MIND GAMES: Brain-Bending Magic

Newman Mentalism—The Cinematheque

Jeff Newman stars in this hour long magician/mentalist show relying heavily on messing with his audiences heads. Overall quite funny, his mentalist tricks were well done, to the audible confusion of many of the audience members. If an audience participation show is your cup of tea, you will definitely enjoy this, but if you’re more of a wallflower you might want to watch out.

Josh Fidelak

Here Together

Autonomous Productions—The Rachel Browne Theatre

Four friends get together to celebrate at a wedding, but not everything is as it seems. There is plenty of other forces at work rebuilding the facades and walls torn down as they unravel why they maybe are no longer friends. This play is a mix of modern dance and a straight drama. Through an inventive use of movement and lights the play frequently swaps from traditional scenes to internal character monologues. I found that none of the scenes went on too long and that the characters were well fleshed out and relatable. I certainly saw myself in all 4 characters by the end of it. I did find the script to be very confusing. Although all the segments were cool there was a lot going on. This made it difficult to understand exactly what was happening. This was not helped by the lack of an ending. Nothing was wrapped up or truly explained. No one knew it was over and myself and many audience member were hesitant to leave in case there was more. There was also a gag in the show of bleeping an external characters name only to have it never be brought up or revealed. Despite its flaws, it is still definitely worth a see especially for the dance segments.

Kaitlyn Kriss

My Frozen Heart: A Comic Tragedy

Crosswalk Productions—One88

What struck me first about this play was the intriguing premise – the idea of a film within a play is a fresh take. The performances are strong and energetic – notably the person who plays the female lead actor. I also liked the interplay between the audio interview and the narrative on stage (would have liked to see more of that, actually.) It is a slow build, and some of the conflict between the characters could have been trimmed – but when the tone begins to shift and drives towards its climax, the effect is palpable. I left feeling, and thinking/questioning, how am I complicit in not calling out sexual harassment, misogyny, and other such ills of the patriarchy? Theatre that leaves me thinking is something powerful indeed.

Craig Terlson

Meatball Séance

John Michael—The Rachel Browne Theatre

This kind of show is what Fringe is all about. Not Bouffon, but certainly in the vein of Red Bastard audience interactivity and connection. While the frenetic antics of the performer feel random, his ability to engage the right participants and manage the whole audience is masterful. Yes, yes, yes!

Audra Lesosky

Underneath the Lintel

Winnipeg Thespian Fellowship Productions—Son of Warehouse

While long, the power of the performer makes the story quite spellbinding, despite a couple of technical glitches in the show I saw.

Audra Lesosky

I Married the King of the Underworld and My Mom Freaked

Acts of Grace—John Hirsch Mainstage

I like mythology interpretations and the title and show description sounded like a funny, modern take – and about one-third of it was very clever indeed. The rest was played straight which was much less compelling. Still, there’s a lot of talent here. Would love to see it tightened up and evened out towards the comedic.

Audra Lesosky

Didn’t Hurt

Tonic Records—School of Contemporary Dancers

The program describes this show as a story about a tough upbringing, but it is so much more than that. Certainly it is about the effects child abuse can have, and the child having to deal with that as their life goes on, but perhaps unintentionally it is also about toxic masculinity, how it spreads, and how children learn. This show very clearly spells out exactly how a parent’s actions can rub off on their child, and how the cycle has the potential to continue well into each generation.

The performer seemed to struggle to tell portions of his story, and while generally it is inadvisable to dive that deeply, he was able to hold himself together. Something that was outrageously brave, and incredible to watch. It could use some focus, as he often segued into a lecture more than storytelling. Both can be good, but as a performance they need to be distinct.

Arden Pruden

Spotlight: The Show With No Actors

Shelby Bond—Tom Hendry Warehouse

Saw this because I was curious about how he did it. Despite my best efforts to avoid the light, I was spotlighted as wardrobe wrangler, which is at least in my wheelhouse. The story unfolds as a sweet romance, highly directed by Shelby Bond’s voice over and instructions via headsets to the two leads, who do have limited opportunities to improvise a few lines. Brave experiment, gently done as the intent is not to embarrass anyone. It was a lot of fun being on stage, but perhaps less fun to be in the audience?

Audra Lesosky

A Man Walks Into A Bar

Theatre by the River—The Cinematheque

I was curious about the use of “waitress” as a sexist term that no longer belongs in regular discourse. It all makes sense in the end.

The show takes a while to get going so the first half dragged for a bit. Once you’re over the hump, you’re on the edge of your seat. The show sold-out early so pre-order if you want to catch this one.

And here’s a PSA from me: if you’re ever in the situation where you think you may be in trouble, call 911—you need the police. Texting your roommate isn’t going to help you if things go south fast.

Be safe everyone.

Ray Yuen

The Open House

Snakeskin Jacket—Tom Hendry Warehouse

Randomly saw The Open House because I couldn’t get into a couple of shows that were on my list. Incredibly well acted piece (though perhaps a bit uneven) with crackling dialogue. I usually avoid shows presenting existing pieces at the Fringe, but I’m glad I accidentally saw this.

Audra Lesosky