FRINGE PREVIEW: Interesting Pairings... Choose a couple of shows that may or may not go together...

I've been spending a lot of time on the Fringe website, researching and reading about the different shows. It will be terrific to buy my program today, but the website has given me a lot to think about, in particular, that there are some shows that seem like they might 'go together' either in contrasting or in comparative ways... Here are some suggestions for some elegant pairings:

Why not pair 50 First Dates with F*ck Tinder: A Love Story? Both are journeys through the world of dating to find love but told from different perspectives. As one who escaped the advent of online dating apps, I think both would likely give me insight into a world that somewhat terrifies me. For those who are  little younger than me, I am pretty sure that both these shows would  resonate for you and no doubt you would have similar stories to share.


If you like Sketch Comedy, why not pair Marv n' Berry Presents: Everyone Panic, Please with Blackout Presents: Show me the Goods! Both are locally based sketch comedy groups with proven track records. I'm sure that bother are guarenteed to make you laugh! I like both Improv and Sketch, but sketch can tend to be a little more consistent as the artists can really craft their show and it's not so dependent on the suggestions from the audience.

There are two shows about polygamy at this year's Fringe. It might be worth seeing both to compare approaches, especially if you are fascinated by this kind of world. I think Bountiful is more of a play, and The Progressive Polygamists is more of a satirical presentation, so they are bound to discuss the issue differently.

If you are a fan of detective stories, you might want to check out The Real Inspector Hound and 2 Sherlock Holmes Mysteries. The former is the highly acclaimed, wild and wonderfully absurd murder mystery farce brought to the Fringe from Edmonton's Bright Young Things and featuring some of Edmonton's brightest and funniest (Belinda Cornish, Mat Busby, Andrew MacDonald-Smith, Louise Lambert, Garret Ross, Troy O'Donnell, Jenny McKillip and Ashley Wright). The second comes from "Masters of the Fringe" John D. Huston and Kenneth Brown who play everyone in this 60 minutes Sherlock Holmes extravaganza.

Family stories? Check out these two one-man shows about Grandmothers: Nonna's Story and My Grandmother's Maid. Stories that look at the lighter side of death? How about Let's Talk about Your Death and Five Stages of Death?

There's at least a hundred more ways to pair shows - but hopefully this has given you a few ideas about where to start! Enjoy your fringing!


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