-juggling Michael Walsh, it is a wonderful story of finding oneself and a place to call home, the bonds that form between people who find themselves thrown together in trying situations and the simple kindness that can come from strangers and small towns. 4/5 SH
Beyond Therapy (11)—Ah, mental illness in a postmodern age: making a case for the idea that shooting someone is the beginning of the healing process; and your therapist barks at you when you’re making progress. The insanity of loving and being loved is great fodder for an existential comedy of errors. There are so many great lines that it’s just easier to say that the dialogue is eminently quotable. And just when you think things can’t get any weirder—boom!—you’re doubled over in your chair, laughing and grabbing your sides. It’s a great story, anchored by a great comic cast. It’s funny and warm and delirious. 4.5/5 AK
The Bible: The Complete Word of God (Abridged) (5)—It’s Sunday school with the three coolest teachers—Elan Farbiaz, Dave Lapsley, and Steve Shreyberg—the leader, the hipster and the homunculus pee-on. The trio have an incredible energy, re-enacting the greatest story ever accepted as fact, from Old to New Testament. Witness the birth of big baby Jesus or watch David and Goliath duke it out Mortal Kombat style. Learn some of the forgotten Commandments and little-known verses. The team has an unbreakable rapport that could only come with steadfast rehearsal and like-minded blasphemy. 5/5 OM
Big Fat Summer Special! (13)—A saying goes that nearly 80 per cent of all conversation is fact-sharing, and the first of the two plays that make up this show by Red Deer College students is no exception. Toothpaste and Cigars follows a man and a woman who find their platonic relationship is hard to maintain despite their common love of random factoids. The second, The Lesson, follows a creepy professor and his young student with a bizarre twist ending. Karyn Mott gives a dazzling performance, capturing the age and innocence of her character beautifully. However, both scripts are far too long, and by tying them together in a double-bill, the audience is left squirming in their seats. There’s some developing talent here, but it’s in the wrong format to be fully enjoyed. 2.5/5 SL
THE BOLD AND SPIKY POETRY SHOW (7)—Brit slam poets Rob and Steve bled a “celebration of contradiction” from across the pond. Stooped and raving, these two geezers (the Brit kind) rocked. No punches pulled, no hesitation in mocking all, the pair swapped the stage, ripping themselves apart for shits and giggles. The Bold and Spiky Poetry Show is a blunt social commentary on body image, identity, truth, respect, social order, war and, of course, the coming of the blissful apocalypse. They’ve got heaps of incisive decisive wit—a pleasure to hear some truth splattered all over the stage. Might get you right in the marrow. 4/5 GM
Brooklyn Bridge (12)—Precocious Sasha is flustered by a critical essay on the Brooklyn Bridge. It’s due tomorrow and failure to complete means failure of the fifth grade. In an attempt to find a pen, she meets every neighbour she never knew existed. The characters are perfectly eccentric and the dialogue is quick-witted—what Woody Allen would make if he is ever contracted by Disney. Brooklyn Bridge may entertain its parent audience before its intended audience, but the enchanting Anna-Maria LeMaistre will keep the kids from feeling left out. A few unresolved issues and tedious moments go almost unnoticed underneath this infectious romp. 4.5/5 OM
CAN’T GET STARTED (2)—Tom wants a girlfriend, but his self-important, nerdy demeanour makes him unappealing to women. His only contact with the fairer sex is at the theatre, where he can direct Sarah to perform stereotypically misogynistic roles, which he thinks are brilliant depictions of the complexities of women. Though Tara Hamilton carries her character well enough, writer/director/actor Tom X Chao misses the funny mark time and time again, leaving an uncomfortable silence looming over the theatre at points when laughter is expected from the actors onstage. The title of this play is a perfect allusion to its performance. 1.5/5 CF
Canterbury Tales (3)—Erik de Waal shines as a storyteller in his adaptation of Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales. Updated and relocated to modern South Africa, de Waal starts strong with an introduction that incorporates his insightful thoughts about the African stereotypes that are perpetuated and shared by groups as different as National Geographic and Disney. De Waal passionately recreates every character using a mix of costumes, masks and puppetry. While each tale is well done, the translation from literary work to stage is rough at times, since the segments are more individual sketches than a complete story. 3/5 EM
Catch/Jolly Jumper (3)—Jolly Jumper isn’t bad, but this story of a suicidal woman and the man who interrupts her feels a little rushed, ending before the relationships have really been believably established. Here, the characters seem ill-matched, failing to generate much sympathy. But the second part of this double-header outweighs the first. Catch is more successful, with the actors establishing a fiery chemistry and taking their time as they drag the audience swirling down into a disturbing past. Despite this being the darker half by far, the characters are more developed, making them both compelling and difficult to watch. 2.5/5 EM
The Centering (3)—Chris Harder, playing Davey, a man who is incarcerated in both physical and mental prisons, is a powerful actor who attacks his role here with a vengeance. The layers of Davey’s psyche are gradually peeled away as the scenes alternate between the past, the present and the somewhat disturbing circus clown deep within Davey’s mind. Harder’s intensity makes the performance difficult to watch at times as he trolls the murky depths of insanity. Whether it’s a well-placed moment of humour or one of the many squirm-inducing sequences, Harder’s performance is utterly riveting. 3.5/5 EM
CLEOPATRICK (1)—Richard Maritzer of Sound and Fury Fakespearian Players refers to this slapstick comedy, created by the company, as “nouveau vaudeville.” The guys prove it’s not the plot that counts, it’s how you present it—we don’t really care what happens next until it actually happens and we get what we came for: big belly laughs. Cleopatrick is a boy whose father, Pharaoh Fawcett, thinks he’s a girl, and says Cleo must marry Marc Antony. But Cleo’s in love with someone else whose wig serves as either a beard or a head of hair, depending on the moment. Is it a boy or a girl? 4/5 SDK
The Chinese Clown Cabaret (13)—This partly auto-biographical production is as silly as it is serious. Between child-like temper tantrums and various songs blasted out on a ukulele, there is plenty of clowning around to be had. Behind the scenes, however, this play is a well-crafted experience with plenty of audience interaction and self-reflexivity. The real-life mother/daughter duo have a lot of fun combining Chinese folk songs with pop culture here, creating an experience all about growing up with different goals than your parents. You’d be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t crack a smile from this ingenious and fun production. It’s an uncomplicated song-and-dance visual delight. 4/5 SL
The Christian Brothers (8)—John Sproule is out in full effect as a Catholic school teacher trying to get through the afternoon’s lessons, from the way he holsters his strap to his hourly recitations of Hail Mary. Sproule is every bit as proud and pathetic as our best and worst moments, trying desperately to do right with no greater understanding of what that means than the pupils he’s lecturing to. Maybe his greatest trick, though, is turning an ordinary black chair into a back-talking, scolded, cowering school boy, every bit as realized and moving as the man slowly breaking down in front of you. You might see a better play than Christian Brothers this year; you won’t see a better performance than Sproule’s. 5/5 DB
Cloning Mary Shelley (9)—The set is simple—baby dolls, books and sketches on white drapery—but the show gets bogged down in diary accounts, overlong quotes and encyclopedic facts about Shelley’s life. Why read it to us? Too much of this one-woman rumination on Shelley, Frankenstein and cloning comes across as practiced and lecture-y, a sort of scholar’s theatre (there’s nothing dramatic about reciting dictionary entries). A more relaxed, personal, spirited Six Degrees of Shelley would have been interesting, but instead we’re mostly left with one odd wrench in tone (courtesy of a misconceived German doctor character), few original insights or connections, and a half-lumbering, half-lifeless litany of facts. 2/5 BG
Counting the Ways (6)—Playwright Edward Albee takes on the problem of relationships in his own absurdist form, and an energetic quartet of actors makes this production funny or sad, depending on where you sit on the optimist/pessimist continuum. The script itself is a little choppy, playing out more like individual scenes than one long story, but it’s a credit to the comedic talents of the cast that they can make each flow well into the other. If you’ve ever asked or evaded the question, “do you love me?” this show will likely hit home. 3.5/5 CN
CRITERIA (2)—Timothy Mooney’s (writer/director/actor) Criteria is an imaginative science-fiction play set in the 24th century United States—a time where racism has been replaced by regional prejudice and identification numbers reign supreme. The play opens with a history lesson of the future: Americans have gotten bored of conquering the world and are now attacking each other within their own borders. This one-man show features Albert Gardiner, born in Two land but tasked to go undercover in Five land in a deadly mission to destroy. But his exposure to this new and fascinating world leaves him struggling to complete the mission. The story is initially hard to follow, but overcoming the challenge of the dense setting is well worth it, in an engaging and brilliant performance that sustains itself throughout. 4/5 CF
Cut! (13)—As a revival of the 1985 Edmonton Fringe hit, Cut! is at least one step ahead of the game because it’s a previously-viewed, entertaining script. The play describes a theatrical purgatory where “written out” characters end up for all eternity. Stanley Kowalski’s mother is here, for instance, as is Clyde, the “original” Prince of Denmark before Hamlet was re-edited. The characters are purposefully tacky and witty, with great comedic dialogue between them. The play needs actors that can deliver lines as sharp-as-a-tack, and, unfortunately, the pacing just isn’t there this time around. Everything needs to be tightened up quite a bit as it falls a bit flat is most places. 2.5/5 SL
DAISY PULLS IT OFF (12)—Families of cast members—children from Zocalo Theatre Arts School—will really enjoy this very ambitious play. Kudos to the kids for maintaining Brit accents throughout, but director Laurissa Kalinowski had them rushing through a long story at lightning speed. Highlights occurred whenever the kids were given a chance to relax and be themselves—a too-short puppet play, the museum scenes with kids disguised as paintings and statues, and Heather Stock, whose giddy zeal created a charmingly nasty Monica. Low points included a monotonous school marm with a painfully unpleasant voice and kids making mass entrances and exits. These awesome kids deserve a more suitable script next time. 1.5/5 SDK
DANCINGMONKEYBOY (2)—Have you ever heard a bald joke? Or a Canadian audience laughing at anti-Americanisms? Though Paul Thorne’s stand-up comedy show may not be especially original, he manages to produce a constant stream of laughter—often at his own expense. The reoccurring lack of punch lines becomes a joke itself, as Thorne turns to his eyebrows for help. While the show is monkey-free, Thorne can produce an array of animal sounds when language fails him and even turns to song, playing homemade tunes on his tiny little guitar. His English roots give a slightly unique spin to his jokes, which are tailored to the local crowd. 3.5/5 CF
Dario & Bario (1)—Physical comedians George Lewis and David Taft take on four famous, old-time-y clown scenes to deliver a show that is compelling in its adaptation of clown history but that falls somewhat flat—contrary to what we may think, clowns aren’t always meant to be funny. In fact, sometimes they are downright vicious. The two characters are recognizable stereotypes: one is dumb and happy; the other smart and angry. The physicality of the show is engaging, although sometimes the actions (the dialogue, like the stage, is spare) are confusing. 3/5 CN
Death: A Comedy in Five Stages (9)—Thelma and Louise meet Vladimir and Estragon in Bergman’s The Seventh Seal? Two women, Logi and Sprite, work for Death Inc as “deathticians” and travel through time to oversee a Tibetan sky ritual, London plague burial or modern-day Spanish mortuary death watch. Logi starts to question the purpose of these rituals (do they simply “free the living from the guilt of being dead?”), while the officious Sprite finds pleasure in their work. The two actresses have chemistry, the play mingles the ashes of pathos with the incense of comedy, and the ending is a poignant cap to a rueful yet spirited production. 3.5/5 BG
Die-Nasty: The Legendary Live Improvised Soap Opera (8)—The charm of Die-Nasty isn’t what’s on stage, but what it says about us. Being Edmontonian (which isn’t even a word recognized by spellcheckers) is having the dream you’ll have something that other people want; the fact the one thing we have is named for a TV show that was in its heyday 25 years ago is such a powerful metaphor for ourselves you still think it’s true even after it cracks you across the face. This is everything we want Edmonton to be, and even if it’s bad—it rarely is—it’s still everything we want it to be. I have no idea if other people get the joke—I can’t picture a world where they wouldn’t, but I’m Edmontonian—but the only really important thing is that we get it. 5/5 DB
DOUGH: THE POLITICS OF MARTHA STEWART (4)—I should make my reviewer’s bias apparent now: I have a thing for crazy old ladies and I find no one more deliciously crazy than Martha. So I loved this play. Bias aside, though, it is a stellar show. It’s an impeccable production, with lots of props, fitting music, smooth segues and solid direction. Lindsay Burns takes on several different roles, each a woman who’s either been touched, influenced, predated or driven crazy by Martha. She is hilarious, sad and insane, all at the same time, as each of these desperate, troubled women attempt to ultimately redeem themselves. It’s a great thing. 4/5 TK
DOWN DANGEROUS PASSES ROAD (2)—Divided by their own immediate lives, three brothers are reacquainted on the wedding day of the family’s youngest. The play opens in the aftermath of a car accident, and in the absence of rescue, they are forced to confront the dark memory of their father’s death, which eerily occurred in the same locale as their crash. Though not entirely believable as brothers physically, the manifestation of their relationships onstage keeps the illusion alive. The script, though sometimes heavy with themes of alcoholism and homosexuality, is complemented by strong performances, and the set design and lighting draws audiences into the characters’ worlds, as the web of family secrets gets unravelled. 4/5 CF
DRAMA QUEEN (4)—According to Alex Dallas, the life of a Drama Queen is about three things: champagne, chocolate and cunnilingus. It’s also about performing Shakespeare on a trampoline, one-upping Sir Ian McKellen, and the family and friends left waiting in the wings. Dallas has a remarkable presence and wicked delivery. She’s hilarious when she’s dirty, affecting when she’s emotional, and all the time engaging. It’s a stellar one-woman piece from a seasoned Fringer who finds humour and provides insight in all the drama that happens on and off the stage. 4/5 TK
Drawn Abroad (3)—Sarah Brebner’s play is a frequently amusing look at one woman’s efforts to escape the mundane existence she has found herself in. Brebner strikes the right notes as she charms the audience with her relaxed portrayal of the heroine who sets out on the road to a new life as a writer. The plot is not a complicated one, but there are some unexpected turns along the way, and Brebner perfectly captures the difficulties of long distance travel, combining dialogue with a little music and demonstrating an uncanny knack for delivering an amusing expression on just the right beat. 3.5/5 EM
Duet for Schizophrenic (5)—In the director’s notes, Vincent Forcier concedes that this is not a play about schizophrenia, no matter what the title says, but rather one about love and relationships. I would say that no matter what the director tells you, this is about two half-mimes looking for a convenient moment to fuck. They are figments of imagination to a man who thinks that he is a gerbil. Much of it is clever repartee on who’s who, what’s what and the subjectivity of reality. It will make you cackle but nothing more profound than that. 3/5 OM
The Epoch of Coming and Going (5)—A grim cabaret hosted by Death himself as he enriches lives by offering the thrills of dying. In each vignette we witness an unfortunate sucker croaking inconveniently—like suffocating during an act of cunnilingus. They are hit or miss, but when they hit, they hit hard. Your shuddering, laughing body is then halted by one of too many Chaplin-esque skits involving clumsy gravediggers and their fist-shaking antics. They run around, accidentally burying themselves and any preceding entertainment. The glorious guts of the play are in the musical numbers performed by Death and his minions. 3.5/5 OM
The Excursionists (8)—Childlike in the absolute best sense of the world, Christopher Bange and Jonah Von Spreecken, the Seattle duo behind this Jules Vernian comedy adventure, bring a sense of wonder and excitement to The Excursionists that would make them worthwhile to watch even if they were half as talented as they are. The way they tromp around underwater England, or toss an imaginary gun back and forth, reveals skilled performers, and even their valleys still pop and crackle with a humour and energy not often seen. They’re better when they drop the knowing asides to the audience, but that’s mostly nitpicking: this is a wonderful, imaginative, hilarious show, one you won’t likely forget anytime soon. 4.5/5 DB
The Feminazi (11)—Feminism isn’t dead, and it’s still a topic for debate. And who better to broach the subject than the feminazi? It’s a one-woman show about gonads in a vice, the sexual empowerment of the residents of Del Boca Vista, the Madonna’s coping with being the Mother of Christ, and a psychology major’s downward spiral from self-actualization to paranoia. There are some good ideas in the play, like humanizing Mary or having a woman in her autumn years rapping over a NWA song. You also get a banana show that Hollywood phonies pay 25 bucks to see at Forty Deuce. Good acting, but a lackluster script keeps this production subjugated. The Patriarchy goes on. 2.5/5 AK
FILL THE VOID: NATURE ABHORS A VACUUM (10)—I have no clue how to accurately describe this show—but I laughed my ass off and learned about quantum physics. A mix of a Vegas stand-up comedian, gender studies major, Chomsky scholar and string theorist on acid, Phil van Hest lectures on the importance of vibrations to water (and us), expounds on theories of time’s subjective nature as a means to bridge the pain/humour divide, delves into religion and politics, and discovers simple truths climbing in Yosemite National Park with a man named Florida, all in sometimes-dead-pan-sometimes-rapid-fire delivery that will make your sides ache. Trust me. 4/5 SH
Finer Noble Gases (6)—Struggling NYC band Less is stuck in their apartment during a snowstorm. And with no television and an abundant supply of pills, four band members embark on an excellent adventure. Much of Finer Noble Gases is a Beavis and Butthead conversation between bandmates Chase and Staples, and their capricious neighbour Gray. Speed, another band member, remains passed out on the floor for most of the play, while Lynch enters sporadically, either kicking in a TV or dragging a lifeless body in. The play relies on toilet humour, fart-tracks and public urination, but by the end, you will be chilled to the bone and numb like you’ve had Novocain. 4/5 JM
?for the love of god (13)—Tiffany Markwart and Matt Josdal play characters with opposing points-of-view who are forced to sit beside each other on a flight across Canada. Their small-talk soon turns into a conversation about sex and love, and how they see these things quite differently. It’s an interesting play with solid performances by both cast-members; Josdal’s portrayal of a man who is uncomfortable in his own skin is quite remarkable, while Markwart’s take as a sex object is true-to-form. Some basic problems in staging and timing, however, take away from the performances and leaves the play to feel a bit drained and lacking in a dramatic pace. 3/5 SL
The Frequency of Water (8)—“At the sub-atomic level, everything is atoms.” That misguided quote gives some indication of how well Frequency of Water’s pseudo-scientific metaphors glom on to the sparse but moving main storyline about a boy’s summer at the lake. Maralyn Ryan builds a very honest tenderness with her child co-stars (Issac Andrews and Dakota Barber) as a water-witching grandmother, but it’s too often intruded upon by explanations of Jacque Benveniste and sonoluminescence. This invasiveness isn’t helped by Kevin Wasylyshyn’s turn as a university lecturer that guides us through the connections and story, which hits the major emotional notes but is too detached, even for an academic. Ryan ultimately wins out, though, and it would take a tough heart not to be moved by blackout. 3.5/5 DB
GAYFACE (4)—It’s hard being gay, but it’s easy to be a gay cliché. Writer Nick Green realizes this and has come up with a sharp take on the subject of modern gay stereotypes. Green, along with Landon Miller, take on multiple roles at each end of the gay spectrum—from top to bottom, so to speak. The dialogue is bitchy, fast-paced and well-executed in various levels of lispage, but at times, the play can be predictable and unnecessarily sentimental. Overall, though, it’s an original, thought-out work. Sometimes stereotypes are just funny and true. 3.5/5 TK
Genericles (11)—A little rough around the edges, this modern take on Greek mythology is nonetheless engaging and, at times, side-splittingly funny. We follow two slaves who are entreated by Hermes, messenger of Zeus, to get Athenians back to work after it is decreed that they will never work again. Their journey is an odyssey of punny humour (“on my gods!”), the fruit of their loins hanging around for good measure. And you don’t have to be fully up on your classic mythology to enjoy the madcap adventures that play out on stage. 3.5/5 CN
Get Off the Cross, Mary (O)—During one scene in Get Off the Cross, Mary, Jesus (played by a puppet) wanders into a public toilet in the garden of Gethsemane and comes face to face with a glory hole: that one little vignette contains everything about Barond McKenzie’s ribald, outrageous script you need to know. A little bit sacrilegious, undeniably raunchy and devastatingly funny when it hits the mark, McKenzie’s story is, alas, a little unfocused, occasionally misstepping the line between clever and crude and at times feeling more like improv than script. Still, its moments of outright hilarity—like John Ulyatt auditioning to be the puppet’s handler—cover for any lag points, helped along by the deft comic timing of Ulyatt, Ryan Parker and Annie Dugan. With another rewrite, this could be as hilarious a show as you’ll see; as it stands now, it’ll have to settle for goddamn funny. 3/5 DB
Girls’ Guide (6)—In the running for one of the best at this year’s Fringe, Eleanor O’Brien’s hilariously true account of her first foray into the world of female domination will shock, amuse and inspire. A master of accents and vocalism, each character O’Brien portrays is beyond believable. This is more than just a one-woman show. Quick fades in and of characters, back and forth from locations, gives Girls’ Guide an appealing stream-of-consciousness feel. Through humour and vulgarity together, O’Brien sends a positive message. We learn that we are no less different than her or anyone else in the audience. 5/5 JM
The GREEN ROOM (4)—Unless you’re involved in the theatre, you probably won’t be interested in this situational comedy about what happens behind the scenes during an opening night performance. Nonetheless, it’s still perfectly entertaining. As a spoiled actress slumming it in theatre, Tara Pratt stands out above the rest of the cast. The action is well-paced, and there is plenty of humour and heart. It’s an earnest effort and provides insight into what’s probably happening backstage while you’re watching it, but there aren’t really any surprises. 2.5/5 TK
GUIDO’S SWEET VENDETTA (10)—A clumsy tale about the importance of not taking love for granted and the consequences of short-sightedness
and self-interest emerge when the most famous actress in Italy approaches a clairvoyant for help in eliminating her overly-doting husband. Some amusing turns help to balance out distracting injections of Italian phrases into the accent-less dialogue, a jarring set change mid-play and acting which is somewhat unanimated, but don’t overcome the weaknesses of this play. 1.5/5 SH
He Ain’t Done Right By Nell (9)—Sweet down-home heroine Nell, her no-nonsense grandmother, Nell’s upstanding sweetheart and a dastardly villain who cackles and smoothes his moustache ... this is an old-fashioned Western melodrama that’s bright, fun and engaging, with nice period language, a deftly used score and a slight strain of sadism, but it could be even more spunked up for modern times. The cast is uniformly strong, but the story could use some more comic ironing of the archetypes, a little more sexual frisson and a less pat, rushed ending. 3/5 BG
Hospitality Suite (8)—What a difference a Glenn Nelson makes. In this story of three salesmen trying to land a major client—taking place entirely in their Wichita, Kansas hotel room—Mark Stubbings’s motormouth charisma waves too much to carry the load that’s placed on it, and Nathan Durec does little with a role that doesn’t offer much to begin with, but Nelson is a rock as an almost-over-the-hill vet, adding 40 pounds of relevance to the proceedings every time he opens his mouth. Particularly good is a subdued moralizer at the end, which doesn’t sound half as world-wearily wise without Nelson’s presence behind it. 3.5/5 DB
How I learned to Drive (11)—This isn’t exactly the story of how you dented the family car’s grill plowing through the gate and the end of the lane; it’s a story of trying to cope with alcohol, family ties, sexual rebellion and abuse, in a time where the overlap between “don’t ask, don’t tell” and “this is my body” is still shadowy. Uncle Peck is big enough to reach the pedals and can help Lil’ Bit experience the joys of driving. Yeah. The cast give a solid performance and sell the idea that abuse begets abuse, and that the cycle isn’t easily, or even ever, broken. 3.5/5 AK
How Not to Suck (L)—Think you’re smart and know what funny is? Hate to tell you, but you suck compared to Mostly Water Theatre. I would love to compare this troop to early Kids in the Hall and SCTV, but honestly it would not do them justice—these freaks are that good. The writing is stellar, the acting strong and the multimedia tying all the live action together is fuckin’ hilarious. If you have a million bucks, you should give it to these guys and let ‘em go; they’d make you even richer. 5/5 JG
I Am Catherine (9)—This is a play that’s too unpolished and earnestly grandiose to be compelling. I was discomfited by the situation into which we’re immediately thrust—a stabbing at a bar—but felt more uncomfortable for the performer, whose bravado in the face of an awkwardly scripted scenario and an overly literary monologue is both admirable and hard to watch. The realism of an eyewitness to murder speaking for half an hour is shaky at best, but it’s fatally undercut by her poetic turns of phrase in the midst of trauma (murder is the “honey that sticks to the dead”), and then the resolution shatters all credibility. 1.5/5 BG
I DON’T CARE WHAT YOU THINK (2)—Resting on a stool in the middle of the stage are a few sheets of paper and a water bottle. A short, unimpressive bald man walks out, wearing thick, black shades, and begins to speak. He wants to tell a story, but the story never comes. The empty stage has a larger presence than this one-man sorry-excuse for a show. This production is not witty, clever or interesting to watch. In conclusion, do not waste your time or money on this blunder. BOMB CF
IDENTITY (1)—A woman repeatedly said “beautiful!” as the play ended, then a man in the lobby walked up, saying it was the most artistic play he’d seen, adding that this comic-book-action play was slightly confusing. The virtue of this work is its genuine theatricality that allows you to slow down, savour and digest every word and visual detail. But the script needs clarity to prevent the second half from dragging. Choreographer Anita Miotti presents a perfect balance of exquisite dance and movement for herself and David van Belle. Sexy, dramatic, and humorous, this combination of dance and spoken word satisfies a craving for something theatrical and otherworldly. 4/5 SDK
The IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST (2)—All men are liars, women are flaky, and it’s okay to marry your cousin (as long as you have money). Enter Oscar Wilde’s Victorian era, where the shallow nature of human beings is exposed in the classic pun-clever comedy about layers of misunderstandings that shadow love and the eventual revelations of secrets that make it possible to survive. Actors are well-rehearsed and play their characters with wit and grace, concluding with the cheesy but expected happily-ever-after ending that’s always good for a laugh. But don’t expect any surprises in this production. 4/5 CF
Jane Eyre (5)—MacEwan brings the classic Charlotte Bronte novel to the festival, and I can’t help but wonder: why? It is such an elaborate production with an excessive cast that it sticks out. There is nothing Fringe about it. That said, they do not butcher, nor do they flatter, John Caird’s play. The downfall of any school production is that roles are determined on tuition instead of talent. This is most obvious with the male cast that, in song, cannot hold a candle to the gifted women. Most commendable is Myla Southward as Mrs Fairfax, who steals the show with her exuberance. 3.5/5 OM
Jem Rolls off the Tongue (B)—If you’ve never had the pleasure of seeing this madcap Scot deliver pungent couplets and sweating gallons in the process, get thee to his show. Jem rolls through his four or five poems with the subtlety of a steam roller, laying out the thorny topics of politics, sex and religion. Self-effacing and witty (“My intelligence got robbed / and you know what? It was an inside job.”), this performance poet entreats us not to be docile and to take responsibility for ourselves. Particularly impressive were his spoonerisms (ie “yellow bar / bellow ‘yar’”). This is a must see—if you can still get tickets. 4.5/5 CN
Jesus Christ: The Lost years (M)—Ryan Gladstone and Katherine Saunders endeavour to answer the question, “what did Jesus do between the ages of 13 and 30” with fast-paced humour and physical comedy. At 13, Jesus discovers that Joseph isn’t his real father, and that his mother doesn’t fully know who that might be. He goes out into the world to seek out his elusive sire, meeting up with Judas, Mary Magdalene and John the Baptist along the way. You don’t have to be particularly Christian to catch most of the lightening-fast humour this pair delivers, as they play both sides of the layman/scholar spectrum. Audience members who sneeze will also get a wonderful surprise from Jesus. Played out like a one-hander in that the two actors take on multiple roles, it is a credit to their sheer talent that they are able to switch off the characters between each other without being the slightest bit confusing. This show is literally a laugh a minute and not to be missed. 5/5 CN
Joe: The Perfect Man (3)—What we’ve got here is a title that doesn’t quite capture the heart of the play itself. Then again, it’s hard to imagine any words adequately describing this story of a man who sees his future in a staging of Macbeth, in which he will play all the lead roles. Rachelle Elie plays Joe, and she does it without fear. It’s all here: Shakespeare, the Who, Dr Phil, those monkeys in the Wizard of Oz, and even a little touch of Death of a Salesman. At several points, there was pure anarchy unfolding right there on stage, and it was brilliant. 4/5 EM
Kind Hearts and Coronets (8)—Kenneth Brown and John D Houston have penned a clever enough script, and Bryan Webb turns in a charismatic enough performance as murderous cad, but still, there’s just something missing from this early-20th century comedy about a disinherited Brit killing his way towards a dukedom. At times, it’s just too cute—relying on turn-of-the-century British-isms and over-the-top accents for humour—but mostly it’s just the fact that all the pomp and circumstance feels like sleight of hand to make you ignore the fact there’s nothing deeper here than some funny death scenes. Kind Hearts and Coronets is certainly a very pleasant diversion, but nonetheless is just a diversion on the way to the grave. 3/5 DB
LETTERS IN WARTIME (7)—Letters in Wartime shows—through its two heroes—that, you guessed it, throwing war into the mix when you’re in a long-distance relationship does not have a desirable effect. The naïve correspondents, Moira and Allen, go through their own losses of innocence to come to a deeper connection. Both actors bring us to their own experiences during WW II, convincingly threading their way through relationship struggles all the while. If you have friends or family in military service, or if you can imagine that you do, Letters in Wartime is a heartfelt nod. 3.5/5. GM
Living Shadows: A Story of Mary Pickford (6)—The story of Canadian silent screen siren Mary Pickford makes for a compelling, minimalist one-hander. Tracey Power is a delight as she conjures up Pickford to offer a retrospective of “America’s Sweetheart.” Her performance is multi-dimensional and powerful as she entreats us to remember Pickford’s story. Already a hit on the Fringe circuit this year, Living Shadows deserves a main season performance and is a play worth every dollar. 4.5/5 CN
Maestropiece: The Severely Normal Theatre Show (6)—Maestropiece is broken up into nine short vignettes. Some were mimed pieces accompanied by popular theme music, while the others were pure dialogue. With most of the cast suffering some sort of disability, whether it be physical or otherwise, their portrayal and criticism of disability culture is surprisingly delightful. The title of this theatre show, Severely Normal, couldn’t be more apropos. There are no hard-hitting issues or intricate relationships discussed, just a light-hearted look at disability culture as seen through the eyes of the disabled, their support workers or volunteers. But the specificity of the pieces does limit their appeal to a wider audience. 2/5 JM
Maggie Now (F)—Although it begins in a jumble of introductions, this sweeping saga of two Irish families soon wraps its audience in its charm. We follow the ill-fated relationship of two young lovers as they each go their separate ways to discover life beyond their small Irish burg, one of them sailing across the ocean to take root in New York at the turn of the 20th century. Superbly acted by local talent, the show is nonetheless not without its problems. The actors each volley back between speaking about themselves in the third person and acting, often saying what their characters are doing before acting it out. Billed as part one of a two-part saga, the show is also without any real resolution, making the 90-minute production seem a little random. That said, however, the show is compelling, replete with an Irish sense of comedy and tragedy. 3.5/5 CN
MAN 1, BANK 0 (7)—Patrick Comb’s true story (yup, true) is a rare tale of one man’s victory over the rarely trumped monolith of the modern financial institution. Comb’s infatuation with money and his drawl carry us through his very detailed account of going head to head with a big bank over buckets of cash. He is an American hero, a bright star daring enough to cash a junk mail cheque. Comb happily rattles off his “too good to be true” adventure with a slight glaze over his eyes. Must be the money talking. Too crazy to not be true, check it out. 4/5 GM
Married Man: The Art and the Science (B)—In the Hitchhiker’s Guide to this year’s Fringe, Rod McDonald’s one-man take on married life gets the following entry: inoffensive. McDonald is a very capable dramatic performer who doesn’t look at all comfortable with the stand-up comedy-esque role he’s taken on here, though that oddly suits the sweater-vest wisdom he spouts over the course of an hour. It’s all far too innocuous to be at all memorable, but as the mostly aging audience demonstrated, sometimes that’s all people want. 2/5 DB
MERLE MINSKY PRESENTS … MADAME MINSKY & HER BEVY OF BOUDOIR BEAUTIES (7)—The Minsky ultra-packed variety show didn’t quite hit every note, but it did have a whole whack of steam. The acts ranged from dazzling to “is the bar really closed?” The show might be different every time, but my Minsky hot picks go to Johnny’s solid accordion wailing and bad girl Donna Lee’s voice. Dancing (square, traditional Japanese and flapping), juggling, sleight of hand and singing are piled together in a whole-hearted attempt at Vaudevillian tradition. Yee haw. I must apologize to Madame for my total lack of dancing ability—sorry. Ah well, bring out the barrel of rum. 3/5 GM
MONTAG (13)—Jacob Banigan takes a humorous crack at a German improv game with enjoyable results. The concept is simple: a random object is placed inside a box and the cast doesn’t know what it is until it’s opened onstage. The two-man production is then faced with creating an hour’s worth of comedy based upon the box contents. Subsequently breaking down improv theatre into its component parts, they find a way of making such an undertaking interesting—despite some initial struggles to come up with fresh ideas on the spot. Everything is eventually all tied together with a sprinkling of laughs, while the pure novelty of the idea is enough to sell this piece to most audiences. 3.5/5 SL
Mules (9)—Daniela Vlaskalic’s and Beth Graham’s play takes the drug-carrier premise of the title and turns it into a claustrophobic study of two women’s faltering hopes, cornered lives and false-bottomed friendship. A tightly packed production that lets the tragedy trickle slowly in, both actresses (and Kevin Cowey as a janitor) are fiercely authentic, with Graham’s prissy Crystal agitating Vlaskalic’s hard-bitten Cindy. As the sphincter-tightening tension mounts, messier moments lead to more bitter truths and lapsed niceties, with the gulf in the former high school friends’ social class and life experiences cracking farther open. Potent, high-grade theatre. 4.5/5 BG
Munsch More Munsch (12)—Surrounded by oodles of laughing children, I was struck with a sense of jealousy; I was in my 20s before I had my first taste of live puppetry. Even before the show was set to start we were greeted with some one-eyed hi-jinks, which set the mood for a wonderful production. Lots of interaction with throngs of screaming children was the job of the narrator, while two puppeteers played the roles of a multitude of characters adapted directly from six books by Canadian Robert Munsch. If you’ve got kids who have never seen live puppets, give them a treat and go see this show. 4/5 JG
MY MOROCCO (2)— Ken Cameron is travelling through Morocco with his fiancé Rita when he learns that his estranged 40-something sister Beth has died from a heart attack. He can’t make it back in time for the funeral, so he must mourn in a country of strangers, surrounded by cockroaches and suffering of constipation. Through a series of flashbacks, Cameron travels through time, from Morocco back to Canada, and memories of his sister, playing each character with energy and enthusiasm. Along the way he hallucinates meeting William S Burroughs, who offers him drug-induced advice, and meets an Arabian carpet seller named Ibrahim, whose passion for life both scares and inspires him. Cameron’s personal journey is relayed to audiences with captivating honesty, all with the detailed complexities of foreign travel. 4/5 CF
Neo-Nancies: Hitler’s Kickline (C)—Darrin Hagen walks a tightrope between the gravely serious and the flamboyantly ridiculous in his play about the making of Die Grosse Liebe, a Nazi-era blockbuster starring Third Reich diva Zarah Leander (Linda Grass) and featuring dragged-up SS officers as chorus girls. Neither the humour nor the pathos of Nazi Germany is perhaps as sharp as Hagen could be, but each benefits from the presence of the other, and in the end the play manages to paint a realistic picture of being queer in Hitler’s Germany, while still making a Hitler with a bob cut fit the play’s world. Chris Schultz and Jesse Gervais are fantastic as bipolar SS guards forced to don drag, but the real light is Trevor Schmidt, who once again proves there’s nobody better in a Hagen role. 3.5/5 DB
Nobody’s Story (3)—The daily news is filled with tragic stories compressed into a few words, which are too often consumed and forgotten about without much thought. Leah Doz’s solo performance addresses this idea, reminding us that there’s always a story behind every tragedy. Doz combines intelligent writing and dark, deadpan humour with fluid, dance-like movements to create a storm of emotions as she winds her way through the personal stories of a number of people whose lives are altered irrevocably by an apartment fire. 3.5/5 EM
The OPEN MOUTH (7)—Billed as a “disturbing story,” The Open Mouth didn’t quite shake me to the core. It did, however, offer an insightful take on not-so-joyous motherhood moments that some women go through. Exploring the mother-daughter relationship and challenging the sanctity of motherhood is a heavy task, and The Open Mouth does it with conviction. The solemn look at post-partum depression left me a bit drained, as it should. Trauma aside, the drama reveals one woman’s loss of self. Being brought along for the ride into another’s depression is an infectious witnessing; it might awaken your own demons. The play hits with a hard shot, worth taking. 3/5 GM
The Opposite of Infinity (3)—Solo performances can get messy when they involve more than one character, too often defining roles through clichés or not bothering to differentiate between characters at all. Tania Levy avoids both of those problems with ease during this short show. It’s a quirky love story driven by the impending meeting between a physics teacher and her childhood friend for the first time in 20 years. Levy pulls off an engaging British accent when portraying the male friend, and she charms the audience as she reveals a sense of destiny through flashbacks of the characters as eight-year-old children. 3.5/5 EM
The Overnight (13)—Any NAIT student in the radio and television program will find The Overnight amusing as it details the love life of a radio intern at an ’80s rock station. Torn between Hannah, his cute-as-a-bug Dutch pizza deliverer, and Cheryl, who phones him during his late-night DJ duties, this story follows your typical 20-something who’s found himself in a rut in the local media industry. There’s some great commentary here on annoying morning radio programs and office romances, and while the script goes for the predictable ending, the ride on the way there is at least fairly fun, and they supply a steady stream of laughs while doing so. 3/5 SL
The Package It Came In (9)—A dry Brit wit-flavoured farce in which a promotional seminar for United Supermarkets quickly devolves into cheery, infantile infotaintment, complete with corporate slogans, childish games, and ridiculous rationales. Smarmy, scurrilous TV host Jeremy faces off against Dr David Norwood, an academic starting to break free of avid United rep Annie Upsom’s corporate shackles. There’s some great audience interaction and a wonderfully John Cleese-ish, title-twisting nervous-breakdown scene at the end, but the satire of our overpackaged culture could be more trenchant and less simplistic, and some moments of absurdity seem wasteful. 3.5/5 BG
Pajama Men in Stop Not Going (13)—It’s no surprise that Shenoah Allen and Marc Chavez have won numerous awards at theatre festivals around the world. Pajama Men in Stop Not Going is pure comedic nonsense, chucking hysterical one-liners at every manic twist and turn in a totally ridiculous achievement in physical theatre. They change roles in a split-second, stitching together a plot that includes characters as random as cowboy duels, gangsters, southern belles and space aliens. Taking a perfectly delivered jab at anything and everything in-between, this show is an absolute crowd-pleaser, and truly one of the funniest comedic performances at this year’s Fringe. 5/5 SL
Peep Show (5)—Two loony peepshow men (Ian Mozdzen and Mia van Leeuwen) invite you to peek into their giant vitascope at two sexual deviants, also played by the duo. Peep Show is part play, part slide show, part 16 mm experimental film. Call it what you will, it is the most perverse and explicit show at this year’s Fringe. The actors/directors are absolutely fearless and equally resplendent. In the third act, they decide to try something new and everything takes a dark turn. In an awkward attempt to give the story some substance it loses its own identity and comes off as slightly pretentious. 4/5 OM
Petr’s Boy (6)—By far one of the most daring and audacious plays at the Fringe, Petr’s Boy examines the tumultuous sometimes awkward relationship between artist and model, the student and mentor, and most importantly a heavy-drinking, Tolstoyan artist and a curiosity of a university student. Petr struggles with his art, as any great artist does. It’s just never quite perfect. And when a bright-eyed, unadulterated university student comes to do nude modeling for Petr, true feelings ... and true pasts are revealed. Dan Roberson’s university student character spends much of the play in the nude, posing in various positions for Petr. 2.5/5 JM
Poetry in Motion: On Ice (N)—Like most, I enjoy watching ice dancing, and so I was intrigued by the idea of seeing a live play on ice at the Fringe. The show follows a young poet as he takes refuge from the rain in a bar and philosophizes about the other patrons. We watch three young women strut their stuff on a girl’s night out as well as the ebb and flow of other relationships. There is also some singing, with Althea Cunningham belting out a few solid numbers. It was a wonder, though, why Bob Coe was not miked for his number—you simply couldn’t hear him in the cavernous curling rink. And that was a bit of a problem throughout—some of the words were lost. While the show had some wonderful moments, the abilities of the performers were not all equal, and it left me wondering if the team wasn’t trying to take on too much. 2.5/5 CN
Power of Sedak(a)sean (11)—It must have something to do with being so far north or the magnetic field or the clay in our soil, but Edmonton produces some really funny people. Writer-Director Matthew Lisac upholds a proud comedic tradition with his schlemiel Sean Sedaka, relationship counselor extraordinaire, with all the charm of a Jon Lovitz character and poise of a 14-year-old trying to get to first base. There’s really clever and funny use of Powerpoint slides to complement the action. If only every board meeting could have a Stormtrooper humping the air in a parking lot. 3.5/5 AK
PURE, UNADULTERATED, HOT STEAMIN’ SHIRLEY (7)—Shirley (aka Zandra Bell) poured forth a cheeky romp of standup comedy. She proudly rolled the audience through a tour of our common perils: fretting about body image, camping, the battle of the bulge, sex and air travel. Although Shirley is, in her owns words, “erudite,” she doesn’t let the fact that she may sound tediously learned get in the way of good ol’ warmhearted over-sharing. Laced with sexual innuendo, Shirley’s hi-pitched magnetic monologue is a call to action for saying it like it is and loving yourself. She’s hot stuff, fevered and self-assured. Brace yourselves. Embrace yourselves—she does. 3.5/5 GM
PURITY TEST (M)—Scott Sharplin’s Purity Test, directed by Vern Thiessen and winner of the 2002 Alberta Playwriting Competition, is hands down one of the more thought-provoking Fringe plays I have seen to date. It opens in Montreal during a 1997 New Year’s Eve party and takes us through to the memorable ice storms of that winter. We follow three very different characters and the oddities of circumstance that entangle them during this time. Measuring each person’s highs (literally), lows, sexual deviations (or lack thereof), hang ups and New Years’ resolutions, this show is expertly acted and spotlessly staged—without disappointment. 4/5 JP
The Raven and the Writing Desk (D)—Prolific and wordy playwright David Belke comes at us with his 17th Fringe premiere. Here he uses Lewis Carroll’s unanswered riddle (how is a raven like a writing desk?) as a metaphor for love and the notion that opposites attract. Amy (Andrea House) moves in with Steve (Garrett Ross) and they couldn’t be more different. To make matters more contentious, her ex-lover, the flamboyant Tremaine (Mark Meer) moves in down the hall. True to Belke’s form, there’s plenty of word play and witty repartee. All three aforementioned actors captured their roles superbly, never really delving into stereotypes, while Judy Unwin as Steve’s judgmental mother was a little shaky. If you like Belke, this is show will certainly delight. 3.5/5 CN
REBEL WITHOUT A NICHE (10)—This one-man look at the world of “temporary employment,” as seen by an aspiring actor/filmmaker in New York, has some moments but overall falls flat. From a promising start with the musical movie The Outlaw Pussy Rider (trust me, it’s not what you think), the play veers into a series of work-experience bits—from a nightshift in an HSBC computer room to bit-parts in the Halloween show Madison Scare Garden. While Kurt Fitzpatrick sometimes hits the funny bone with his multiple-character scenes, there are far too many that drag on without a laugh or with a dearth of compelling characters. 1.5/5 SH
THE RETURN OF THE TENORS (1)—Opera can be for everyone, I thought, standing in a long line at a sold-out show. Definitely. Absolutely. The three tenors, Placebo Domingo, Jose Who-Cares-ah and Luciano Paparazzi graciously belted out a mountain of songs, accompanied by the straying yet powerful Zubin on piano. The combination of song and laughter made this show a total hit for many. Some songs opera buffs no doubt recognized, others were, well, new. The big three have won a convert to the lighter side of opera. A standing “O” and two encores, perhaps they’re still hungry. Luciano, pass the baguette. Graci, gentlemen, graci. 4.5/5. GM
The Rez Sisters (9)—A folksy crowd-pleaser, Tomson Highway’s play mixes native women’s trials with some rowdy, earthy comic scenes. The mix isn’t perfect, and the exposition-heavy, skittish script could use more depth and complexity, but certain scenes still throw heavy emotional punches. This production is a little stiff in places, but ultimately captures the energy of a fractious but close-knit community of women getting by as best they can, even as they look forward to “the biggest bingo in the world.” Magic realist scenes of pathos with the spirit Nanabush work best, while actresses Darlene Auger, Tanya Lukin-Linklater and Paula-Jean Prudat are standouts. 3.5/5 BG
THE ROAD LESS GRAVELLED (10)—Newfies are funny, especially when they’re talking about their families. In a series of lovingly told stories, Wanda Carroll recalls the challenges and joys of growing up in the little Newfoundland community of Conche in the 1970s. Tales of poo pails, her brief (and painful) flirtation with feminism and her first experience with a real, live “bat’room” are richly recounted. She is at her best when assuming the role of her loving but far-too-busy-with-five-children-to-pay-much-attention mother. You’ll leave with a new appreciation for indoor plumbing and a desire to visit the rock to see if people like this really exist. 3.5/5 SH
?Robin Hood and Little John (6)—The story follows the attempts of two young boys John and Robin, who try and gain back control of their backyard. Relying heavily on physical comedy, actors Willie Banfield (John) and Sean Guist (Robin) show off their skills as physical comedy actors in an engaging and hilarious way. Banfield displayed exceptionally strong range and prowess. He’s half Roger Rabbit, half Bruce McCulloch’s “Gavin” character from Kids in the Hall. The children in the audience laughed just as loud as the adults. The humour was rife with smart pop culture references, and was the perfect combination of child and adult humour. 4/5 JM
ROSALINE (4)—She was the first girl to win Romeo’s heart, but now that he’s dead, Rosaline is left to mourn the lover she initially rejected. This rather conceptual play tells her story through conversations with the dead and interpretive dance. Artsy for sure, but not totally inaccessible. The actors handle the old-school English dialogue well and convey genuine emotion all the way out into the audience. There is a prolonged dance sequence with full-frontal male-nudity and, while appreciated, it was unnecessary. But if there’s such a thing as good performance art, this is it. 3/5 TK
Saturday Morning Pajama Jam (J)—While not the funniest show you’ll see at the Fringe, it does, nonetheless, epitomize the spirit of experimentation found at the festival. Using primitive animation, local improv aficionados live dub the characters to wonderful effect. In the show I saw, we followed them through a funny murder mystery where nothing is as it seems. And with the likes of Mark Meer, Kevin Gillese, Arlen Konopaki, you know that you’re in for a fun ride. I loved the idea of it, and can’t wait to see the fruits of more experimentation in the future. 3/5 CN
Scorpion Girl (A)—It isn’t Fringe unless there is the token freak show for an extra dash of flavour. The Scorpion Girl, who came from a human mother and a scorpion father, supposedly came about from a gene splicing experiment gone terribly wrong—or right—after the Second World War. Sporting some mean braces so she’d fit in with the other humans, Scorpion girl is available purely to fill the void knee-slapping humour department. For a measly fee of $2 viewers are free to ask her what ever they choose, and are treated to a great optical illusion. 3/5 SR
SCRATCH (7)—Improvisers Arlen Konopaki and Kevin Gillese brought barrels of energy to the stage with their ravings. The power of audience involvement factors large in this one, as the two masters of many faces took audience ideas for place and infused them (the ideas, that is) with sweaty, spinning banter. They’ve taken improv to a provocative and damning height (cheers guys). Sickeningly proficient in slapstick, pun, foreign accents and farce, this high-energy duo was hard to keep up with. My gnat-like attention span notwithstanding, the music helped the show bump along cheerily. Combine that with an effective marketing strategy (ie hot swag after the show), and Scratch dug its claws in. 3.5/5 GM
SCRUPULOSITY (4)—Andrew Bailey’s semi-autobiographical play is about exorcising his own personal demons—the real and the metaphorical kind. Bailey’s shtick is being the nerd, and he stutters through each self-deprecating anecdote to great effect. But it’s not all funny. His ruminations about religion and mental illness are quite intelligent and provoking. It’s a bit long, and sometimes it seems as if Bailey is getting more out of performing the show than the audience is watching it. Regardless, no character could possibly be more interesting to watch than a conflicted pubescent Christian outcast with obsessive compulsive disorder. 3/5 TK
See Bob Run (11)—Canadian playwright Daniel MacIvor is one that you love or you don’t—and my bias will certainly show in this review. Elena Porter takes on this one-hander about a young woman named Roberta (Bob for short) who is both on the run and on a search. We slowly learn that she was sexually abused and that she has some very serious conflicting emotions about her abuser father. While Porter does what she can with the material, the script never really goes beyond juvenile after-school-special-dom. It’s earnest, but doesn’t have the wisdom to carry it through to larger truths. And mechanically, the production is a little jarring, as Bob goes from breaking the fourth wall to talking to imaginary characters—there’s little continuity between the two. A solid effort, but not a production that sticks with you—as the subject matter demands it should. 2.5/5 CN
Sex, CRUMBS & Rock ‘n’ Roll (J)—Two guys from Winnipeg calling themselves “Crumbs,” a keyboardist and some decent improv are what we have here. The audience is asked to yell out words, anything goes and we are on our way down a road of quirky, slapstick, in your face humor. There is nothing too risqué, mind bending or gag-reflexing here, but it all works out in the end. The Crumbs quickly fill in any awkward gaps, paying full attention to their audience’s needs. This is an excellent place to start fringing this year if you are a lover of improv or just looking for a cheap, silly laugh. 3/5 JP
Silly Soup (12)—It almost seems like a shame to cobble together this much theatre talent just for children—Davina Stewart directs and Rebecca Starr (a Sterling for last year’s Breathe) teams with Farren Timoteo, Blair Wensley (both entirely underrated), mismatched shoes and a versatile swing set—but at least everyone present lives up to their billing. Timoteo is particularly good in this series of child-pleasing vignettes, playing broad enough for children but sly enough for their parents. The last scene drags a little long—the kids were getting restless at the performance I saw—but overall, Silly Soup is charming enough on all levels to leave everyone in the theatre laughing and looking forward to ice cream. 3.5/5 DB
SINCE YOU STAYED HERE (2)—Natasha Napoleao has a big voice. But a good voice alone cannot carry this 45-minute cabaret that lacks a sense of personality. The entire show seems like one big audition and at times I was left wondering if there was more to this girl than her problems with men. Awkward silences fill the time between songs, and the songs themselves are simply sung, not performed, leaving the audience without a meaningful connection with happenings on stage. If you’re satisfied with an impressive voice minus any sort of spectacle, this is the show for you. 2/5 CF
The Singing Bowl (6)—Are any plays incorporating ribbon dancing really that entertaining? The Singing Bowl, which read much like a geriatric Da Vinci Code, follows friends Drew and Sara being chased across the globe. They are on the lam from a dangerous suit-clad group wanting to possess their magic bowl. The sparse movements of the elderly people to the music during the dance-asides made those dance numbers look like something from a Jim Henson movie. And even though there was a routine, you could tell some of the actors had difficulty following it. An admirable effort, but not worth paying for. 1/5 JM
SMOKED GLASS CEILING (10)—Rita Shelton Deverell tells an enthralling biographical story of a young black woman growing up in Texas who rises through the theatre community and television industry only to encounter barriers of race, gender and power that prevent her from climbing further. With the advancement of the civil rights movement as a backdrop, and woven together with family commemorations of Emancipation Day, a string of mentors, and the metaphor of the queen bee and the hive, both Deverell’s writing and performance are powerful in a play that is at once sobering and inspirational. 3.5/5 SH
Something in the Basement (8)—A disgruntled and uptight married couple are pulled further apart by an indistinct sound from their new home’s basement. The supercilious wife drives her husband mad with her constant downstairs investigations and smarmy remarks. But at 50 minutes, they barely have enough content to fill the time slot. They cyclically squabble, cut each other down and try to initiate sex (one is always unwilling)—followed by “did you hear that?” Nevertheless I found myself obsessed with what it is in that damn basement! Instead of an answer, I was given a disturbingly funny ending. 3/5 OM
Songs from Shakespeare (13)—Shakespeare once wrote that “if music be the food of love, play on,” and it’s under that pretext that this composition is performed. Taking nine original surviving songs plus a few extras added by composers throughout the years, Songs from Shakespeare celebrates the music from the writer’s various plays. The music is light and cheery, steeped in classical music style—so much so that one musician kept yawning during the second set. This performance may satisfy your curiosity over what these plays sounded like, but most audiences will be bored with its dated historical approach and overly-pretentious style. 2.5/5 SL
SOUL SURVIVOR (4)—The premise is novel enough: six mismatched souls are stuck in purgatory, thinking that they’re competing against each other on a new reality show. But there’s something entirely unoriginal about this play. Each of the characters are clichés; there’s the leader, the bitch, the flamer, etc. The actors are perfectly fine, but because of a flat script, they’re prevented from making their roles anything but stock and predictable. Like watching most reality shows, you don’t have to think too hard and it’s mildly entertaining. But it’s simply imitation, not satire. 2/5 TK
The Sound of Simon and Garfunkel (D)—SWAK Productions returns to the Fringe with a retrospective of the infamous dueling duo. Peppered with S & G history, the show features all of the gems that we know and love, as well as some rarities. While an enjoyable respite from the madness of the Fringe, the show is not as enjoyable as last year’s retrospective of Peter, Paul and Mary. 3/5 CN
STEALING VENUS (10)—Told from a parole hearing in the unpleasant-sounding cellblock B for imprisoned Quimby, stand-alone actor and great storyteller Anton Smuts constructs an engaging and amusing story of a hastily assembled crew embroiled in a plot to steal The Birth of Venus for a stern katana-wielding German named Gunter. A classic heist story expertly acted through a series of colourful characters (including getaway-driving Dubliner Willie and the seven-foot-tall albino-Jamaican enforcer, Franklin), the show has South African-born Smuts weaving a lively and engrossing tale about the unforeseen consequences of errant choices and dumb luck. 3.5/5 SH
The Story of the Sinking Man (13)—One man shows are difficult to pull off, typically unable to maintain the audience’s attention for very long. Despite this handicap, Denis Couillard assumes the task by playing Nash, a man literally sinking in the mud. He writes notes for help, becomes friends with the animals and reflects on his childhood. The play has a Life of Pi feel to it, where you wonder if this really happened, if it’s strictly metaphoric or if his imagination ran wild. Couillard brilliantly captures the essence of this character as he transitions from genuine innocence to utter panic. It’s an intriguing idea that’s been well-executed. 3/5 SL
STRIPES: THE MYSTERY CIRCUS (7)—Sarah Hayward’s one-woman talent fest is a blend of childlike reverie and self-exploration. The mystery circus pulls the audience in through the cracks on Sarah’s gyrating quest, while she shares a gleefully demonic glint in her eye. Sarah fully inhabits all of her characters, breathing impish life into her own pirate, bearded lady and high-wire walker. Her “sound/crack theory” was intriguing: imperfections are blessings, right? Sure wish I could “live in the now” every minute of every day and not just while watching emotionally involving plays. Man, that would be exhausting. But was she brave? Daring? Swashbuckling? Indeed ye pack of scurvy dogs. Indeed. 3.5/5. GM
The Swingin’ Sisters Club (E)—This performance is essentially a musical revue centred on the experiences of the women who held down the home front while the men were sent off to WWII. There’s no denying that the three starring ladies all have wonderful voices that are well suited to the sounds of the period, but the show could use a little more balance at times. There’s a farming sequence in the middle that expertly uses dialogue as a counterpoint to the songs, and it’s both funny and poignant. A little more of that and this could be a very powerful show. 3/5 EM
SWITCHBACK (1)—Through technical skill, artistry and precision that engage every centimetre of her frame, Jolene Bailie brings a fourth dimension to the human body. The five solo dances include a video and two works from world-renowned choreographers. Watching her playful choreography in Switchback is akin to spying on a twitchy, athletic insect through a microscope. In Broken Columns, she portrays images of turmoil from visual artist Frida Kahlo’s paintings, and then interprets modern dance pioneer Anna Sokolow’s flowing, dramatic Escape (1955). Bailie recreates herself yet again in walking thru myself, a lighthearted journey through Sesame Street alphabet letters, a piece that was interestingly strange but didn’t convey its humorous potential. 4.5/5 SDK
TALES OF DEATH (4)—Probably what you could call one of the more conventional plays at the Fringe, it’s four separate short plays about death, murder, suicide and stalking. Each segment is done well with respect to the different moods and themes of the subject matter. The stalker-story, The Lurker, was the most intriguing; while the closing play, a one-man supernatural exploration titled Death, was the weakest. The actors were all comfortable changing roles, and Amber Bissonnette was enchanting in both of her roles as a murderess and vengeful ghost. It’s a good play, worth the ticket price. 3/5 TK
Teaching Shakespeare 3 (B)—Entering the scene like a substitute teacher, actor Keir Cutler embarks on a lecture of As You Like It while he also unsuccessfully tries to stave off rumours that he is involved with one of his high-school students. Part lesson on the play and an exploration of the taboo of teacher/student relationships, this one-hander is at once compelling and uncomfortable. He wonderfully involves the audience by taking attendance and calling on them for answers. While it’s difficult to like Cutler’s character, he nonetheless forces his audience to contemplate societal norms and taboos, and he manages to be funny in the process. 3/5 CN
Theatresports (J)—Although every show is entirely different, with cast members of Edmonton’s Rapid Fire Theatre, your Theatresports experience is bound to be rife with laughter and groans. Kevin Gillese, Jacob Banigan, Steve Sim, Chris Craddock and Amy Schostack were especially riotous in the show I saw, changing characters and plots at lightening speed. 4/5 CN
THEY WENT ANOTHER WAY (2)—Frustrated with being cast in insignificant roles—and, worse yet, being rejected for a role in a hotdog commercial—Scarlett convinces her roommate Sophie, also a struggling actor, to put all their energy into a self-produced webcast with the hopes that it will finally render them the fame they deserve. Scarlett is on the brink of insanity as she lets the project consume her, creating a ridiculously convoluted montage of emotions for her moment in the spotlight. Sophie is almost ready to admit defeat but still holds hope that Oprah will respond to her letters and help her dream come true. Audiences laugh their way through this high-energy play, and the acting is superb. 3.5/5 CF
This is Uncalled For (G)—How often do the topics of a playground, a Smart car and an outhouse cleaner come up in conversation? Apparently quite often for the This Is Uncalled For quartet from Montreal. The long call improv show—improvised stories that run for the entirety of the show rather than short skits—weaves in and out of the three plots suggested by the audience, only to all collaborate in the final minutes of the show. The cast filled the crowd with roaring laughter with their witty but clean humour. The show will be sure to offer a vast variety of humour, depending on the audience suggestions, and musical aspects will also be incorporated into future shows. If people choose to bring out their wacky side, there is an admission discount for those in costume. 4/5 SR
This Little Piggy is Classified (3)—If anyone has seen any of Tex Avery’s early, manic Bugs Bunny cartoons, then you’ve got an idea of what to expect from This Little Piggy is Classified. John Ramcharan and Vanessa Lever crash through this story with the sort of not-so-subtle humour that Avery was legendary for, warping time and space, spitting out ridiculously hilarious lines and stomping their way through some excellent physical comedy. And there’s even a poignant message about the toll that war takes on us all, delivered while the actors are wearing pig snouts. Fantastic fun. 4/5 EM
This May Feel A Little Funny (6)—This is a 90-minute, one-man play about the life and times of Randy Rutherford, a northern California-born actor/musician. Rutherford’s uncanny and passionate story-telling ability is what makes this play a pleasure to sit through. And even though he was the only actor on stage, his acoustic guitar, fretted with a capo, acted as a second. Soft finger-picking folk was the soundtrack to his story, with the line between song and story effectively blurred. The only apprehension I had was that Rutherford was obviously speaking to an entirely different generation—baby boomers. If you can get past that, then his play is definitely worth seeing. 3.5/5 JM
The THREE B’S: The Wailing in The Wings (12)—More reader’s theatre than real theatre, this nine-chapter mystery by local playwright Greg Finnegan relies heavily on speedy, breathless narration and acting to squish it into the allotted time. If Nancy Drew had confident, hyperactive triplet daughters with borderline personality disorder, Binkie, Bonnie and Billie would be the resulting Drewettes. Although these actors were very funny at times, the script stunted their true potential. And tripling the excitement of a mystery novel results in mood swings—you fluctuate between painful anxiety and zoom-out boredom. Add in Corrine, a character whose grating voice almost draws blood from your eardrums, and the real mystery is: “Why did the audience enjoy this play?!! 1.5/5 SDK
THREE SISTERS AND A FUNERAL (7)—Three Sisters and a Funeral is a light chuckle, growing to a full belly laugh. A family reunites in a clamouring din to water their philandering playboy dad’s ashes in this lighthearted play. It’s full of twists, the kind of twists a goldfish might make as it comes full circle in the bowl. I wish there was more of Netty (the folkie in yer head). The musical interludes—especially “Gotta Go”—had me teary. Powerful stuff that song. Three Sisters joyfully hocks a big fat loogey in the face of death, grinning all the while. 3.5/5 GM
THE TIMEKEEPERS (1)—In a Nazi prison camp, Hans, a gay man, attempts to befriend his new co-worker. But he becomes the unwillingly lonely participant in a charming monologue that gradually softens the quiet, reluctant mood of his fellow prisoner. They eerily repair myriads of watches that once belonged to the victims whose fates are unknown. In their tyrannical supervisor’s absence, they laugh, argue, sing and bribe one another, escaping the reality of prison life. The tragedy of war is lightened by Hans’s brilliant sense of humour. This superbly acted play has an unexpected ending and tells an old story in a new, eerie and unusual way. 4.5/5 SDK
TOE JAMM (1)—An excellent jazz band accompanies five tap dancers whose feet can move to those rhythms in ways we didn’t know were possible. The live music and a short video of moving feet with personality to spare were the highlight of the show. Nice, because in real time, with the exception of one or two dancers, shoulders slouched and torsos lacked the strength, posture and fluidity essential to give the work the polished look the dancers were going for. Although the constant smiles got to be a bit much after while, good choreography created by the group made for a very fun evening. If you see this show, you’re guaranteed to enjoy it. 3.5/5 SDK
The Top Ten Thousand of All Time (11)—It’s sorta like The Stand meets radio free Vancouver: guy wakes up, pauses, notices that everybody’s gone, cracks his neck like Bruce Lee and tries to take it all in. And what do you do after the rapture? You follow a light to a tower and broadcast the ten thousand best recordings you can muster until someone seeks you out or you go insane. You compete, even after the rapture, with the lure of LA, as your newfound friends leave for the big-almost-as-empty city. So you hold contests and give out prizes to other survivors 1 000 kilometres away. The music did tend to overpower the dialogue, however. 3/5 AK
Train Your Man Taking (8)—An obvious conceit—dog training for men!—and doing exactly what you’d expect with it, Shirley Kirchmann makes a show out of shrill teenage girls, men watching sports, unwilling audience participation and—you’ll never see this coming—clit jokes (the clit: celebrating its 35th anniversary of making middle-aged women laugh). Some of the subject matter could be saved if Kirchmann was a more engaging performer, but most of her characterizations aren’t developed enough to prop up even her stronger material, let alone the tired stereotypes that are frequently pointed to. Take a pass, even if you do think the world needs another clit joke. 1/5 DB
Twisted Thing (5)—This play is peopled by a self-destructive girl, a neglected guard dog, a limping cat, a raver named Pump, and what sets itself up for laughs is surprisingly tender and strangely beautiful. Morose Angie is enlightened by a one-night stand and with a yen for change, makes plans to sort of elope with the neighbours dog. Her cat, Freak, tries various ways to win back her heart. The players are so comfortable in their roles that the fantasy needs no conviction. Writer/actor John Lachlan Stewart has impeccably balanced pathos and humour to give us the full gamut of emotion. 5/5 OM
Two Seconds from Paradise (3)—This is a noirish young-lovers-on-the-run story like we’ve seen a million times before, and many of the genre’s clichés are on exhibit here. This take stands out from the crowd in large part due to the efforts of the two actors, who use flashbacks to let the audience into the characters’ thoughts. We don’t have to like where they’re going to end up, but we can at least see and understand how they’re getting there. The actors’ heartfelt portrayals of their characters makes the well-worn premise flow a little smoother. 2.5/5 EM
VAGINA MONOLOGUES (10)—A strong presentation of Eve Ensler’s now-famous series of monologues based on interviews with over 200 women about their “downtheres.” At times riotously funny, incredibly moving and painfully sad, all four actors give great performances, with Tanya Heschl giving a particularly noteworthy performance. The only drawback to this presentation of Vagina Monologues is the lack of diversity in the casting, but that is more than made up for in their solid presentation, great energy and the way the four interact on stage. 3.5/5 SH
VAST BEING (2)—Set in Canada during the 1950s and the present, characters float through time and space in a dreamlike manner, speaking in prose and moving through well-rehearsed choreography, as they struggle with their inevitable coming of age. Nicole Schafenacker’s original concept and directing skills are matched with beautiful performances by Amy Keating and Nikolai Witschl; although the play is not without its overly dramatic and sometimes hokey aspects. At times a little convoluted, as two actors jump from character to character and storyline to storyline, it’s hard for audiences not to stay engaged to the perfectly timed music and movement in this elegantly crafted piece about different people trying to find a sense of belonging in this big, vast world. 3/5 CF
Wanted: One Groom (5)—Two parents put out a classified ad to find a groom for their daughter. Someone shows up, only he’s actually answering an earlier ad for an antique bride statuette. Once the truth transpires, he is paralyzed by ... honestly, I have no idea what impairs him from saying, “Sorry, there’s been a mistake.” The actors are so vapid and their comic timing is as sharp as a spoon. However, unlike a spoon, regardless of how hard you concentrate, you cannot bend the stiffness of this performance. If you’ve already purchased a ticket, you will be happy to know that it is not a complete waste of money: all proceeds are going to charity. BOMB OM
The WHITE GUY (10)—Local actor Mark Jenkins delves into the thorny issue of race, and how to deal with the guilt and complication that comes from living on the top of the pile as a white guy. Often funny and insightful, the play moves from a childhood of cautionary tales from dad about the risk from “the blacks” in Detroit to tiptoeing through uncomfortable situations like the OJ Simpson trial while living in Los Angeles with his black wife. Jenkins’s delivery is shaky at times, but the script is good enough to make it worth seeing. 2.5/5 SH
Why I Can’t Get Laid (K)—Armed with an incredible title, Why I Can’t Get Laid sounded promising to be side-splitting with hilarity, but was a huge disappointment. Huge isn’t even a big enough word to describe it. The one-man jazzy musical is essentially about a gay man, Gregory P Caswell, who hasn’t been laid in three years and is now armed with a microphone. Really, it’s kind of scary. Caswell inserts some of his mildly humorous dialogues between singing both notorious and self-composed songs. But his voice lacks the soul to sing such songs as “At Last” by Edda James and “Can’t Hurry Love” by the Supremes, which ruined the fond memories many in the audience had of these songs. The show is essentially 75 minutes of Caswell singing karaoke. BOMB SR
WIND IN HER SAILS (8)—A piece of Canadian history, this is the story of an eventful voyage aboard a ship known as The Duchess on the East Coast. The enthusiastic narrator plays the fiddle live while the four-person cast sings sea shanties together. The relatively large set is perfect, the sound and lighting effects are appropriate, there’s some suspense, and listening to the Newf-isms is undeniably entertaining. It’s completely inoffensive and still somewhat interesting, which make this play solid family-friendly fare. 3/5 TK
Witches Brew: Carrot Stew (12)—Remember that big exam, the one that was worth 50 per cent of your final mark? That was a cinch compared to becoming a witch. If you fail this test you are forever banished from the coven. Now imagine you have to pass this all-important test with the help of two people whom you have never met and to top it off you have no instruction, ingredients or real direction. These three frock only have one chance and the pressure’s on for “mintong mist stew.” Add to this stew some good writing and solid performances and you have a cauldron worth stirring with your 7-to 13-year-old companion. 3.5/5 JG
The Wonders of the World: Recite (9)—A generation-gapped family living on an island, with the grandmother—Ulysses Grant’s ex-girlfriend and one-time half of a Bonnie-and-Clyde-couple—teaching her grandson to always expect the worst ... and then the mailman rows up. Yep, this is flag-flying Fringe fare. There’s inventive use of props, interaction with the audience, cracked clown capades, and some sneaky moments of pathos as the trio, suddenly on the brink of cataclysm, find a strange comfort in fatalism. Never boring, this is a rough-and-tumble, oddball production that should charm any festers looking for a genuinely offbeat show. 3.5/5 BG
Wool (9)—A solo effort that, with sharper editing and slower rhythms, could be spun into a tighter tale. Alex Eddington makes great use of the theatre space, weaving chalk lines, props and overlaid voices into his account of six months spent on Scotland’s Isle of Mull. His sheep anecdotes, in which his fleecy neighbours are comic characters, tragic figures, economic symbols or soul-reflectors, offer a motif that could have carried the show. But the rush of words, too formally and hastily delivered, becomes an onslaught, then an insurmountable wall, and the metatheatrical theorizing of the intro and epilogue only knot this play into a self-absorbed tangle. 3/5 BG
Yellow Fever (6)—Linda Turnbull’s engaging choreography barely resembles its previous incarnation. This dynamic work about her life growing up Hapa (half Japanese) in Edmonton is a powerful piece with traditional, symbolic and meaningful gestures and movement. She expresses the exquisitely beautiful, gentle side of Japanese culture, but with her hair pulled back exposing the harsh edges of the traditional white makeup, she foreshadows the various characters who live dormant behind the tranquil surface. Turnbull address a universal theme of women everywhere through demonstrating the objectification, stereotyping and repression of Japanese women. This theatrical 35-minute dance piece sends shivers through your spine. 4.5/5 SDK
ZOMBIES (11)—Warning: there are no real zombies in this play, only the figurative “we’re all apathetic walking stiffs” kind. Our twitchy protagonist is having an existential crisis while riding the bus. He can see the past, present and future of his fellow passengers all at the same time and it’s driving him mad. Stewart Matthews, a spastic little Brit, performs an original work that’s not really confusing, just kind of dull. His script drags on and doesn’t complement his extremely energetic and physical performance style or make him appear to be more than a zombie, himself. At least, the figurative kind. 2.5/5 TK