Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Fringe Reviews: THE GREAT GROMBOOLIAN PLAIN, PUNCH UP!, MISCAST and CULT CYLE

Monday was a great 4 show day! It's amazing to me that I can see 4 shows and it's still light out when I drive home! it was also a nice mix of shows, so I felt like I got a great grab-bag of theatre!

The Great Gromboolian Plain
Venue 4 - The Academy at King Edward

This was a very nice piece of theatre about the nature of time travel and sisters and what is real and whether someone is crazy or not. It's well acted and staged, however I wished there was something more in the resolution as it left me with many questions. I did like how we discover that sometimes people do things that may seem hurtful and controlling but they are actually doing those things to protect others.

Click here for tickets.

Punch Up!
Venue 9 - Telus Phone Museum

A terrifically funny show. I think I laughed from start to finish. The script (by Kat Sandlers - who is the playwright on-board to write an upcoming duo of plays, The Candidate and The Party, at the Citadel next season) is quick and fast and clever, and the trio of actors onstage (Perry Gratton, Evan Hall and Merran Carr-Wiggin) are perfectly cast to pull it off. The premise: The Most Pathetic Guy Ever kidnaps the Funniest Man Alive to make the Saddest Girl in the World laugh. I won't tell you if he makes her laugh, but I will say the lengths he goes to certainly made the audience laugh!

Click here for tickets. 

Miscast 
Venue 4 - The Academy at King Edward

As one who has been in and auditioned for many musicals, I know full well that it's sometimes hard to learn that you will likely not be cast in your dream role because you're too tall, too old, too heavy, or too "something". That's what this show explores as eight gifted performers tell their stories and sing a song that they might not normally get to. Well, some of the choices actually seemed perfect for the performer onstage, so perhaps they just need the right opportunity! All are excellent singers and if there is one drawback it's the balance within the space between the band and the singers. Sometimes it was difficult to hear the vocalist over the instrumentation. Always a challenge in a 'created' space. But super fun with wonderful group numbers to offset the solo work!

Click here for tickets. 

Cult Cycle
Venue 35: Théâtre - La Cité Francophone

A new musical about spin class and murder! This show was so much fun. I felt like it embraced the old-school fringe feel of going for the biggest choices no matter how ridiculous or campy or melodramatic and the results were hilarious. Plus, the whole cast is composed of amazing singers who not only belt out anthems but they do so while pedaling at a very high rate. 

Click here for tickets. 

WORD OF MOUTH: Fringe 2018 - Tuesday, August 21st

Although I only saw 2 shows myself, I had some great conversations with people in line-ups today because both shows were Sold Out. I think I managed to talk to a wider variety of people with even more varied interests!

How I Learned to Hug
Fire at the Meth Lab
Stranded on a Island in Nova Scotia
The Importance of Being Earnest
God is a Scottish Drag Queen*
Dueling Divas
The Real Inspector Hound*
Sirens
Heroine
Hotel Vortruba*
Jake's Gift*
The Irrelevant Show
The Soldier's Tale
Josephine

Click here for tickets to all Fringe Shows!

I hope you have room in your schedule to fit in one or two of these!

Monday, August 20, 2018

WORD OF MOUTH: Fringe 2018 - Monday, August 20, 2018

Some new shows today - I confess, I was tired and got into a few conversations about current trends in art and didn't have as many show conversations, but I did get some new and repeat Word of Mouth Recommendations!  Warning: Many of these shows are selling out, so it is wise to act fast for tickets! (Star indicates multiple recommendations)

The Wind and the Rain
Merk du Soleil
Everything's Coming Up Chickens*
Eddie Poe*
For Science!*
Scorch
She Was a Great Dad
Josephine*
The Real Inspector Hound*
Buyer & Cellar
Irrelevant Show
A Briefs History of Time
Business as Usual
Jake's Gift*
Caws and Effect

Happy Fringing!

Sunday, August 19, 2018

Fringe Reviews: MACBETH MUET, WELLSPRING, ESCAPED ALONE and XANADU

Macbeth Muet
lafilledulaitier.com
Venue 9: Telus Phone Museum

This show was so good. So. Good. It's better, I think, if you know Macbeth, but really even if you just know the high point of the story this show will blow you away. It's funny and inventive and so incredibly clever. I think it's the perfect way to do Shakespeare, particularly the bloodier plays. I cannot get over the cleverness of their choices. The music made it so accessible and from eggs, to paper towels, to paper plates and lots and lots of fake blood, you will be mesmerized and laughing. I recommend this to everyone!

Wellspring
Venue 13 - Old Strathcona Library

A trio of intertwining monologues from three women who live in a community affected by fracking. While it doesn't add anything new to the issue, this show serves to humanize people caught up in dynamics of health and quality of life vs. energy and economics. I did long for more action and conflict within the story, and it takes a little while for the script to get to the details of each of their journeys, but the three actors are honest and committed to telling their stories.

Escaped Alone
Venue 9 - Telus Phone Museum

I'm still thinking about Escaped Alone. It's a complicated piece that takes a bit of time to wrap your brain around. There's some wonderful acting from the four women onstage (Judy McFerran, Vivien Bosley, Alison Wells and Holly Turner) who sit in a garden discussing the items of their lives. Secrets are revealed, some bigger than others, and the most striking moments are in monologues where inner-most thoughts and feelings are revealed. Interspersed with their conversation are Cassandra-like predictions of a terrible future. This is one to ponder for a while.

Xanadu
Venue 25 - Strathcona High School

It's wonderfully fun, musical and campy, and it pulls out all the stops. I had so much fun at Xanadu. I have to admit, I saw the movie,... when it came out,... in the theatre,... probably more than once... I also clearly listened to the soundtrack and the songs from the show over and over, because I surprised myself by knowing all the words. This production is a really fun ride, and you will be swerving from laugh to laugh by their over-the-top antics. Plus, everyone in the cast can sing and dance AND Roller-skate. I'm once again blown away by the quality of production delivered by SatCo at Fringe.

WORD OF MOUTH: Fringe 2018

I returned to the Fringe grounds today and chatted with quite a few different people about what they would recommend (artists are not allowed to recommend their own shows - although they try...). I was pleased to hear so many different suggestions, as it tells me that there are a lot of good things to see at this year's Fringe.

Here's the Word Of Mouth recommendations from Sunday, August 19, 2018, in no particular order. (stars indicate that the show was mentioned by more than one person):

Interstellar Elder: Badass Grandma in Space
Unscriptured
Stories About Love, Death & a Rabbit*
WASP
TEDxRFT: Improvised Ted Talks
MacBeth Muet*
Jesus Christ: The Lost Years
A Briefs History of Time
Daddy's Boy
Tomatoes Tried to Kill Me, But Banjos Saved My Life
The Progressive Polygamists
The Wilds*
The Real Inspector Hound
2 Queens and a Joker
One Man Pride and Prejudice*
An All New God is a Scottish Drag Queen
The Alien Baby Play
One Man Walking Dead
Hotel Vortruba
Eddie Poe
Jake's Gift*
Xanadu

Saturday, August 18, 2018

Fringe Reviews: LET'S TALK ABOUT YOUR DEATH, DON'T FROWN AT THE GOWN, SIRENS, and CONTRACTIONS

Let's Talk About Your Death
Allspice Theatre
Venue 11 - Nordic Studio Theatre

A show that's both silly and serious, Let's Talk About Your Death, is set in a world where a machine exists that can tell you how you will die. Capitalizing on that is a Dr. Phil-like TV personality who interviews those from the audience who have just found out 'how they will die'. Complete with thematic advertisements and spontaneous moments that neither the actor nor the audience know where they will go, this show turned out to be both hilarious and touching. Knowing about your death turns out to be much more about how you choose to live.

Don't Frown at the Gown (by Darrin Hagen and Trevor Schmidt)
Guys in Disguise
Venue 12 - Varscona Theatre

Another terrific play from the Guys in Disguise, this time tackling the shifting values of the 1960s with regards to the feminist movement as young bride-to-be Susan (Trevor Schmidt) goes to the bridal shop with her domineering mother (Darrin Hagen) and her best friend maid-of-honour Frankie (Jason Hardwick). There they meet the bridal shop owner, Lady Laura Lee (Jake Tkaczyk) who seems to have a few secrets of her own. Filled with laugh-out-loud moments fueled by excellent writing and fine acting, this play serves to be much more as it touches on the restrictions of both following what's prescribed and breaking free from the expectations of society. What works especially well is that it could easily be played by actors of either gender and it would still be funny and moving. In fact, there's a monologue or two in this that I personally want to get my hands on.

Sirens
Atlas Theatre Company
Venue 12 - Varscona Theatre

Billed as a story about a myth-life crisis, this show had a lot of potential - fun premise and strong cast - however, the script itself was not quite up to the challenge. There are funny bits, primarily coming from Louise Lambert in a variety of roles (from solitaire-obsessed Siren, to perky travel agent, to acerbic waitress) and Mat Busby in a small but memorable role. As a couple celebrating their 25th anniversary, Adele and Sam, Stephanie Wolfe and Julien Arnold work hard to push the piece, but the writing just doesn't feel worth it. It's an interesting premise, but relies a bit too much on cliches and generalizations to make you care.

Contractions
Dogheart Theatre
Venue 13 - Strathcona Library

Just how much does your employer get to say about your life? That's the question this show seems to ask. In more and more ridiculous ways, the Manager (April Banigan) demands information and action from her employee Emma (Kristi Hansen). It's sharp and funny and many people will relate to Emma's need to stay compliant and positive despite unreasonable demands from the Manager. Hopefully no-one relates too much, as some of the demands are truly horrific. A solid piece where office politics have severe consequences.

Friday, August 17, 2018

WORD OF MOUTH: Fringe 2018

Every Fringe I chat with the people I see in line or the beer tent and find out what shows they would recommend based on what they have seen so far. It's early, but I got a few recommendations today:

Stories About Love, Death and a Rabbit
Don't Frown at the Gown
Everything's Coming Up Chickens
Tease
For Science!

I'm taking tomorrow off to celebrate my anniversary, so I will be back getting word of mouth recommendations on Sunday!

Thursday, August 20, 2026 - Fringe Unforgettable!

I had a very Fringy experience yesterday when I saw  PORK & BEANS: Attorneys At Law at the Grindstone site. The show itself is very frin...