The BUZZ – Reviews – 2014

Screwtape

By the Book Productions&emdash;One88

John Huston has a very powerful voice. You snap to attention immediately and it’s hard to ignore him once he starts talking&emdash;not that you’ll want to.

He portrays a ‘modern devil’ if you will, one who attempts to damn souls to hell just because, or to win a war, or to set an example for his nephew. The shifts of emotion are always sudden, and always very well done.

It’s easy to see this guy really likes his role. Whether or not it’s a good thing that he likes playing a devil, I can’t say.

It does drag in bits at times; but overall it’s an exceptionally interesting show.

Arden Pruden

Riled Up and Wasted On Light

Buddy Wakefield&emdash;Artbeat Studio

Somehow I get the feeling that everything down to the venue was picked and used specifically to enhance this performance. Wakefield is particularly good at grabbing your attention and keeping it, whether it’s through a poem or through a tangent (or in one case, a tangent of a tangent).

Everything he says is in equal parts hilarious and frightfully true. His sense of humour and timing is amazing, and he really knows how to talk to the audience, and how to make them feel welcomed and even relaxed during the show.

He just really knows how to perform, and if you like poetry of any kind (even if you’re not a huge fan) he’s quite something to watch.

Arden Pruden

Kitt & Jane: An Interactive Survival Guide…

SNAFU Dance Theatre&emdash;Warehouse

A mildly fun show that simply isn’t that funny, this looming doom fest provides about as much entertainment as a pie-in-the-face. I giggled once in a while but I also spent some time cringing because some of the jokes just didn’t work.

Fortunately, the interactive gags take over where the jokes leave off&emdash;entertaining the audience enough to keep their attention.

As a comedy, it wasn’t funny enough; as a political statement, it isn’t serious enough. Yes, I hate Monsanto too; but the actors don’t use enough humour to belittle it, and the atmosphere isn’t serious enough to chastise it.

Kitt’s ukulele strumming and quirky singing make the show, but it’s not enough to maintain this 75-minute discourse.

Ray Yuen

Much Ado About Nothing

Knavish Hedgehog Productions&emdash;MTYP Mainstage

The first thing I noticed is that there are both some very strong actors, and some not so strong actors, and this is very apparent in the larger group scenes.

The actors, regardless of talent, seem to be evenly spread over everything from leads to spear-carriers, and it’s almost as though it’s a learning experience for some of them rather than a show.

However, those actors who were strong were exceptionally strong. They really impressed me, while others did not. Overall, it’s a nice show, though I wouldn’t call it a little one. If you have a passion for Shakespeare, take a peek if you haven’t already. You’ll enjoy yourself.

Arden Pruden

The War and Peace Show

PEACENIKS INC.&emdash;WAG

Anyone who thinks peace activists are over-earnest, humourless people should see this show. So should anyone who is looking for an entertaining night out.

This 75-minute cabaret-style production features short plays by an all-star team of writers: Rick Chafe, Sarah Constible, TJ Dawe, Ross McMillan, Ellen Peterson, Alix Sobler, and Gordon Tanner. The ensemble cast work seamlessly together: Andrew Cecon, Jill Cooper, Tom Penner, Heather Russell, and Alissa Watson brought the works to life and kept the ball rolling.

From the pre-show sing-along of sixties protest songs, to the patter between skits, to the scenes themselves, this was a highly polished, thoughtful, and hilarious evening of theatre.

It’s perhaps unfair to single any artist out, but I have to say that the most impressive work to me was Gord Tanner’s creation of a real play with real dramatic tension in such a short time frame. All works shone though, and so did my spirits as I walked out of the theatre. Thanks to Project Peacemakers for making this evening possible.

Kevin Longfield

The Storyteller

R-G Productions&emdash;Warehouse

This classic battle puts the eternal optimist against the eternal pessimist, setting up a challenge between hope and despair. Where the optimist ably plays the part; the pessimist steals the show, with her convincing storytelling and powerful voice.

In between battles, we experience shadow dancing, sometimes sexy and alluring, sometimes flippant and irreverent. This engaging show thrusts you into a reality where women are subjugated, enslaved, and lucky to be alive.

Ray Yuen

Nothing Serious

Acting as a way of life&emdash;Alloway Hall (Man. Museum)

I wanted to like it, I really did. It’s so unfortunate, really, because I saw what they were trying to do and there’s always potential in making fun of actors and artists, but only if you do it right.

The show comprised three scenes, none of which made any sense together, and the writing in all three was rather poor&emdash;as was the acting. There were attempts at humour, but for the most part they didn’t make a lot of sense and interrupted the flow of the scene. There were one or two good moments, but in the 35-minute mess that was this show, I was left with an overall sour taste.

Arden Pruden

The Two-Step

Cheep Art&emdash;Planetarium

Christine Longé tells a story well, dances a fair step and carries a passable tune. She uses those tools to present a biography of a world traveler through her journeys around the world, and her journey through life.

This warm and cute story has amusing moments but not enough to keep me engaged. If you’ve never left North America, you may get some insight, but if you’ve ever left English-speaking soil, there’s nothing new here. Her relationship never gets a hold of the heartstrings and her adventures aren’t unique. It’s a nice story but it’s one that didn’t need to be told.

Ray Yuen

There are Two Errors in the the Title of This Show*

MacPherson & Plouffe Consummate Professionals&emdash;Alloway Hall (Man. Museum)

It’s improv with a plot, and that’s pretty cool. These two guys open up the details of the characters to the audience, and then move on with their already decided plot that is designed to produce a dark comedy.

Well, I’m not sure about dark, but it sure was a comedy. The actors are hilarious, and it’s a shame that the audience was so small, because they deserve huge crowds. Even when they need to stretch the scene out, they do it fantastically.

These are just two genuinely funny guys, don’t miss out on them.

Arden Pruden

Dandy

Big Empty Barn Productions&emdash;WAG

In this play, seasoned performer Bremner Duthie assumes the character of Mergatroid, a dandy who tries to persuade us to adopt a personal style based on who we are rather than what Calvin Klein or Abercrombie & Fitch tell us to wear.

Duthie has a terrific singing voice and inhabits his character completely. Unfortunately for me, the Mergatroid character wore out his welcome early in the piece. He just didn’t seem to be saying anything new after a while, and I found myself waiting for him to finish so that I could hear the next song.

Here, too, a sameness evolves. The play as I understand it is a plea for people to be individuals, and to use their clothes as a personal statement of individuality. Unfortunately for me, the singing undercut that message. Each of the song interpretations had a sameness to them, regardless of the period they came from or the tradition in which they were written.

All that said, it was a very pleasant way to spend 75 minutes, and he should have had more than the 20 something people in the audience on a Tuesday afternoon.

Kevin Longfield