red dirt / red storm

Second Star on the Right—WECC- Ventura Hall

This alt-history/near-future speculative drama, reminiscent of Apple TV’s For All Mankind, benefits from strong pacing and a rich atmosphere, aided by evocative lighting and audio clips that lend the piece a textured, immersive tone. Yet however intriguing the vague references to the titular red dirt/red storm, overall the show withholds too much context.

While withholding details can provoke curiosity, here it feels more confusing than compelling. The obscurity of what’s truly at stake for the characters weakens the emotional weight of their climactic revelations.

The story’s alternating timelines between the past and a future of Mars’ human colonization can be tricky to navigate, as the performers do little to differentiate the characters’ present and future selves. Rapid-fire, low-volume dialogue further complicates things, witty or poignant though it may be, much of it is difficult to catch or absorb.

Both actors deliver emotionally resonant performances, and there are moments of genuine connection that hint at a deeper theme about legacy and aspiration, but the show buries its big ideas too deep. The audience is left grasping for meaning in a world we haven’t been fully invited into, and the logistics of what exactly the characters are trying to achieve.

With clearer exposition and more distinct temporal markers, this piece could become the kind of moving, genre-blending sci-fi theatre unique to the festival. As it stands, the piece sparks interest but doesn’t quite deliver on its potential.

Ashley Frantik

Divorce Club

TBA Productions—John Hirsch Mainstage

This poor cast was done a grave disservice by being given the main stage. The cavernous theatre swallowed them up, making them very difficult to hear at times. Apart from that, if you’re a fan of bitter and jaded characters being confronted by their biases and double-standards, and/or if you like the level of off-the-wall twists that Liz Farler is known for by this point, definitely check it out. Just choose your seating very carefully so that you can catch all the dialogue.

Jordan Phillips

MissClaudiaPresents

WIT & WRATH: The Life & Times of Dorothy Parker—Planetarium

Higgeldy, piggeldy, my white hen.

She lays eggs for gentlemen.

You cannot persuade her, with gun or lariat,

To come across for the proletariat.

A woman who can twist a poem in seconds, on the back of a napkin at a dinner party? Witty, incisive, political, charming? That’s Dorothy Parker!

Born in Victorian times, she worked in NYC’s male literary world in 1920s, warned of Facism in 1930s and celebrated for her Short Stories in 1940s. A feminist before the world was coined!

BugJuice: A Beetlejuice Parody

Meraki Theatre—CCFM – Antoine Gaborieau Hall

The write-up says the show is a parody, but I wonder if it creeps closer to a spoof. Either way, it helps you considerably if you know the original movie Beetlejuice. It mostly makes sense even if you know nothing about the movie, but film familiarity gives it a lot more context.

The lead character, BugJuice, nails Michael Keaton’s voice and many of his mannerisms, and the feature ghosts look like they could be younger versions of Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin. As for the other characters? Let’s just say that they didn’t try to imitate the originals.

Why did I say that it feels more like a spoof at the beginning? From the opening number, the song vocals—errrr—I’ll be kind and say that they weren’t great. There were snippets where I could tell the actors CAN sing, but did they choose to sing off to spoof the movie? It wasn’t just one person; most of the singers would leave the Idol judges cringing.

Curiously, they mentioned several times that they only have 45 minutes to run this show.

Warning: the show runs a bit long. After the schlepping of the merch, the clocked ticked in at 53 minutes total running time.

Because of time limitations, they skipped key parts from the movie. Then why not make it a longer show? You ran over anyway!

There were some fun and some giggly moments. A lot of bodies stood to applaud after the run but I suspect there were a lot of friends and family, including a very rude family member beside who shot video with her phone, WITH THE FLASH ON. Just don’t.

Ray Yuen

Living the Dream

A One Human Being, Potentially Comedic Performance of Beauty and the Beast—The Gargoyle Theatre

In this one-person comedic exploration of the Beauty and the Beast (musical and films), local drama teacher (and “cringey try-hard”) Alli Perlov plays every character from Gaston to Lumiere to the Beast…and Belle too, I guess.

This show includes gags, witty commentary & lots of fun audience participation!

In the style of her Les Mis and Nightmare Before Christmas parody, Perlov hustles harder than ever to make you laugh at the tale as old as time.

Houdini: The Man, The Myth, The Legend

Oddly Entertainment—CCFM Salle Pauline-Boutal

This Fringe, Brett Oddly sets aside his edgy leather shock-stunt image for a besuited interpretation of an early 20th century Harry Houdini. The show features a more theatrical framing narrative than Oddly’s usual act, which dives into the mythos of the iconic magician, and presents illusions and escapes inspired by his North American vaudeville circuit that once brought Houdini through Winnipeg more than a century ago. Aiding that atmosphere is a clever use of historical audio including recordings and an old-timey soundtrack that adds period charm and theatrical texture.

This shift in tone is a notable departure for Oddly, and the ambition behind it is admirable. Providing historical context, he attempts to wrap his feats in storytelling rather than present the standard trick-after-trick format so common in festival magic shows.

Unfortunately, that framing device fades over the course of the performance, feeling largely abandoned by the end. Typically a confident and seasoned performer, Oddly seemed somewhat uneasy picking up the baton of Houdini. The pacing lagged in places, and transitions between storytelling and magic tricks didn’t always land cleanly. Whether it was opening night jitters or the daunting task of inhabiting such an iconic figure, the portrayal lacked the conviction of his usual onstage self. Given his extensive experience and accolades, it’s unlikely that nerves alone were the culprit; more likely, it’s the challenge of reconciling his own voice with Houdini’s legacy.

With more confidence in the theatrical structure, and a bolder embrace of integrating the character with his own, Oddly could shape this performance into something that honours Houdini not just through his tricks, but through the charisma and stagecraft that made him a legend.

Ashley Frantik

Cactus Theatre Co.

Cactus—Tom Hendry Warehouse

If you knew you were dying, who would you take on a final adventure? Cactus Theatre Co. brings this premier production of Cactus to Winnipeg Fringe in memory of the playwright, Daniel Gilmour, who passed away unexpectedly within weeks of finishing the script. A dark comedy about a man taken through his memories by the god of death alongside his best friend and her trusty cactus, this show will tug on both your heartstrings and your funny bone.

Inescapable

Concrete Drops Theater—PTE – Colin Jackson Studio

Leaving this show I told someone that it was great, the response to which was “Utterly unsurprising”. If you like the work of Martin Dockery, you know why she said that, and if not, this is a great starting point to learn.

To avoid going too deeply into the story, this is a sparse and fantastic two hander starring Martin and Jonathon Paterson⁣. The dialog recurs upon itself, dense with reference and repetition, and almost meditative patter. The words repeat themselves but the emotions escalate, mannerisms heighten and personal tragedies slowly unfurl.

Josh Fidelak

The Tempestuous: A Shrew’d New Comedy by Will Shakespeare & Penny Ashton

Penash Productions—John Hirsch Mainstage

Take a cauldron, throw in some Shakespeare scripts, a few musical numbers, an episode of the Bachelorette, and a plethora of puns based on Shakespeare, then mix it all together with a witchy spell and you end up with the magical result that is “The Tempestuous”. It has been far too long since Penny Ashton has graced our stages at the Winnipeg Fringe (8 years!). She returns with this brilliant, fun and frenetic one person show that draws on Shakespeare, but is told from the woman’s point of view. She deftly performs over 8 characters and includes some audience participation in a couple scenes to carry the story along. A spectacular romp that had the audience on their feet.

Murray Hunter