Onwards!
Big Empty Barn Productions—The Output @ Video Pool
Longtime Fringe performer Bremner Fletcher brings a new show of original songs and monologues. He explores a number of topics including his 25 year history with the Fringe and performing, modern tech culture, happiness, and how to enjoy life. Those familiar with his dulcet baritone voice, may have at one time said that “he could sing the phone book and I would listen”. He puts the idea of that premise to the test in one of the songs, and somehow manages to pull it off. Overall a great performance, with some interesting stories and a couple rants pulled together by some great (and sometimes surprising) songs.
Murray Hunter
How Much Can You Change for Someone You Love?
Randy Ross—Asper Centre for Theatre and Film-U of W
Randy Ross from Boston owns his stage. He’s polished, entertaining to listen to and his play moves along nicely.
But… I don’t feel he did what he promised to do in the program. He didn’t deal with changing for the one you love in any depth and that’s the darn title! With the modern, online dating scene being what it is ( believe me-I know!); there’s a goldmine of hilarity to be plumbed. Like when I was sent two guys at the same time who had actual cartilage horn implants, full face tats and enough piercings to immolate a metal detector. Randy’s comment on online dating “They didn’t message back”. Hardly hilarious.
This play should be laugh out loud funny, deeply moving or both. It was neither. This work needs more meat on the bones and I know he’s capable of it. Reading reviews of his previous plays made me wish I had seen them.
Which just justifies my feeling that he’s so capable of much more.
Lisa Campbell
Sonya Ballantyne Entertainment
How Bono Saved my Life (Three Times)—Club 200
Creative Native Sonya Ballantyne is a long time Fringe reviewer and first time Fringe performer. Her spoken word show looks at three instances when she was going to take her own life and what stopped her each time (spoiler: it usually had to do with U2). Sonya was inspired by Duane Forrest’ Bob Marley How Reggae Changed the World to write this piece as well as seeing a lack of Indigenous Fringe content during her time as a reviewer.
Comedy Illusions of Greg Wood
Fringe Family Fun Show—John Hirsch Mainstage
Warning: this show contains grandchildren, mind reading, floating furniture, impossible escapes, suspicious amounts of root beer, and one magician who is no longer fully in charge. Greg Wood and Oonaugh bring a clean, fast-moving comedy magic show for families who want big laughs without anyone getting embarrassed. Bring kids, parents, grandparents, and that uncle who says, “I know how that’s done.” He doesn’t.
Dangerous Curves
American Vaudeville Company—Shannon’s Irish Pub
Do you have money, friends Who You Think Deserve It and the desire for a higher blood alcohol content than you currently possess? Dangerous Curves presents a golden opportunity to combine all these into an evening of debauchery and torment (hopefully for others). Anyone choosing to donate/bribe the performers gets the right to chose the next victim, subjected to various challenges and insults following the whims of the crowd.
An improv show based around audience participation is always a tall order, and the Kansas City based American Vaudeville Company pull it off with skill and aplomb. You can only do so much with what you’re given, and at 5pm on a Wednesday (a work night-for most people, and too early to drink-for most people) the raunchiness gets harder to encourage. Despite the environment, the talent of the performers clearly showed through. Given the rest of the run happens later in the evening at 6:30 rather than 5, you definitely have great odds for a good crowd and a great performance.
Josh Fidelak
House of Gold: The Musical
Brighter Dark Theatre—MTYP – Mainstage
Brighter Dark Theatre returns to the Fringe with House of Gold: The Musical, adapting their 2024 comedy into a musical production. It’s a natural evolution for a show built on exaggerated personalities, rapid-fire jokes, and gleefully dysfunctional family dynamics. The production retains the original’s outlandish ensemble while giving fans of the previous version something new to enjoy. If the original already flirted with absurdity, adding musical numbers is simply the logical progression.
The songs amplify the show’s already heightened world, and by the end it’s difficult to imagine the story without them.
As is often the case with Fringe musicals, the sound mix struggled to keep the vocals above the accompaniment on opening night, leaving many of the lyrics difficult to make out; an unfortunate drawback in a production where clever writing is one of its greatest strengths. While the score includes several enjoyable numbers, none quite emerge as the kind of unforgettable showstopper that would elevate the production beyond its already solid foundation.
Those who loved the original production will find plenty to enjoy in its musical iteration, while newcomers have another opportunity to discover one of Winnipeg Fringe’s most ridiculous families an octave above what they might have seen in 2024.
Ashley Frantik
Randy and Elizabeth: A Savage Love Story
Macho Manitoban—Planetarium Auditorium
Geoff Hughes brings his hit Fringe show from last year back for a return matchup. Performing as his spectacular alter ego “The Macho Manitoban” he gives an excellent history lesson of when the popularity of wrestling exploded with the rise of the WWF and its WrestleMania pay-per-views. This popularity was due to stars such as Randy “Macho Man” Savage and his true love Miss Elizabeth, whose story provides the basis for the show.
Worked into the wrestling history is his own story of how he became such a fan, his own stories of wrestling fandom, and how that has influenced his life.
His passionate portrayal of the key matches and the behind the scenes of the world of wrestling really grabs the crowd. There are some touching life lessons in here as well, so even if you are not a huge wrestling fan it is a great wild ride to experience.
Murray Hunter
Elon Muskrat
Indigenized Indigenous Theatre—Asper Centre for Theatre and Film-U of W
Wow! I love something different and this new work by Indigenous actor/playwright Josh Languedoc of Edmonton was a fabulous way to kick off this Fringe!
We are greeted by a blustering huckster who claims to be the world’s first Indigenous trillionaire. And does he have a deal for you! Yes, you! I loved and laughed at his imaginative description of the Native themed casino he wants us to invest in.
Interwoven with his sales pitch is the nature based story of Amik, a beaver who believes it is his purpose to enrich the lives of his animal friends with his renowned damming skills. Life is peaceful until Amik encounters a group of strange red eyed creatures. They need him to build for them and make a deal with money. What is this stuff? Why does he suddenly feel mad and sad?
Back to the casino deal. As he sells this dream, we begin to feel this may not be the deal we thought it was; paralleling Amik’s new awareness.
A play that makes you laugh and think, while being thoroughly enjoyable is a rare thing. What is the price of your peace of mind?
I definitely recommend you see this now; as due to a directing commitment, Josh is only here until Sunday. There’s a lot of talent at this comfortable venue, you can be assured of a seat and Impark abuts the building. Stay, relax and make a day of it at Venue 10.
Lisa Campbell
July 15, 2026
Welcome to the start of the 2026 Winnipeg Fringe! We have updated the website over the last couple days to get it ready for action including our Online Fringe Schedule. Also make sure to check out the Fringe’s Program Updates as there are already a number of changes. We have posted a number of new Reviews and SSPs (Shameless Self Promotion) and they are listed below.
What is Going on Here?—You really have to ask? OK, here we go, The Jenny Revue is an independent place for everyone to share their Winnipeg Fringe experience. While the Jenny will mostly be an E-Jenny, we do plan on releasing a number of “Best of the Jenny” print issues that will be available in the Jenny Boxes at MTC in Hospo and under the big Patio Tent in Old Market Square. That means we are not constrained to the limited space of the print version and we will also be able to have the reviews/ssps/letters on the site in a more timely fashion. Once the Fringe is up and running, while we do have an excellent little herd of Jenny Staff that help fill our web pages with reviews, we want to hear from you. You can contact us via email at jennyrevue@gmail.com. Please follow us on Instagram jennyrevue, Facebook and/or our new Bluesky account for updates on when the site is updated and other Fringe news.
Are you performing in a Fringe Show?— Welcome to our lovely festival. Please send us your Shameless Self Promotions (see below for an explanation) to try and convince the Fringe-going public to see your shows.
FAQ—The key parts of the Jenny are the following:
- Reviews—We do a few things differently at the Jenny, one of the biggest differences is we do not use a star or number rating system. Yes that means you actually have to read a review to see what the person reviewing the show thought about it. We have always done it this way, and think that it is a better way to do things. We accept reviews from anyone, with only one condition: You must provide your real name, and some form of contact info (so you can be reached in case we need clarification). Not all the reviews we receive may get published but in general as long as the review was well written it will be published on the website.
- Shameless Self-Promotion—If you are in a Fringe play and haven’t shamelessly promoted your show, put together 80 words (or less)—different from your program blurb—and send them to us. Clearly mark them as SSPs since it’s difficult to tell the difference between an unqualified rave by a satisfied patron, and a bombastic bit of self-promotion by a company scribe.
- Letters—Got an opinion on something at the Fringe? It is always better to get it off your chest. Send us your thoughts with your name and contact info and if it catches our eye we’ll spread the word.
- News—We are always looking for interesting or wacky things that have happened during the Fringe. If you have a tale to tell, let us know.
Last, but certainly not least are the Jenny Awards. This is our end of Festival party that will be held Sunday July 27th at our new venue The Royal Albert Arms (Venue 15, 48 Albert Street). We are currently working out the details, so stay tuned.
See you at the Fringe!
Murray Hunter
Still Your Friend
Serious Comedy—The Rachel Browne Theatre
Winnipeg’s Quinn Greene and Fringe Circuit Veteran Adam Bailey bring the two sides of Fringe, Locals and Touring Artists, together each night in an improv show that can only be described as Serious Comedy…
The best Shameless Self Promotion we can do is tell YOU which Fringe-celebrities will be guest starring in each show:
- Thu. July 16th, 2:30: Jarrett Miller, Isaac Kesler, Patrick Hercamp, & Willow Rosenberg
- Fri. July 17th, 12:30: Christopher D’Arcy Dunn, Alli Perlov, Joanna Rannelli & Jeff Laird
- Sat. July 18th, 9:15: Brad Torres, Tim Hoffman, Brian Gashgarian, C. Neil Parsons & TJ Dawe
- Tue. July 21st, 6:00: Riva Billows, Aaron Merke, Lauren Cochrane & Jon Bennett
- Thu. July 23rd, 4:15: Jeremy Plett, Kenton Dyck, Rod Peter Jr & Willow Rosenberg
- Fri. July 24th 11AM: Scott Cranwill, Cathy Herbert, Matti McLean & Diane Jorge
- Sat. July 25th, 2:30: Bev Fredborg, Alan Mackenzie, Holly Maryan & George McRobb
- Sun. July 26th, 7:45: Dewey Parker, Anjali Sandu, Birdie Burke, Marissa Sauvé & Onika Henry
