Blizzard

Broken Record Productions—Asper Centre for Theatre and Film

I enjoyed this drama about two strangers, Norman and Roxanne, who are forced to come together to wait out a blizzard. Both of them are at a crossroads in their lives and unsure of each other. The characters are well portrayed by Judy Arnason and Bill Moore. The interplay between their mistrust of each other, due to their pasts and the dead body in Roxanne’s trunk, versus their need to survive was really well done. The set and sound effects also help set the mood. The extra cold air conditioning helped as well, though I am pretty sure that was not their doing.

Murray Hunter

Absolute Magic

Keith Brown—Bandwidth Theatre

I was tipped off to see this by a friend who attended the Toronto Fringe. She was so right. I’m not usually a fan of magic shows but I’m so glad I took the heads-up! This engaging young man has his future assured with a level of showmanship far beyond his years . He not only gets my vote for best-dressed Fringe performer (man, does he Rock a suit!) but best magic show I’ve seen in person. His trick with needles, one that landed him in hospital, comes complete with X-rays and video throughout the show. He totally involves the audience in his act. And he shares his beer. He loves the crowd and they love him back. All ages will enjoy. Just don’t try to eat right after his act. My tummy was queasy for quite some time. In a good way, like after a great roller coaster ride. My only comment is I would have preferred more visual acts and fewer card tricks. Amazing!

Lisa Campbell

Seducing Father Brian

At An 8 Productions—The Rachel Browne Theatre

A Catholic priest named Brian meets a burlesque dancer named Kat at a party. At first they are unsure of each other’s true identities, as everyone in attendance is in costume. Kat then begins to attend Father Brian’s masses. They meet for lunch and start spending more and more time together. Inevitably they begin to develop strong feelings for one another. She likes him because he is “good-looking and unavailable” and he likes her because she sees him as Brian, not just Father Brian. Where can this possibly lead?

This was a true scripted drama with generous helpings of comedy. A few moments felt like clichés, like Kat reading from the Song of Songs in Father Brian’s study, but the redemption for this play could be found in the serious exploration of each character’s inner turmoil. Father Brian assures Kat that “love is not a sin” but he also is extremely aware that their burgeoning emotional intimacy could easily lead to one. He is torn between God and her, and this drives the story, as well as the suspense of “Will they or will they not?” Kat also finds Brian irresistible because he is a much better man than others she has dated, but if he gives in to his feelings, will he still be? Ultimately, there is sadness in the denouement, for them and for us, and it is hard to imagine how this could have possibly ended happily.

The set in this production consists of three places where the characters sit – a bench, a couch, and a table – as their relationship develops. Father Brian is dressed in black and wears a priestly collar; Kat is dressed sharply in red and black, sometimes in her burlesque costume and sometimes in slightly more modest attire. Overall, this was an enjoyable play by playwright Dianna Rasing, who also plays Kat.

Konrad Antony

Papa Squat

ManDamsel & FellaLady—Bandwidth Theatre

I always appreciate, after 29 years of Fringing, the chance to see a great, new artist. Paul Strickland from Kentucky is just the fella! His touching love story shows us that true romance can be found not just in Shakespeare or the movies, but in a poverty stricken trailer park. He not only masterfully weaves the tale of down home devotion, but charmingly sings and strums his way through the telling. His musical talent warrants the CD available after the show. I tried to hide the tears streaming down my cheeks as his gut-grabbing tale came to a close. You will remember this for some time. Don’t miss!

Lisa Campbell

Everybody Dies in December

Broken Turtle Productions—Red River College

In this forty-five minute one-woman show, Nancy Kenny of Ottawa plays Claire, a third-generation funeral director. Claire generally presents herself as a straight-as-an-arrow professional woman, conservatively but fashionably attired, but she allows herself the opportunity to express various transgressive thoughts at times. These thoughts include such things as wondering if she should have sex with a corpse or fantasizing about faking her death by using ice packs to make her skin feel cold.

The format of this show consists mostly of a series of monologues delivered to various specific audience members as if they were the bodies of people in Claire’s mortuary. For example, she jokes to someone she knew, now dead and on her table, that although she herself has changed since high school, he has changed even more. I’m glad Nancy didn’t pick me for one of these talks; I think I personally would have found her eye contact, coupled with the material, somewhat unnerving, but it seemed effective from a distance. Sometimes she breaks from this style to have Claire talk on a cell phone to a man named Travis, with whom she is having a somewhat difficult relationship, and this adds some depth to her character.

Nancy performs Claire in a somewhat quiet, understated way. She sometimes stands still, just speaking softly. This fits her character well, but greater projection of her voice would have made this show easier to enjoy. It was especially hard to hear her when she was speaking to an audience member on the opposite side of the room. Unfortunately there were also technical problems with the lights during the particular performance I saw. A Fringe staff member approached me after the show, after having seen me write some notes, and told me that it was too bad that we weren’t able to see the wonderful lighting effects that were intended. Here’s hoping that this problem will be resolved for future performances.

Konrad Antony

Burn Job

Big Sandwich Productions—Bandwidth Theatre

Veteran Fringers know better than to miss a chance to see Fringe God T. J. Dawe.
This man always brings us a new, insightful and painfully honest story from his own, real experiences. He never disappoints. He has mastered the art of holding you rapt as he makes you laugh and cry at his triumphs and misadventures. His boyish good looks and candor draw you in and make you care, as he artfully unfolds this new, coming of age and new insight tale. As always, a masterpiece. Thank you again, T.J.!

Lisa Campbell

5-Step Guide to Being German 2.0

Paco Erhard—John Hirsch Theatre at the MTC Mainstage

This show has started to sell out for very good reasons. Erhard is hilarious as he deconstructs German stereotypes and explores the question “How do I be proud of my country when it has such a bad history?”. His show explores xenophobia, racism, and WW2 all while making you belly laugh. Some of the jokes I didn’t get as they were Eurocentric, but Erhard gets people like be back on track with tons of local and Canadian jokes. Erhard has a very prominent accent and I felt it made his other accents either too tough to understand or too similar for there to be any difference between them. His jokes were fresh and original. A few punchlines caught me off guard which was refreshing. The visual aids for some of his stories had me laughing so hard I almost cried. This show was funny and interesting. I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a few laughs.

Kaitlyn Kriss

BEST PICTURE

RibbitRePublic Theatre—Bandwidth Theatre

It’s a party and the more the merrier! Don’t miss your chance to see these three veteran Fringe artists strut their stuff as they host the high speed Oscars at the Fringe. They cover over 88 years of Oscar-winning films in hilarious style in one hour! Jon Paterson, Tara Travis (my personal all time female favorite), and Kurt Fitzpatrick are well worth seeing as they more than capably and clearly bring to life the actors we all know and love. Jon’s portrayal of Jack from ‘ Titanic’ fighting the ocean waves on his belly, is worth the admission alone. Film buffs will love the oldies and the goodies.

Lisa Campbell

Outside Joke: The Improvised Musical

Outside Joke—Gas Station Arts Centre

Outside Joke’s improv efforts continue to bear fruit in this year’s Fringe entry titled The Improvised Musical, as the entry I saw (of course, with improv, every show is different) dealt with plants and gardening, and how they intersect with a secret government plot that also involved Area 51. The improvised lines involved green houses, planting seeds, glass doors, growing in people’s mouths, slow-growing succulents, and, strangely, a clarinet that sounded like a saxophone. This troupe’s form is crafty and their imagination is impeccable, so get some dirt under your fingernails and check out their show.

Beau Hajavitch

In Search of Cruise Control

Gangland Productions—John Hirsch Theatre at the MTC Mainstage

This is the most difficult review I have had to write this entire Fringe. Fortunately it was not because the show was bad. I really liked this show. Why I say this review is hard to write is due to a huge bomb shell of a plot twist that is dropped on the audience. I will get to that later.

James Gangl’s razor sharp wit was compelling to watch. He is a powerhouse story teller who couldn’t give a flying you know what about what anyone thinks. He is in your face and unapologetic and I couldn’t help but get drawn into his stories. It felt like we were all at a family barbecue hearing the cool young hip brother talk to us about what’s going on after having a few beers. This feeling was sustained throughout the show without becoming sloppy or annoying. While the show is highly polished and runs very cleanly the best moments were when he broke script to engage with the audience. Whether it be a weird sneeze or misplaced reaction, Gangl breaks to immediately address it but seamlessly goes back to his story as if the break had been apart of the show all along.

Now on to the bombshell. With out giving the twist away, this show’s ending was very tough to hear. It becomes a very serious look at how we cope after terrible things that have happened to us. What was most interesting to me was that while dwelling in this darkness Gangl chooses to not let us sit there. He inserts small funny quips to keep the audience completely out of the dark and to keep us from leaving in a very sad state. The actor even allows the audience to reinterpret the show by providing a breakneck speed run through of all major plot points allowing myself to reflect on the information with new eyes.

This play may be triggering for some. The advertising is misleading as the entire show is not fun and games. That being said it is a show and story that needs to be seen. I will be recommending this play and hope others take a chance on an engaging and thought provoking piece of dark comedy.

Kaitlyn Kriss