The Buzz – Reviews

Jimmy Hogg: Potayto Potahto

Jimmy Hogg—RRC Polytech

The brave and courageous king of the rabbit trail, this is a hilarious mix of stand-up comedy and story-telling. As a fan of a number of comedians from the UK, there was one bit in particular that I found a lot funnier than those audience members unfamiliar with certain vernacular, but as long as swearing doesn’t put you off too much, this definitely isn’t a show to miss – but get your tickets in advance (if there are even any left). My only complaint: I don’t understand where the title came from.

Jordan Phillips

The Best (?) Non-Denominational Holiday Concert Ever!

Rem Lezar Theatre—Tom Hendry Warehouse

What delightful chaos this show is. If you like children, if you have worked with children, or if you find the absurd hijinks of children occasionally entertaining, then you will find this show heart-warming and relatable. It made my wife miss her students, and it made both of us laugh, and occasionally sigh from cuteness.

Jordan Phillips

Houdini: The Man, The Myth, The Legend

Oddly Entertainment—CCFM Salle Pauline-Boutal

I have seen a fair few magic shows over the years, and with my lack of eyesight, they can be a bit hit and miss at times. If the reveal is small or subtle, I can often miss it. Brett Oddly – I mean, Houdini – was great in that regard. One, because a show about escapes is a lot easier to see than close-up magic, and two, because even for some of his other tricks, he took visibility into account (i.e. replacing tiny needles with more visible razor blades for one trick). This is right up there with the best magic shows I’ve seen, and it has the added, historical interest of being a recreation of a performance that Houdini himself gave in Winnipeg over a hundred years ago.

Jordan Phillips

A One Human Being, Potentially Comedic Performance of Beauty and the Beast

Living the Dream—The Gargoyle Theatre

Alli Perlov has become a Fringe tradition ever since I wandered into her one human being rendition of Les Mis. A structured show with the feel of improv, she is always very entertaining, but she has gone above and beyond with her set and props this year. I think you will get the most out of the show if you have at least a passing familiarity with the story she’s riffing, but you shouldn’t let it stop you if you don’t. This show embodies the spirit of fringe in my opinion.

Jordan Phillips

Parasocial

Metanoia Theatre Co.—The Gargoyle Theatre

As someone familiar with videogame streaming, the concept is intriguing, but the overall affect was closer to YouTuber than a streamer. Stalking and doxxing are ever present dangers, and this show does a reasonable job explaining and presenting them to audiences who might be unfamiliar. Arguments between our two streamers frequently result in the actors yelling over one another, resulting in muddy dialogue, and hard to follow scenes. In addition to shaky acting and a weak ending, it maybe isn’t the best introduction to the online world.

Josh Fidelak

EGGSHELLS: The Spectrum of Fatherhood, Imposter Syndrome and Finding my Light

M.P.M.M Productions—Son of Warehouse

Passante’s well-paced, stripped down storytelling takes us through the emotional triumphs and tragedies that have led him to the present moment. Full of humour and heart, this candid memoir is crafted with the grace and gratitude of a veteran performer.

Nyala Ali

Crabs Gone Wild

Pinchy Productions—PTE – Colin Jackson Studio

The highlight of this show was the audience member absolutely losing this shit at the same joke over and over again. Thankfully shorter than the advertised 60 minutes, the show could have still done with trimming, as the “catching crabs/catching crabs” misunderstanding joke wore extremely thin extremely quickly. Unless you enjoy audience watching, there’s not a lot here unfortunately, despite the obvious passion from all involved.

Josh Fidelak

Finding Richard Close

So I Guess We’re Doing This? Theatre Company—The Asper Centre for Theatre & Film (U of W)

Heartbreaking.

If that’s the kind of drama you like, this is must see.

P.S. That concludes my review but I want to add some personal background. I’m at the age where too many relatives are facing/or faced the end of life. This includes my mother, not that many years ago. She was an abuser, a hater, all around terrible person, and a monster. I connected personally with this wonderful show but again, saw a lot of myself here. Even without that link, this is exactly what you want if you like leaving the theatre with your heart being yanked out of your chest. I was in tears twice before the house lights came on.

Ray Yuen

After August

Thinking & Feeling Theatre Company—Tom Hendry Warehouse

Haunted by regret and grief after the death of her brother August in the same crash she survived, we follow Avery as she navigates and tries to understand what her life has become. Written by Eve Ross Moore who also pays Avery, the spectre of August is convincingly realized, Ben Robertson playing the role extremely well in all three of its characterizations. At 70 minutes, After August more than earns it’s length, the relationship between Avery and her partner Elliot (August’s best friend) and their interactions with August needing room to breathe and deepen. The show comes with trigger warnings for a reason, but for anyone able to handle it, this is a fantastic watch.

Josh Fidelak

Neurohilarity Exposed

Neurohilarity—Planetarium

Adam Schwartz has produced another stellar show! I’m a huge fan of his and the way he assembles a varying cast of neurodivergent comedians for our benefit and delight.

I highly recommended this to a lovely woman I’d met at a previous show. After the show she came up to me with a huge smile and asked if she was the only one who laughed from beginning to end. She wasn’t. It was so enjoyable to watch the audience whoop and holler, and express their appreciation and amazement. This was so wonderful, I might just see it again.

Lisa Campbell