The Buzz – Reviews – 2015

Dance Pants

Randy Rutherford Presents—PTE Mainstage

This is probably Randy Rutherford’s best show! He is a great storyteller and a great musician!

This is a new story about his life after Alaska. Unlike his coming-of-age story My Brother Sang Like Roy Orbison, this is the coming to terms with middle age and deafness but told with the same attention to detail and connection to ’50s and ’60s music.

Peggy Barker

Eleanor’s Story: An American Girl…

Offending Shadows Prods.—Alloway Hall (MMMN)

Allies saved the world from the Germans—that’s what the history books teach—but what about the people?

Eleanor is an American who had the misfortune to be on route to Germany as World War II was declared. The audience sees the war through her eyes, as related by Ingrid, her granddaughter,

While staying in the light and annunciation seemed to be difficult for Ingrid at times, she was still able to touch our hearts. With well-designed sound and lighting, creative and purposeful sets, and a story that should be heard by all, this is a production with an ability to break through propaganda and misconceptions; something I’d love to see shown to history students across the continent.

Erica Mitchell

H.U.N.K.S.

Wasteland Productions—Alloway Hall (MMMN)

This one started out slow—as slow as quick sketches can be. It took me a while to find any of it particularly funny, but once they found their rhythm it was a solid show, and ran like a well-oiled machine.

While the sketches generally weren’t my particular cup of tea, the rest of the audience seemed to be having a good time, so credit where credit is due.

Arden Pruden

The Inventor of All Things

big word performance poetry—King’s Head

Jem has left his usual percussive, punchy poetry to move into slower, studied, Szilard-centric stories. This is an historical study in how one strange man changed the shape of the world. Jem says his goal is to have everyone leaving the show thinking Szilard is a really big hero.

The pacing of the show is interesting, as he explains why he’s doing the show part way into the stories, but the movement between historical framework and fun anecdotes keeps the audience engaged and the stories are fascinating.

Jem’s powerful voice gives the stories punch and his body language to indicate the direct quotations from the shockingly pompous Szillard make the moments that much funnier.

This could be the most interesting history lesson you’ve ever had.

Christina Fawcett

The Last 5 Years

Fountain of Time Prods.—Asper Centre (U of W)

This tremendously talented crew presents a raw look at what happens when couples aren’t on the same page with each other. It examines how we drift apart in relationships and how sometimes things just can’t be fixed.

Alternating between timelines, Cathy searches her memories of the past 5 years to find where things went wrong. Jamie, on the other hand, charges forward towards his very unhappy fate.

Both actors have phenomenal voices, and gave truly stunning vocal performances. I could feel Cathy’s emotions and really rooted for her in the end. On the other hand, I had a tough time feeling much emotion for Jamie

This play did feel a little long. It’s a very safe musical that you can certainly bring mom too. A few f-bombs here and there but definitely worth seeing if you are a fan of musicals.

Kaitlyn Kriss

5-Step Guide to Being German

Paco Erhard—WECC Acu Hall

Paco Erhard’s show is a delight. Paco relates personal stories, and challenges stereotypes by playing to the Winnipeg audience with jokes about Slurpees and Regina. The show is less a step-by-step instruction on how to be German as the title suggest, and more a discussion of culture and identity.

Much of Paco’s humour revolves around German cultural identity and the difficulties of being German, yet so much of the material is utterly universal. The hour goes by far too quickly.

Paco’s energy and sense of delight were infectious, though the crowd was a little quiet when I attended.

The jokes are quick, the humour is clever and the performance is wonderful.

(And, I heard tell there will be a hold-over show Monday night at 8, so there’ll be another chance to enjoy this fabulous performer.

Christina Fawcett

5-Step Guide to Being German

Paco Erhard—WECC Acu Hall

I really enjoyed this charming and funny stand-up! His observational humor spans the globe and while I laughed, I accidently learned a few things—but not on purpose.

I hear he’s been selling out his entire run but Lo’! There be a hold over! Monday July 27th. I would so strongly recommend anyone who missed this show (or will miss it) during the fringe to go see him on Monday!

Theresa Thomson

Leland Klassen: Are My Hands Too Big?

Leland Klassen—RRC

Leland Klassen is the first completely clean comic I’ve seen at this festival ever. His jokes were funny and to the point. I loved that he addresses and converses with the audience throughout the show.

I chuckled quite a few time, but thought he relied a little too heavily on hand-related jokes (and yes they are freakishly huge).

The Mennonite jokes were on point, and half the audience (who I’m guessing were Mennonite) damn near died from laughing so hard.

Leland is a chuckle that is kid safe.

Kaitlyn Kriss

3 Day Rave

Byrd Entertainment—Playhouse Studio

3 Day Rave was exactly what I thought it would be. Three besties tripping balls at a rave and the adventures and people they encounter.

What I did not expect was for it to be 100% true and have a very important message at the end. I did laugh a few times and it was amusing to watch these best friends bumble around the festival.

This one-man show could have benefited from having more than one actor on stage. You could tell the actor was very inexperienced and the beginning was incredibly sloppy. I did not like this play to begin with, but eventually it got better and I left with a completely different attitude. There are an alarming amount of drug references in this play, so I would probably leave mom and the kids at home.

Kaitlyn Kriss

Matthew Harvey is…Dangerman!

Yorkshire Pudding Prods.—Cinematheque

The whole show is absolutely hilarious.

His segues from poem to poem are all clever and funny, and he’s great to watch perform. He knows exactly how to work a crowd.

After all these serious spoken word shows, it’s refreshing to see someone doing it for a laugh, and being good at it too.

Arden Pruden