The Buzz – Reviews – 2015

Japanese Samurai…

Hiroshi Shimizu—Cinematheque

I thought this would be a comedy routine about cultural differences, which is always great fodder for any comedy act, but I was a little disappointed that it was less about that and more about not being able to communicate well in English.

(Note to self to not enter a show with any preconceived notions.) The performance focuses on Hiroshi Shimizu’s journey to becoming an English stand-up comic, something he opted to do in Edinburgh.

The audience quite enjoyed the show but I found some of the jokes were iterated a bit too often.

Joanne Nuys

Oni

Mochinosha Puppet Company—245 McDermot

I have seen all of the shows Mochinosha Puppet Co.’s have brought to Winnipeg, and I always enjoy them.

This year they bring to the Fringe a much more adult-themed shadow puppet show based on a number of Japanese folk tales and ancient Japanese erotic art. The finely crafted shadow puppets act out many hilarious stories.

The narration is partially in Japanese but then either translated or easily understood by the context.

It is definitely worth the climb up to the venue.

Murray Hunter

Japanese Samurai…

Hiroshi Shimizu—Cinematheque

Don’t let the title scare you away! Hiroshi’s story about his struggle to become an English speaking stand-up comedian will leave you laughing a ton.

I loved that the focus wasn’t on making fun of anyone (except maybe Hiroshi) and instead was focused on how all of his struggles have led him to be a success.

Hiroshi has a very thick accent, as he learned English by doing stand-up comedy which made some jokes hard to understand. He was very energetic and quick-witted and had a beautiful message at the end of the play.

Kaitlyn Kriss

Susanna Bird and Other Stories

bikecircus—Asper Centre (U of W)

A skydiving accident has a young woman hurtling towards earth. She reflects on her life as the air rushes past her, and unfortunately her mind won’t turn away from a troubling incident in her youth.

Morgan Johnson gives a sensitive performance in this intriguing script by Natalie Frijia, assisted by occasional appearances by Zita Nyrady as her mean-girl friend Tiffany. Johnson makes good use of a trapeze as both the tree she climbs as a 13-year-old and the wind resistance in the more mature woman’s plunge to her fate.

I have no idea what the other reviewers have said about this show, since I have not read a single review this fringe, but judging from the sparse crowd at 10:30 Thursday night, they have not received rave reviews. All the same, I highly recommend this performance.

Kevin Longfield

Safe and Sound

Tasty Streets—MTYP Richardson Hall

I was told by some of my friends that the show was different every night, and I certainly got it on a good night.

While the show had hiccups here and there it was extremely entertaining as a whole. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t laughing the whole way through.

While the show was scripted, for the most part, it felt less like a serious theatre production, and more like a show you can just kick back and relax during, and I liked that. As long as you don’t take it too seriously, because it certainly doesn’t take itself seriously, you’ll have a great time.

Arden Pruden

All I Really Need to Know I Learned…

MTYP Summer Studio—MTYP Richardson Hall

MTYP’s Summer Studio has not only mounted an hilarious show, but right out of the gate demonstrated comic chops and timing that have escaped many fringe performers years their senior.

Working from a solid, funny script by Werner Trieschmann, the company uses the play within a play to bring all aspects of the terrifying life of an actor into vivid focus. With energetic delivery and skilled choreography, the play trips merrily along.

Watch for true melodrama on the railway tracks, a heartbreaking small parts support group and an all-too-fleeting tableau of the ascent of man.

Go see this show and save the program. You will be seeing more of these gifted young actors.

Barbara Fawcett

One-Man Lord of the Rings

One Man Lord of the Rings—PTE Mainstage

In this 75-minute show, Charles Ross quickly runs through the action of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

In this minimal production, he is dressed in black, uses a wireless headset microphone and uses no set pieces or props. He also uses no sound effects other than those skillfully produced by his own voice, but he does depend heavily on frequent lighting changes.

He takes quick breaks between the action of each movie to get some much-deserved water, and he also uses this opportunity to check in with how the audience is doing and to promote his other shows.

He freely admits that if you are not familiar with the films, you will have a hard time following him. I saw the films some time ago but I still had a hard time keeping up with him as he moved from character to character almost without taking a breath.

However, if you are intimately familiar with the extended versions of the films, you will probably get the most from this show and understand the inside jokes that I am sure were there.

Konrad Antony

All I Really Need to Know I Learned…

MTYP Summer Studio—MTYP Richardson Hall

The MTYP Summer Studio has once again brought a solid show to the Fringe, as the comedy and love of theatre in such a young group of performers repeatedly brings the house to a standstill.

The talent and maturity of this group is phenomenal, and the choice of show really gives this group a chance to shine. I encourage you to see this performance by the next generation of Fringe heavyweights.

Christina Fawcett

The Orchid and the Crow

Button Eye Productions—MTC Mainstage

I overheard a loud, enthusiastic Fringe-goer telling the hotdog man, “You have to go and see Die Rotten Punkte!” Not quite…but this is the engaging and funny story of how Otto Rot, aka Daniel Tobias, grew up as an atheist Jew in Australia, faced death, and returned from a 2004 battle with testicular cancer.

And yes, sitting in the audience is enough to make you withdraw into your pelvic cavity, just as the word cancer may make you think twice about putting your hand in your pocket outside the venue…and by that I mean to buy a ticket. It’s a journey filled with humour and music, and trust me, it deserves the ultimate Winnipeg accolade—value for money.

Ron Robinson

Becoming Banksy

Off Broadway Productions—Playhouse Studio

Is he just William Banks, a vacationing landscape painter and make-up salesman from England, or is he world-renowned, avant guarde, graffiti artist, and underground art revolutionary Banksy?

Press, hoteliers, and myriad other characters (all played by Jamil Chokacki) scramble to discover the truth.

This show is from the same duo who brought us Channeling Kevin Spacey. I don’t know how David Michaels (Banks/Banksy) does not bust up from the hilarious characters played by Jamil Chokacki

Go see this fun play.

Kevin Campbell