Finster Finds

Some new titles popped up yesterday, I think because different 'types' of shows produce different audiences. Check out yesterday's Word of Mouth recommendations: - Babble On - Hello (I heard this one A LOT yesterday) - Rose Petals and Ashes - For Science! - Muttnik - Josephine - Chase Padgett - Heart Attacks ad Other Blessings - Hotel Vortruba - Larry (I think I have heard this one every day) - Hits Like a Girl - Reality Crack - Field Zoology 101 - Promise and Promiscuity - Are You Loving It - Can of Worms - You are Happy - Merk Deux Soleil Click here for tickets! Feel free to leave your Word of Mouth Recommendations in the comments (in case I don't see YOU n the line ups!)

In fewer lines today but chatted with a few people in audiences! Here are Monday's Word of Mouth Recommendations: - Queen Lear is Dead - Juliet: A Revenge Comedy - Larry - For Science! - Mind Games: Brain Bending Magic - Dandelion - Someone Will Win a Car - Crescendo! - You are Happy - Playthings - yegDND - Hello - 13 Dead Dreams of "Eugene" Click here for tickets!

Many of these Word of Mouth recommendations come from the North Beer Tent - always a great place to pick up suggestions for 'what to see'! Check out some these shows that were recommended to me as I visited in the Beer Tent, waited in lines, and sat in shows (all discussion was before the show started!)... Word of Mouth - Sunday, Aug 18: - Boy Trouble - Zach Adams - Kevin, King of Egypt - Killing Jar - Larry - 7 Days - Juliet: A Revenge Comedy - Colin Mochrie and Friends - Eye Candy - Jung and Crazy - Playthings - Chase Breyer - Didn't Hurt - Flora and Fawna Have Beaver Fever (and so does Fleurette) - Hack - Queen Lear is Dead - TWO - Triassic Park

I'm having a wonderful time at the Fringe this year! It's a great benefit to have the time off to really deep dive into a wide variety of shows and it has made for a nice little roller coaster so far! I kicked off the Fringe on Thursday night with 2 shows at the Varscona Hotel. The Big Bright is a new musical which combines musical theatre with clowning tropes and explores the impact of advertising and media on self-esteem. Whimsical costumes and biting humour are highlights of this show. Be warned, despite the costume aesthetic, it is not for kids! It was an interesting and out-of-the-box way to explore the issues of self and media. I followed that up with Never Swim Alone - a Canadian classic by Daniel MacIvor. This is a perfect script, and if you haven't seen it, I recommend checking out this tightly directed and well-performed piece. Friday was another great grab-bag of shows for me. I started with World's Wife featuring a trio of excellent actresses perform...

One of the benefits of seeing such a wide variety of shows at the Fringe is that I talk to very different people who like different things. It was cool to hear so many shows as I asked people in the line ups and in audiences about what they'd seen and what they'd recommend (Note: they are not allowed to tell me a show that they are personally involved in!). Here's today's Word of Mouth Recommendations: - Josephine - Second City Presents ... She the People - Martin Dockery (You Belong Here) - Gordon's Big Bald Head - Two - The World's Wife - The Walk in the Snow - The Legend of White Woman Creek - Colin Mochrie and Friends - The Thin Grey Line - Larry - Check Me Out - She's Not Him and He's Not Her - Pack Animals - Martin Dockery (The Surprise) - The Bald Soprano - Tomatoes Tried to Kill Me but Banjos Saved My Life - Chase Padgett Link to the Fringe website for tickets.