Features

Reviews will be updated daily after 2 p.m. until July 24.

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4 stars
AFRICAN FOLKTAKES WITH ERIK DE WAAL
YAP Theatre
Kid’s Fringe: School of Contemporary Dancers

Erik de Waal invites everyone "to enter a magical world where imagination rules" (as I write this, I can hear him pronouncing the words in his distinctively sharp elocution) as he acts out his stories with a motley collection of raggedy plush toys, which add to the notion that he is just playing make believe and everyone is free to join in. Watching de Waal interact with children (and, yes, he does make us all feel like kids) is the real fun: he both invites and listens intently to the contributions of children. The sassy exchange between performer and is amusingly authentic — he might talk back ("How do you know, have you been to Africa?") and once was rendered a silent, jiggling tower of laughter. De Waal's stories are perfect campfire tales (one delivers a positive message about bullying). I'm not suggesting that you and all of your adult friends rush out to see African Folk Tales, but as an unaccompanied adult, I found it more than adequately entertaining.

— Sandee Moore

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5 stars
ALL OR NOTHING
The Rock Still Rolls
Venue 11, Red River College 160 Princess St.

Harry Nelken is God. Or maybe the actor and his playwright Bruce Sarbit can both be God, or gods of Fringe anyway. All or Nothing is the kind of simple yet affecting work that has lasting significance. Set in 1936, it finds Nelken playing (mostly) Miguel de Unamuno, in prison during the Spanish Civil War. The character expounds wonderfully, using some of Unamuno's actual words, on war and freedom and everything in between. Nelken’s ability to crawl inside this person borders on uncanny, and he delivers every line with charisma, grace and plenty of power when required. There is an underlying philosophy here that will rub the more liberal-minded exactly the right way. What makes a person lean left or right politically and once in that position, how xenophobic will we be? "Eliminate the brutes" and the proclamation "There is no author save oneself" are only a couple of nuggets that resonate long after the plays’ conclusion. All or Nothing is a timely, thoughtful and engaging work that should be seen.

–– Jeff Monk

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3.5 stars
ALPHONSE
Theaturtle
Venue 18, The Gas Station Theatre
 
Let your imagination run away with you. Written by Montreal-based playwright Wajdi Mouwad, this one-man show – starring Alon Nashman – is the tale of two trips. One is the journey of Alphonse, a young boy who runs away from home (well, kind of). The other is the adventure of Pierre-Paul René, Alphonse’s imaginary friend, who explores a magical, mystical land full of wizards and popcorn rain. Living in both real and dream worlds, Nashman portrays a plethora of people (and a crying cave) and acts as narrator. Each character introduces themselves by name, a format that is made fun of when one of them says "I’ll introduce myself because we’re introducing ourselves." Despite its cleverness, as well as some excellent staging and use of sound, the play’s whimsical world is a little much for unimaginative adults. Get in touch with your inner child before you see this one.  

— Jared Story

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4.5 stars
ANIMELLE! 1 EURO PER KILO
Compagnia Teatrale Kor
Venue 1, John Hirsch Theatre at MTC Mainstage

If you like compelling Fringe theatre then you must see this edgy production from the wild mind of playwright Rocco Ricciardulli. His play delivers a gut punch of harsh reality from the clammy world of international teenage prostitution. Marco is the prototypical supercharged asshole pimp. Smooth, classless and willing to do anything to get what he wants from his girls — the pill-popping, vodka gargling Italian Nicole and the confused romantic Brit-kid Lynne. Psychological and physical torment is never easy or fun to watch, but this forceful company delivers the coarse subject matter with professional flair, plenty of heat and music that really connects. When a fresh innocent Lilia hits the scene, the doomed trio’s world gets even darker and the company really pushes into top gear in the second half. The content and the 90-minute running time may shake you up a bit, but the excellent cast’s ability to chew scenery makes it worthwhile. Powerful, physical and worth seeing.

–– Jeff Monk

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5 stars
A SHOW OF HANDS
Hot Thespian Action
Venue 9, Shaw Performing Arts Centre

If you’ve ever seen Hot Thespian Action perform before, you’ll know the comedy sketch troupe has quite the cache of sidesplitting skits to pull from. For A Show of Hands, the fivesome draws from the best sketches of the past few years as voted by fans. From singsong numbers about planned parenting and gay best friends to a fantastically choreographed dual over a dinner cheque and robotic F-bomb-dropping single girlfriends out on the town in the fall-down-hilarious Good Time Girls. Their uproarious physical comedy, flawless timing and cleverly written subject matter are utterly bang-on, and the laughs come just as easily as does the craving to see their shows again and again. With a TV pilot project in the works, I suspect the future for these comic whiz kids is about to get a whole lot brighter. No one tops this band of locals at the Fringe.

 — Julijana Capone

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5 Stars
AUTOBAHN
Theatre by the River
Venue 10, Planetarium Theatre

Four terrific actors handle multiple roles in this rock-solid production of a sextet of playlets by Neil LaBute. When two people are sharing the front seat of a car, someone’s got to say something, right? There’s lot of talking (it's LaBute, after all) and also some very awkward silences. And it’s very funny, even when it gets very creepy. A luxury ride, all the way.

— Quentin Mills-Fenn

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3 stars
BACHELOR PAD ROYALE
Reimstein Theatre
Venue 10, Planetarium Auditorium

Bachelor Pad Royale is a warts ’n’ all look at single life that is sure to get a chuckle out of anyone who’s ever lived alone. Kristian Reimer plays Rick, a single guy approaching 30 who sleeps on a futon, has a diet that consists mostly of pizza and who hasn’t been on a date since 1999. We watch as he fearlessly navigates the world of one-night stands, yeast infections (ouch) and unwanted roommates. In Reimer’s capable hands, Rick is a likable everyguy who happens to have good comedic timing — a point which makes up for the fact that the observational humour in this piece is, well, obvious.

— Jen Zoratti

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4 stars
BASH ON REGARDLESS
Winnipeg’s Contemporary Dancers
Venue 24, School of Contemporary Dancers
 
The first clue that this contemporary dance show will be an emotional rollercoaster is its opening image of a lone woman feverishly flailing, as if trapped by intense inner conflict. This theme runs like a thread throughout thois 75-minute theatrical work chronicling the tumultuous relationship of Canadian writer Elizabeth Smart and English poet George Barker. Choreographed by WCD artistic director Brent Lott, Bash on Regardless (Smart’s personal motto) is a sneak peek at a larger production that premieres next spring. Performed by six company dancers, the work also features a liberal dose of Jaik Josephson’s sensitive poetry. Lott wisely strays away from a strict narrative that allows for stronger imagery. Kristin Haight and Mark Medrano’s passionately violent duet,  in which they can’t physically or emotionally break apart, rings with truth. The final scene, in which Sarah Roche, embodying Smart, vows she will "write by my own light" is powerful.

The lengthy production needs whittling and a finer balance struck between spoken text and movement. Still, it already resonates with the complexity and fury of love. 

— Holly Harris

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5 stars
BIG SHOT
Surreal SoReal Theatre
Venue 2, MTC Up the Alley
 
Set in gritty, downtown Vancouver, this gripping one-man play, written and performed by Edmonton’s Jon Lachlan Stewart, is an examination of stereotypes which reminds us that people are multifaceted; whether we perceive them as heroes, villains or victims depends on circumstances. We meet six characters — among them, a movie-obsessed boy with an affect similar to that of Gavin, Bruce McCulloch’s Kids in the Hall character; an old Japanese man who, in a clever commentary on racism, is repeatedly assumed to be Chinese; a lonely woman who chain-smokes in her closet; and a fresh-out-of-rehab, not-quite-recovered heroin addict  — their connections to each other are slowly revealed through a non-linear recount of a deadly encounter on the SkyTrain. Stewart is an absolute beast of an actor (his physicality is particularly impressive) who effortlessly transforms himself from one character to another. One scene is performed entirely in Japanese; thanks to his talent, what’s happening remains crystal clear. Go see this.

— Marlo Campbell

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5 Stars
THE BIG SMOKE
Fringetastic!
Venue 7, The Cinematheque

Jeremy Banks gives a knockout performance in this one-man show written by Ron Fromstein. A young man travels from Wawa, Ont. to Church Street, Toronto and learns that meeting new people and being served eggs and coffee can turn out to be quite complicated in this not-quite-coming-out story. Funny and sad and bittersweet. A standout.

— Quentin Mills-Fenn

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4 stars
THE BIG STUPID IMPROV SHOW
The Probable Cast
Venue 10, Planetarium Auditorium

It can’t be easy to make a roomful of heat-stricken people laugh their asses off at half past noon on a Saturday, but this crew of veteran improvers did just that. The group is made up of a collection of actors from both local crews such as Crumbs and Outside Joke and performers from across Canada such as Vancouverite Bruce Horak from the show This Is Cancer. Despite fears that having so many disparate performers would be a train wreck, the show worked incredibly well. Saturday’s performance had the actors directing scenes from different genres of movie and television. The audience then voted on the funniest sketches, while the less popular ideas were dropped. Aided by local DJ Mama Cutsworth, this show is very much worth the time for anyone even a little interested in improv.

— Mike Sherby

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3 stars
THE BIRDMANN
The Birdmann
Venue 4, Alloway Hall (Manitoba Museum)

Australian comic The Birdmann has created a vaudevillian show that is just as bizarre and bewildering as his birdish rockabilly faux-hawk hairdo. As he muses about nothing over cocktail lounge-driven jazz, Birdmann steers though a mixed-set of ridiculous magic that is not at all magic, haphazard prop-fueled comedy, and gross-out gags, particularly during a vomit-inducing scene where he clears his nostrils out with water, empties the mucous juice into his scuffed boot and happily chugs back the contents. The Birdmann as a performer is one that teeters on thoughtfully-crafted farce and accidental, bird-brained chaos. Or at least that’s the way it appeared. That said, Birdmann does have his moments — his grand dance finale being a big one.

— Julijana Capone

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4 Stars
BLIND TO HAPPINESS
Better to Burn Out/Tim C. Murphy
Venue 17, PTE – Colin Jackson Studio

Blind to Happiness is an inspiring, sometimes dark, sometimes hilarious, examination of what it means to be happy. The play centres on a group of people working in a restaurant. There is Couks, the kooky, offbeat dishwasher, Mike, the depressed PhD student, and Bliss, a line cook and aspiring poet. Throughout the play, Murphy inhabits each of these characters and illuminates a little bit of their lives by showing their struggles and triumphs, all while wrestling with the questions: what does it mean to be happy? And is it a choice we can make? Although each character appears outwardly happy, they all struggle with private depressions and doubts. The play is smart enough not to offer any easy answers or quick fixes, but still manages to close on a positive note.

— Mike Sherby

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5 stars
BRAIN CRAVERS: THE CURSE OF EXTOLLO
Magic Toaster Productions
Venue 8, Rachel Browne Theatre

Brain Cravers has a smart, inventive structure, and it's hard to describe or summarize the play without spoiling the fun. So here is a short list of some of the awesome things you’ll find in Brain Cravers: evil princes, psychotropic berries, zombie vaudevillians, laser swords, face slapping, patricide, homicide, actorcide, automatic assault rifles and Roky Erickson. The acting walks a comic line between cartoonish and convincing, and the plot combines zombie mayhem with a satire of the Winnipeg Fringe Festival itself. The comic timing is pitch-perfect, and the metafictional conceit of a play that is itself a zombie never seems overwrought. Magic Toaster Productions has learned the Shakespearean lessons that brevity is the soul of wit and that everyone should fucking die at the end of a play. The only thing that would make this Brain tastier is if it were bacon-wrapped.

— Jonathan Ball

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3 stars
THE BRAIN FROM PLANET X
Crosswalk Players
Venue 16, PTE Mainstage

"I predict America's future depends on what is yet to come." If only Brain contained more lines like this, lines that perfectly mimic the science-fiction B-movies (such as Plan 9 From Outer Space) that the play parodies in homage. In moments, Brain is clever and fun, but it relies too much on cheap, easy jokes. Brain is primarily a piano-driven musical, whose songs stretch it much too long, and too often attempt to flesh out characters that are only funny in one dimension. The songs elicit sighs rather than laughs and, although the backing band is strong, the singers often go flat. The exception is the excellent Brain Tap number — the show's highlight — and the other songs by the Brain character are silly and strong. The rest could be cut, and the writing tightened, for a lean, funny hour.

— Jonathan Ball

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3.5 stars
BURNING BROTHELS: SEX AND DEATH IN NEVADA
Katherine Glover
Venue 11, Red River College
 
A journalist interested in why so many people freak out at the notion of exchanging sex for money, Minneapolis’ Katherine Glover spent three years researching prostitution for this one-woman show, which focuses primarily on Nevada (the only U.S. state in which the practice is legal) and the history of its brothels. More presentation than dramatic performance — it’s clear from the abundance of details included that she did her homework, but it’s also clear Glover is not a trained actor — the end product, a series of true stories dating back to 1867, is nonetheless engaging and informative. Where Burning Brothels disappoints slightly is in the lack of analysis or personal opinion about the subject matter, save for the overarching message that "prostitutes are people, just like everyone else." Well, duh.

— Marlo Campbell

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5 stars
BURSTING INTO FLAMES
Martin Dockery
Venue 12, Canwest Centre for Theatre and Film
One man’s heaven. In Bursting into Flames, fast-talking New York performer Martin Dockery takes us on a tour of the hereafter. The afterlife account starts off as a happy rant, Dockery absolutely gushing over the next world, a place where everyone likes each other, you can wear white jeans and there’s plenty of wine. But there’s another other world, the nether world, and Dockery describes Hell in such detail that Satan himself would be scared. And when he gets back to depicting God’s country, well paradise starts to resemble purgatory. A masterful monologist, Dockery’s manic, motor mouth style is like a cross between Dane Cook and Charlie from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. He’s funny, very funny. Go to this or burn in hell forever.

— Jared Story

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5 stars
CANNIBAL! THE MUSICAL
M.P.M.M. Productions
Venue 6, Tom Hendry Theatre at the MTC Warehouse

Based on the 1993 film by South Park co-creator Trey Parker, this play introduces you to Alfred Packer, the only convicted cannibal in American history. He’s supposed to guide a group of miners to Breckenridge, Colo. where there’s supposed to be gold, but the men keep finding themselves in unfortunate situations. Soon they’re officially lost in the Rocky Mountains and forced into unthinkable situations to survive. Packer’s the only one that actually gets out and once he’s back in town he’s in deep trouble. The acting is great, but since this is a musical, the songs are definitely the highlight. All of them are hilarious and most of them could be offensive, but that’s just part of the play’s charm. Fringers primarily under 40 packed the theatre full, complete with a standing ovation at the end. It’s safe to say this local theatre group definitely did the story justice.

–– Deborah Remus

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3.5 stars

CAN’T GET STARTED

Fancy Molasses Productions

Venue 2, MTC Up the Alley 

 

In Tom X. Chao’s darkly comedic examination of loneliness, Brent Hirose plays the playwright himself, Tom X. Chao, a 28 year-old awkward, self-hating, romantically-inept gung-ho King Crimson nerd trying to navigate through monumental feelings of social rejection (particularly from girls). Sarah, played by Anne Wyman, is the aversive actress auditioning for a role in Tom’s play, who reluctantly takes on the role of love and relationship expert from whom Tom seeks advice. Amid playing-out Tom’s colourful vignettes, we see Sarah and Tom frequently clash, resulting in laughable moments that take pleasure in Tom’s misery. Hirose is adequate at conveying Tom’s social clumsiness and often annoying traits that make his character difficult to feel sorry for even during his most pitiful moments. Obnoxious character aside, it’s a cleverly written work that will rouse a few chuckles.

 

–– Julijana Capone

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4 stars
CAT LADIES, COUGARS & CRONES (OH MY!)
Selene Paul
Venue 5, Son of Warehouse

If you’re looking for a good dramatic comedy, then make sure you visit the Sandhurst Retirement Home. You’ll come across the shy Nicole, who has no luck with men and spends all of her time working. Her divorced, chain-smoking sister, Lisa, is the exact opposite. As soon as she arrives, Lisa’s checking out Ricardo, a retirement home worker with a "nice ass." Nicole and Lisa have came to see  their witty grandmother, who wishes they’d visit her more often, especially since she raised them for part of their childhoods. The three women catch up in hilarious fashion, letting loose with nothing seemingly kept secret. But what really makes this show special is that it’s performed by just one woman. Selene Paul has all the quirks of these women down perfectly and it’s amusing to watch her change character so quickly and convincingly.

— Deborah Remus

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1.5 Stars
CHASING SHADOWS
Broken Still Productions
Venue 2, MTC Up the Alley

A self-indulgent one-woman show written and starring Megan Andres. Not much happens except elusive memories about bad decisions and dead pets.

— Quentin Mills-Fenn

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2.5 stars
CHIPMUNKS ATE MY BIKE!
Duqamuq Productions
Venue 11, Red River College
 
Bonded by blood — and bicycles. In Chipmunks, B.C. writer/monologist Kevin Kennedy takes us through his 41 days, 3,088 km two-wheel trip with his teenage daughter from Yellowknife to Vancouver. With mountain passes, big rigs, oilmen, wild bison and hungry, hungry chipmunks along the way, there’s no shortage of adventure and adversity. But, while the expedition is enthralling, Kennedy’s attempts at humour are not. This wouldn’t be a major setback, but Kennedy tries to be funny a lot, most of his jokes going straight over the handlebars. Instead of cracks at comedy, his story would be better served by fleshing out ideas, like his notion that everything looks different from a bicycle. Breaking up his cycle chronicle with harmonica is a nice touch, but Kennedy should stick to his strength, storytelling not silliness.

 — Jared Story

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3 Stars
CHOOSING HOME
R-G Productions
Venue 2, MTC Up the Alley

This period piece by Ron Blicq centres on a young schoolgirl who's evacuated from her Channel Island home to the safety of the English countryside during the Second World War. The warmth of her foster family and her more formal birth parents makes for a difficult decision when the war ends. Based on a true story, the production is marred somewhat by a few rough performances and some stiff blocking but the production undeniably packs an emotional wallop in its last moments.

— Quentin Mills-Fenn

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3 stars
CLINIC
F.Y.I. Productions
Venue 4, Alloway Hall

From a clinic waiting room comes the stories of a ragtag group of high school misfits, complete with the problems that face many a youth. But these aren’t your everyday adolescent struggles. Sure, you've got the closeted gay, the stoner jock and the pregnant teen — but then you’ve also got the abandoned type A obsessive compulsive, the prostitute and the suicidal beauty queen. Though heavily reliant on the same clichés that made The Breakfast Club such a fabulous teen romp, CLINIC's characters are perhaps a little too real and raw and their monologues take you in their personal hell-rides. These young actors aren't afraid to delve into uncomfortable subject matter and earn your respect on the way.

— Emily Wessel

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2 stars
THE CORPSE WHO WOULDN’T SHUT UP
Magic of One Productions
Venue 11, Red River College

Three people telling a story onstage with little physical action can be a tough sell as a Fringe show, especially when that Fringe show is said to be 75 minutes long. The Corpse Who Wouldn’t Shut Up is a captivating folk tale about a tricky corpse with plenty of stories to tell, and Kay Stone, Mary Louise Chown and Tom Roche are energetic, engaging storytellers, but the whole thing just felt... long (though not 75 minutes long). I blame the energy-sucking, mind-numbing musical interludes in between stories —  and I’m sure the two guys nodding off in the back row would have agreed. Any momentum built by the players onstage was immediately quashed by these over-long musical bits (which were handled on piano and, curiously, recorder), making The Corpse Who Wouldn’t Shut Up often feel like The Show That Wouldn’t End.

— Jen Zoratti

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3.5 stars
CRIMINAL GENIUS
Kick You To Death Productions
Venue 15, Studio 320

If you don't mind that about 80% of the lines are passionately yelled between the characters, Criminal Genius becomes a cute and effective comedy of errors about clueless mercenaries and a botched mission. The cast does a great job with its characters and respective quirks, delivering what sometimes felt like a lighthearted cross between Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs and the Coen Brothers' Burn After Reading. In no way does this play live up to either of those films, but if you saw it you might understand what I'm talking about, so go see it.

— Nicholas Luchak

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4 stars
CRUMBS: GREATEST HITS
Crumbs
Venue 14, King’s Head Pub

You know Crumbs. They’ll make you laugh, the tall guy and the other one who isn’t quite so tall. This time around they’re promising a Greatest Hits of improv, which would seem to to disrupt the time-space continuum, but they’re just recreating some storylines and characters from their ephemeral back catalogue. With DJ Hunnicutt and his Magical MacBook of sound cues.

— Quentin Mills-Fenn

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3.5 stars
CURRICULUM VITAE
010011001
Venue 10, Planetarium Auditorium

UK import Jimmy Hogg's comedic monologue about the woes of looking for a job starts off very focused, even using Dolly Parton's 9 to 5 as a theme song, but then veers slightly off-course.  Somewhat amusing stories of past co-workers and relationships are interrupted by various digressions, including an amazing rapid-fire rant which encapsulates both the plots of Blade Runner and Short Circuit in mere seconds.

Much like his hyperactive segues, Hogg’s show ends up not really going anywhere, but that's fine, as he's an extremely adept and entertaining performer.  His tendency to improvise — which even manages to make forgetting his lines charming — made his first show go over the allotted hour, but here’s hoping the ad-libbed mime of an STD treatment stays in for the rest of the festival.

— Amanda Stefaniuk

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1.5 stars
CYRANO: A PUPPET SHOW
Castaway in the Attic
Venue 1, John Hirsch Theatre at the MTC Mainstage

If you’d walked by Venue 1 at approximately 5:16 p.m. on Saturday, you just may have heard the sound of my hopes being dashed. Cyrano: A Puppet Show by Edmonton’s Castaway in the Attic Theatre, looked magical in print: a puppet version of French poet Edmond Rostand’s enduring 19th-century stage classic. Alas, alack, the only thing that rescues this show from sheer disaster is the underlying power of Rostand’s story, and the appeal of his magnificent, bulbous-nosed hero. The story, if you aren’t familiar, concerns the romantic and honourable Cyrano deciding that if he cannot win the beautiful Roxanne (not that he’s ever tried, as he’s too afraid of rejection), he will help the youthful Christian, for whom he writes love letters to woo their mutually beloved lady. The stage should have been set for heartbreaking irony and sadness, but these performers utterly fail to breathe life into their lacklustre puppets. Points for ambition, but these guys aren’t ready for the Fringe prime time.

— Kenton Smith

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3.5 Stars
DAPHNA: AN INTRODUCTION
Cinematic/Scars Productions
Venue 3, The Playhouse Studio

A series of fast-paced short vignettes about a young woman who leaves her Winnipeg home and hitchhikes across the US, freelancing as a photographer in the 1990’s. Along the way, she encounters dead and living rock stars, TV actors and ordinary Joes. The encounters are variously sweet and funny and strange but the whole affair seems incomplete.

— Quentin Mills-Fenn

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3 stars
DEATH FARMER
YerStory
Venue 6, Tom Hendry Theatre at the MTC Warehouse

Farming just ain't what it used to be. A hardworking lawyer named Sam goes back to visit his family farm so his elderly mother can sign the papers to sell it. His exchanges with her are painful, heartwarming and funny as they drive through the countryside and see how desolate things have truly become — but the best part of the play is the flashbacks with Sam's tough-as-nails father, who died three years ago. They never really got along and he was upset when Sam got accepted into university. The parts that fall short are his exchanges with his hippie girlfriend who wants to travel the world while he wants to move to the suburbs. It just seems like a little too much for a 60-minute play. Giving more time to Sam’s parents would have made the overall theme stronger.

— Deborah Remus

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5 stars
D N’D THREE POINT FIVE
Red River Serial
Venue 18, Gas Station Theatre

 Not that these guys and girls really need critical endorsement of any kind; they’ve built up enough of a rabid fan base since 2006 to pretty much guarantee a straight run of sell-out shows. Like on Tuesday night, when the buzz throughout the conspicuously large crowd outside the Gas Station Theatre was like what you’d see at one of the year’s hottest live music gigs. And the players didn’t disappoint, providing 75 minutes of pure improvisational brilliance on the theme of Dungeons n’ Dragons roleplay. It’s such an inspired concept for an improv show, with this motley crew of characters brilliantly conceived and brought to life (the show stealers being Toby Hughes’ Scarface version of Inigo Montoya — with his odd compulsion to drunkenly piss off whatever ramparts he can find — and Robyn Slade’s utterly endearing hillbilly bear). And you don’t even need to be familiar with the arcana of D n’D to get into it. If you know someone who’s never been to a Fringe show, this may be the perfect introduction.

— Kenton Smith

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3 stars
THE DONNELLY SIDESHOW
Better to Burn Out/Tim C. Murphy
Venue 17, PTE

This one-man show directed by Jayson McDonald (Giant Invisible Robot) stars Jeff Culbert as Johnny O’Connor, the boy who hid under the bed during the Donnelly murders of 1880. Now he’s all grown up and has set out to set the record straight about one of Canada’s most infamous families. Culbert is an engaging, endearing storyteller and a killer guitar player (his CanRocking songs were the best part of the show), but The Donnelly Sideshow often felt like a Canadian history lecture as delivered by Sam the Snowman from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (Culbert has a serious Burl Ives thing going on). Still, it’s pretty hard to go wrong when you have such fascinating subject matter and catchy original folk tunes to go along with it — and when the lights went up, I found myself wanting to hear more.

— Jen Zoratti

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4 stars
EVERY STORY EVER TOLD
Ryan Gladstone
Venue 14, The King’s Head Pub

Fringe vet Ryan Gladstone attempts the ambitious task of telling every story ever told (from lit, film and TV) in one hour by weaving through his reimaginings of classic tales and editing epics such as War and Peace and The Lord of the Rings into minutes and sitcom sagas into seconds. Gladstone is a fast-paced raconteur and improviser who carries out his elaborate concept with an exhilarating wit that pleads for you to follow along. Sidenote: The show's boozy setting makes for a particularly uninhibited and boisterous crowd, which proves helpful when the audience is called upon to create its own choose-your-own-adventure type yarn. Every Story Ever Told is a grand idea that works unexpectedly well — and while I'm still unsure that Gladstone was able to achieve his goal, it was still fun to watch him try. 

— Julijana Capone

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2.5 stars
EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT SEX *BUT WERE AFRAID TO TEXT
The Magnificent Humble Boys
Venue 5, Son of Warehouse

This show had an interesting, risky premise (audience members text in questions about love and sex, which are then answered by the hosts), charming, likable players (Shelby Bond and Vinny Cardinale, formerly of Sound & Fury) and plenty of laughs. So what’s with the two-and-a-half-star rating? To answer audience members’ questions, the pair relied on well-worn clichés and outmoded stereotypes, making it all feel a little Men are from Mars, Women are From Venus — or Heterosexuality According To Two Straight Dudes. The most egregious example came when a male audience member asked how he could get his girlfriend to slow down. "Ah, he must mean emotionally," the hosts responded, nodding knowingly. Because, you know, ALL women hate sex. Despite all the references to online dating, Facebook creeping and texting, this show felt incredibly dated.

— Jen Zoratti

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5 stars
EXCUSE ME… THIS IS THE TRUTH!
Break The Wall Productions
Venue 24, School of Contemporary Dancers

If there's one show you see at this year's Fringe, make it this one. This "romantic Christian comedy that goes all the way" concerns the nervous, nerdy Levi and his well-meaning but relentlessly overbearing girlfriend Sarah-Rae (played to absolute perfection by Jessie McPhee and Joleen Ballendine, respectively) who are spending the summer together at Christ Camp. Levi finds himself questioning his commitment to Sarah-Rae — and to JC himself — when Maddy (Lianna Makuch), a rebellious preacher's daughter, opens his eyes to a life lived off the book. Excuse Me… This Is The Truth! manages to skewer Fundamentalist Christianity in a way that's uproariously funny without taking cheap shots — and the storyline is smart, sweet and incredibly sincere, easily evoking the crushes, the heartbreak and the self-discovery that can only happen at a sticky, sweaty summer spent at camp. This is an absolute gem.

–– Jen Zoratti

• • •

3 stars
THE FABULOUS MISS ROSIE BITTS
Best Bitts Productions
Venue 6, Tom Hendry Theatre at the MTC Warehouse

It’s not every day you get to see a real live fan dance, à la Sally Rand. But you’ll get your chance with this show as "fantabulously bodacious" Miss Rosie Bitts sheds new light – not to mention her skivvies — in the name of female empowerment and self-expression.  This one-hour show has a desperately thin plot whereby Rosie, a divorced burlesque dancer, is about to lose custody of her son if she can’t pay the bills. The problem is that she doesn’t want to compromise her values – in this case, freedom to express herself naturally in her nightly cabaret act — and be squelched by acute political correctness.

The charismatic performer is a great mover and shaker — literally — and she also sings a mean blues. The show also effectively addresses the legalities of censorship, and differences between mere "stripping" and burlesque (hint, it’s in the tease, not the reveal). However, too much proselytizing felt anti-climatic and awkwardly heavy–handed.  So, does she take it all off or not…? You’ll have to see for yourselves. 

— Holly Harris

• • •

5 stars
FEAR FACTOR: CANINE EDITION
John Grady
Venue 3, The Playhouse Studio
 
New York City’s John Grady keeps things simple with this touching, one-man show about the relationship between a guy and his Burmese Mountain Dog — and it works. Boy, does it work. While Grady manages to mine more than a few laughs from his autobiographical tale (many at his own expense), at its heart, Fear Factor is a moving love letter to Abby, his canine companion for 13 years. It’s also a poignant reflection on Grady’s struggle to come to terms with Abby’s impending death — a universal theme that everyone can relate to, whether they’ve ever owned a pet or not. A warning: bring Kleenex to this show — by the end, even the sound guy was sniffling a little...

— Marlo Campbell

• • •

2 stars
THE FINKLES' THEATER SHOW!
R & R Productions  
Venue 10, Planetarium Auditorium

There's a line in this painfully awkward comedy in which its two characters talk about how to put on a show. "Remain as disconnected from the audience as possible. That is good theatre." Well, if that's the case, then this is one heckuva great piece. Despite Minneapolis-based actors/writers Ryan Lear and Rachel Petrie's hyperactive energy and "super duper 3D spectacular" rapport, their show-within-a-show weighs heavily and mercifully ends 10 minutes earlier than its billed one hour. Geeky husband and wife, Carl and Wanda have just been accepted into a theatre festival where they have to stage their very first show in six months. We follow them as they hold auditions and rehearsals, launch a marketing campaign, and eventually open. Overly long dance numbers, corny monologues and a running gag about cat Tinkles Sprinkles (represented by a picture) make this all a long day's journey into night. Sure, it's family friendly, but the wee ones will thank you for taking them to the Kid's Fringe instead. 

— Holly Harris

• • •

3 stars
THE FISHERMAN AND HIS SOUL
Lady of the Lake
Venue 5, Son of Warehouse

Oscar Wilde’s 1888 short story about the consequences of a fisherman’s decision to give up his soul for the love of a mermaid is faithfully adapted for this 45-minute show. Keeping the rich language of the text, adapter and director Jacqueline Loewen cleverly uses various techniques such as character half-masks and puppetry to help bring this unique fairy tale to life.  In the show's strongest portion, shadow puppets are effectively used to tell the story of the fisherman’s separated soul’s immoral adventures. While it’s certainly commendable to adapt one of Wilde’s more complex stories, the dialogue, at times, seemed rushed and lacking a vital piece of energy to truly make a lasting impact.

— Amanda Stefaniuk

• • •

4 stars
FLATLAND'S EMPTY SOUP CAN
Flatland Comedy
Son Of Warehouse, 140 Rupert ave.

If someone held me at knifepoint in a back alley somewhere and demanded that I immediately define what troupe I would consider to be the Kids In The Hall of Winnipeg, I would tell him that it was Flatland Comedy. I'm not saying it's as good as KITH by any means, but of all the local sketch comedy I've seen in this city I'd say it comes closest. It wasn't all perfect either. Some sketches (homeless documentary) dragged a bit too long, and some recurring sketches seemed to be utilized to fill time. But holy mackerel are these guys funny. Their fast-paced silliness and non-sequiturs had me throwing my skepticism out the window by sketch No. 1. On a completely unrelated note, everyone should pay a visit to Jonny's Sticky Buns, 941 Portage Ave.

— Nicholas Luchak

• • •

4.5 Stars
FOR TEA AND COUNTRY
Naughty Sailboat
Venue 6, Tom Hendry Theatre at the MTC Warehouse

Land of Hope and Glory will ring in your ears in this fine and funny farce about how far optimism, British pluck, and a stiff upper lip can get you. Sir Captain Jason Bigby is a war hero completely oblivious to his own inadequacies, situation, and the existence to anyone else. A madcap romp with some clever prop work and all round silliness. Jolly good show, eh, wot?

— Quentin Mills-Fenn

• • •

3.5 stars
FRENZY SAVES YOUR BRAIN
Frenzy Productions
Venue 10, The Planetarium

The jokes come fast and furious in this surreally funny sketch show from the Toronto-based group Frenzy. Operating under the premise that scientists are melding the audience members' minds into one and using their collective thoughts to create the show, Frenzy offers up a unique blend of both intellectual and physical comedy that offers something for everyone. From creepy mannequins to dueling DJs, the best thing about the production is if you think a sketch is too strange for your taste, something less bizarre will take its place in just a few moments. The group took a chance with their unique structure, and for the most part, it works well.

–– Amanda Stefaniuk

• • •

4 stars
FRESH
Nova Dance Collective
Venue 8, Rachel Browne Theatre

There’s a new dance troupe in town that speaks with a uniquely fresh voice. Nova Dance Collective’s inaugural show is a wonderfully promising start for this company of seven: Zorya Baskier-Pasternak, Rachelle Bourget, Alexandra Garrido, Janelle Hacault, Sarah Helmer, Alexandra Scarola and Kelsey Todd. The fact that these youthful artists are still students at The School of Contemporary Dancers bodes well for Winnipeg’s lively dance community.  

This one-hour show choreographed by collective members presents eight solos and smaller ensembles steeped in naturalistic beauty. Four short video interludes directed by Erin Buelow are jaw droppingly gorgeous, with grainy footage of the dancers cast against lush greenery. The eclectic choice of music ranges from drumming to plainsong chant.

The program is slightly homogeneous with only the grand finale — a kooky rubber boot and thigh-slapping number akin to a hoedown choreographed by the gifted Hacault  – distinct from the other, freer style works. But that’s a small critique about a contemporary show teeming with texture and grace.  

— Holly Harris

• • •

4.5 stars
FULL SCREEN AHEAD: THE SKETCH SHOW SHOW
Gray Area of Comedy
Venue 3, The Playhouse Studio

The "idiot box" is a common escape from reality for many a bored viewer, like the idiot Tim Gray — the man behind Full Screen Ahead: The Sketch Show Show. As the lights go down on Gray alternating between consciousness and sleep in front of the TV, we are taken inside the absurd dreamland inspired by late-night infomercials. As he's dozing in the background, we meet an evangelical reverend scam-artist, an insurance salesman with a blanket "metaphor" for death, and a dude looking for platonic male companionship. The sketches build in awkwardness and outrageousness as they go on, culminating in the finale of an utterly, ridiculously and hilariously inept voiceover actor. Tightly written and performed with immaculate comedic timing, Full Screen Ahead: The Sketch Show Show is perfect for those looking for something silly, fun, and really, really funny.

— Emily Wessel

• • •

3.5 stars
GIANT INVISIBLE ROBOT
Stars and Hearts
Venue 4, Alloway Hall (Manitoba Museum)

It’s hard to argue with success. The engaging Jayson McDonald, back after last year’s lacklustre Celebrity Cult, has dusted off a more reliably popular show in Giant Invisible Robot, and is being duly rewarded with sell-out crowds. The one-man show tells the funny/sad story of a troubled soul and his possibly imaginary giant mechanical friend through a succession of characters; the funniest of these is a Canadian flag-wearing superhero, who proves a poor choice for lecturing kids to stay in school. McDonald is unquestionably a nimble, assured performer; he makes the words and action simply dance, and is in complete control of the rhythm. And a revelatory scene near the end provides a powerful and unexpected jolt. All very good, but the show is just that — it’s hard to quite see why this one is packin’ ‘em in. 

— Kenton Smith

• • •

2.5 stars
THE GREAT AMERICAN TRAILER  PARK MUSICAL
Look Left Productions
Venue 1, John Hirsch Theatre, MTC Mainstage

The crowd loved the broad humour and songs in this musical about life in a trailer park this side of the tracks in Northern Florida. (Is there a point to Northern Florida?) Some of the singing was a little pitchy, (‘dawg’ as Randy Jackson would say) and the score seemed like a combination of Meat Loaf and Taylor Swift — not that that’s a bad thing — but the laughs are easy to find. Plus there’s some fine costumes (at one point, Jackie Kurceba seems to be channeling Lola Hetherington), and I’ve never seen so quite so many leggings on stage.

— Quentin Mills-Fenn

• • •

4 stars
GRIM & FISCHER: A DEATHLY COMEDY IN FULL-FACE MASK
Venue 1, John Hirsch Theatre at the MTC Mainstage
Wonderheads

There’s a lot performers donning full-face masks had better be capable of if they’re going to engage an audience. The masks themselves need to have adequate expressiveness, and the people underneath still need to project clear through their veils. Fortunately, Portland, Ore.-based Kate Braidwood and Andrew Phoenix are up to the task — and they use their chops to tell an alternately funny, poignant, scary and charming tale. The grey-faced Grim (Death by any other name) comes a-callin’ for sweet little ol’ lady Fischer. Grim has already ushered along her former love, but the slight-yet-feisty Fischer isn’t going without a fight. And so ensues a battle of Inevitability and Not Yet. To start with those masks: they’re beautifully designed, with sculpting both skilled and artful that prevents the faces from seeming static, while simultaneously conveying something essential to these characters’ personalities. And Braidwood and Phoenix just tell a tale of truly primal subject matter — the fear of death. But they succeed in making it sweet and, occasionally, uproariously entertaining.

— Kenton Smith

• • •

3 Stars
HAMLET
Bananafish Theatre
Venue 1, John Hirsch Theatre at the MTC Mainstage

Why not a musical version of that Danish prince and his crazy family? Some of the singing and readings are a little patchy and the songs are kind of unsubtle. Still, the young cast throw themselves into the production with enthusiasm and there are some good performances, especially Garnet Thomas who tackles the most famous role in English theatre and delivers.

— Quentin Mills-Fenn

• • •

4 stars
HAPPY SLAP
Rob Gee
Venue 10, Planetarium Auditorium

There seems to be a trend this year, with several annual Fringe favourites all hitting conspicuously high notes: Jem Rolls is killing, and storyteller Erik de Waal’s telling the best story I’ve yet seen him tell. Add to the list Rob Gee, a Best of Fester and, like Rolls, British performance poet extraordinaire. He’s got plenty of killer bits and pieces this year, such as the fantastical, Utopian thought experiment The Day the World Stopped Turning. His asides offered unexpected revelations, such as that the Saskatoon Fringe is basically a week long piss-up for travelling performers, but he also more openly addresses a theme that’s been run through his past work all along: lighten up, you sods, life is too bloody short to worry about being "appropriate." Of course, perhaps this critic just personally identified a little more strongly than most; after all, I assumed from the title that Gee’s new show would be about wanking, which shows you how my mind works. 

–– Kenton Smith

• • •

3 Stars
HEARTBEETS
Anomia Productions
Venue 3, The Playhouse Studio

A message play about genetically modified crops and big pharma, written and performed by Sara Massey. The message, though worthwhile, is unsubtle, but Massey does a fine job portraying three different characters in a piece that works best as a showcase for her considerable acting chops.

— Quentin Mills-Fenn

• • •

4 stars
HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH
Breathe Feel Love
Venue 13, Pyramid Cabaret

Winnipeg, you’re weird sometimes. First of all, there really should have been more of you out at the Pyramid Cabaret on Tuesday night for this, a terrifically entertaining cabaret and bizarre (fictional) biography, based on the original off-Broadway production and 2001 film adaptation. The crowd was large enough to fill many smaller venues, but there's no good reason why the place shouldn't have been packed. Maybe it was the heat that kept you away, like a weird inverse (or something) of winter. On that note, perhaps the heat sucked the life from the audience that did attend; they were lethargic and unresponsive, and robbed the performance of the full energy it could easily have possessed. Good things the cast soldiered on regardless, serving up what was quite possibly the perfect Fringe show: weird, wild and full of memorable spectacle. It might have benefitted from a wee trimming, but let’s not quibble too much.

–– Kenton Smith

• • •

3.5 stars
HEY ABBOTT! ANOTHER CLASSIC COMEDY TRIBUTE SHOW
Chase and Hamill
Venue 1, John Hirsch Theatre at the MTC Mainstage

The respect for one of entertainment’s most beloved comedy teams — Bud Abbott and Lou Costello — shines through in John Chase and Kevin Hamill’s impersonation of the duo. Following the format of a 1940s radio show, a number of the pair’s vaudeville routines are performed with an underlying circus theme. While some of the sketches don’t fare as well as others, the genuine classics such as the Susquehanna Hat Company go over like gangbusters. With so much material in the A & C repertoire, Chase and Hamill can perform at the Fringe for years of come, but it might also be interesting to adapt one of their movies, such as Hold That Ghost, for stage. That way, there wouldn't be any lulls in between set ups.

— Amanda Stefaniuk

• • •

3 stars
HIP.BANG! IMPROV
Hip.Bang!
Venue 5, Son of Warehouse
 
Vancouver’s Devin Mackenzie and Tom Hill are funny guys with good chemistry — but is this show improv? In terms of "making shit up on the spot," yes; the sketches they offered felt loose and unrehearsed (although that’s not necessarily a good thing; I found their delivery more confused than deliberately unstructured). In terms of "incorporating audience suggestions into the act," no; we were only invited to shout out ideas once, at the very beginning of the show, and the ones that ended up being chosen were tacked onto scenes as a complete afterthought. Apparently, this was Hip.Bang!’s very first Fringe show — one that’s launching a tour that will include Toronto and New York. Note to Devin and Tom: better brush up on your skills before hitting the big cities or you’re gonna get eaten alive.
 
— Marlo Campbell

• • •

4.5 stars
HOUDINI’S LAST ESCAPE
Monster Theatre
Venue 10, Planetarium Auditorium

Vancouver’s Monster Theatre pulls a rabbit out of a hat with this wildly theatrical show, replete with magical tricks and sleights of hand. The semi-biographical comedy/drama by Ryan Gladstone chronicles Hungarian-born Ehrich Weiss’ transformation from dutiful rabbi’s son into the greatest escape artist of all time, Harry Houdini. A tuxedo-clad Christopher Bange in the title role performs astounding escapes and spooky séances while fearing a gypsy prophecy about his ultimate fate. His loving wife and sidekick, Bess, played by Tara Travis with seemingly a thousand facial expressions and as many accents, holds her own as she morphs into the story’s host of ancillary characters. Their act gears towards the show’s grand finale, The Metamorphosis, with its onstage, coffin-like crate creating suspense and ominous danger. The show might be all about magic, but it’s no illusion this one’s going to sell out.

— Holly Harris

• • •

2.5 stars
HOW NOT TO KILL THE KING
Nametag
Venue 7, Cinematheque

This solo piece by the Vancouverite Anna Lewis is the kind of short play that one would describe as "typical Fringe," if there is such a creative animal. Ms. Lewis plays Francis Beaumont, a playwright, who along with her partner John Fletcher have been overheard discussing their fantastic new play. Sounds simple. But the snippet of conversation that was overhead lands Fletcher, who we never see, in the Tower of London charged with treason. For the full length of the play Lewis speaks in period language and costume (save the red Chuck Taylor hi-top running shoes) and makes a case for brilliance not least for remembering all the intricate dialogue. It’s a long haul to be sure but she moves back and forth across the stage with agility as she plays out the play within the play admirably. In the end, we get it, and she deserves great applause for what must be a tiring exercise. It doesn’t connect as much as it could, but she is truly fun to watch.

–– Jeff Monk

• • •

4 stars
THE HYSTERIC
Found In New York Productions.
Venue 1, John Hirsch Theatre at the MTC Mainstage

New Yorkers Jonathan Kaplan and Carol Lee Sirugo's darkly comic mash up of A Doll House and Alfred Hitchcock’s Suspicion is just as innovative as it sounds. Throughout the hour, the pair skillfully portrays 15 different characters including a devious husband plotting to drive his rich young wife insane, and the twisted, pun happy servants. Credit must also go to the imaginative sound design by director Brian Foley; the eerie screams, moans and clock chimes almost become a character in themselves. The age of Victorian women not having a voice may be long gone, but the message of the show still rings true, even if its closing song I’m Every Woman is a bit too on the nose.

–– Amanda Stefaniuk

• • •

2.5 Stars
ILLUMINATI II:THE SECOND ONE
Kiss the Giraffe Productions
Venue 16, PTE – Mainstage

No joke is left unjoked in this musical comedy by Joseph Aragon. There's some nonsensical plot about taking over the world but overall the whole business is just messy. The happenings aren't helped by some distracting staging and lighting choices. Standouts in a large ensemble include Kami Desilets, who gives a fine athletic performance as Echelon the Android, and Adam Sperry as a likeable dolphin with a surprisingly good singing voice.

— Quentin Mills-Fenn

• • •

3.5 stars
IL DUO: BECAUSE THE WORLD NEEDS MORE TENORS
Il Duo Productions
Venue 19, Augustine United Church

What do you get when you cross Il Divo with the Smothers Brothers? Il Duo!
It’s hard not to like this zany musical show, written and performed by Edmonton-based tenors Ron Long and Clint Hagel with live piano accompaniment by Gail Olmstead.

These guys sing like angels as they warble through an eclectic, vaudevillian-style program of light classics and Broadway tunes. But they also had the audience in stitches with Hagel playing goofy sidekick to the more earnest Long. Cats will never quite sound the same again.   

There are plenty of audience participation numbers including a lengthy re-visioning of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado. However the gag quickly wore thin after the first five minutes, breaking the flow of the otherwise well paced, decidedly no-frills production.

One of the best moments came near the end with the pair’s straight-as-an arrow delivery of You Raise Me Up arranged with Danny Boy. Their heart-tugging finale paid homage not just to real-life vocal act Il Divo, but singers everywhere who touch lives with song.  

— Holly Harris

• • •

3 stars
I LOVE YOU BECAUSE
It's Who You Know Productions
Venue 17: PTE Colin Jackson Studio

Performed with competence by a uniformly cute and pubescent cast, I Love You Because is a lot like seeing an episode of Sex In the City enacted by the kids from Glee — squeaky clean, despite a mention of "penis pumps" in the opening number. Oh, speaking of Glee, I recently saw an episode, and I'm pretty sure it's a parody; I'm pretty sure I Love You Because is not, although the flute and chime-laden score had me hoping it was so. Despite saying "ew" and "barf" one or two times, I found myself drawn into this world of bad dating advice on calculating one's rebound period (mine is 11.875 months) and the need to hook up with Mr. Wrong. If you are already in a relationship, then this is a feel good musical for you: you can feel good that you are not a single woman in New York City where ending up with these two losers constitutes a happy ending for our heroines.

— Sandee Moore

• • •

3 stars
INTERRUPTIONS
Archetype Productions
Venue 3, The Playhouse Studio

While not a perfect play, Interruptions tells a story that will make you think and see the world differently. The one-woman show put on by Edmonton's Wendy Froberg is about seven different people all dealing with the death of an unborn child. It focuses on their reactions to this loss, as well as how the people around them react. The characters, from a young first-time mother to a teenage boy who got his girlfriend pregnant, are all well fleshed out, with Froberg giving each of them a distinct personality. The problem is, with seven different characters, and three acts for each of them, everything starts to feel repetitive and overly long. But in showing the different ways that people cope with a loss that often isn't talked about in society, Froberg shines a light on a sadly overlooked topic.

— Mike Sherby

• • •

2.5 stars
IT'S YES
Drek Daa
Venue 4, Alloway Hall

What Drek Daa spends most of his time doing during this one-man show is generalizing the human condition in a series of total bummer concepts. To actualize this, he broke his show up into the following: a narrative about a fisherman and a golden fish (an analogy for the 2008 financial crisis); a weird mad scientist/fish guy with the bleakest/creepiest monologues I've ever witnessed; and a section in which he would break both his character and the fourth wall to sell us on his production and perform his depressing woe-is-the-world ballads. I guess the idea was to water the audience with social anxieties so that the show's closing song It's Yes would come across as some sort of epiphany, but by that point I was drowning in negative energy. It didn't help that he brought out a child to join him in song in an attempt tug at our heartstrings, either. For a show this conceptually goofy, it took itself a tad too seriously.

— Nicholas Luchak

• • •

4.5 stars
JEM ROLLS IS PISSED OFF
Ashek Theatre
Venue 14, King’s Head Pub

Artists can get a lot of mileage out of pissed-offedness. That’s what British performance poet and perennial Fringe favourite Jem Rolls realized at the end of last year's tour, when people told him he was at his best when pissed (off). Hence, the starting point of this new show, which may prove Rolls’s friends, family and acquaintances right: this outdoes even last year’s display of performance mastery. It’s not quite as simple as ranting angrily (if artfully), however; Rolls begins by sharing just how hard it was to get back to being pissed off after getting engaged in the fall. But he got there, eventually, the world still having so much to be pissed off about. Yet he’s not without some sage advice for how to navigate the pissery, and it's precisely that extra reach towards wisdom and reflection that puts this year’s display by Mr. Rolls that much further over the top. If you haven’t yet seen what all the annual Rolls Love is all about, find out this Fringe.

–– Kenton Smith

• • •

3.5 stars
JUNE’S WINDOW
Theatre Anywhere
Venue 2, MTC Up The Alley

Mothers and daughters have complicated yet loving relationships, a fact that is brought to life in this play. Parts of the performance focus on June, a young girl who’s always playing with her beloved stuffed monkey. But the real story features her as a moody, grown woman living in her own apartment. During one of their frequent phone calls, June tells her mother about the naked man she can see from her bedroom window. At first her mom is amused — she even sneaks into her apartment with popcorn hoping to get a good view herself. But when she starts snooping and realizes there’s something fishy about this man, mom gets worried and tries to solve June’s problem for her. Both actresses deliver strong performances overall. And while some of this dark comedy is exaggerated, a lot of it’s funny simply because it’s true.

— Deborah Remus

• • •

4 stars
KILLING NELLIE
theMOXYcollective
Venue 9, Shaw Performing Arts Centre (MTYP)

If a battlin', folk-punk husband/wife duo having its marital disagreements unfold before you via music and lunacy is your cup of vinegar, then check out Oda Aunan and Mark Storen's Killing Nellie. Played out as a faux mini-concert, the pair plays Rupert and Embla, he the guitar playing, henpecked husband and she the diabolical co-vocalist that mostly sings in what sounds like discombobulated Norwegian. They really don’t get along but are able to somewhat mask their differences in this cracking 60 minuter, that is until all hell breaks loose and the two end up in full-on fisticuffs and a little voodoo. The songs are great and hearing the duo work through truly memorable numbers such as Oh Shit, Swim Goldfish Swim, the cheating saga Mr. McGee and I Tried To Kill Nellie To Get Some Peace are worth the price of admission alone. Aunan’s facial expressions and body language and Storen’s slowly burning fuse makes this a laugh-a-minute winner.

–– Jeff Monk

• • •

2.5 stars
THE LAST GIG OF LENNY BREAU
Colin Godbout
Venue 2, MTC Up the Alley
 
Born in 1941 in Maine but later a Winnipegger and star of his family’s radio show, Lenny Breau was a drug-addicted but talented guitarist known for his unique finger-picking technique and his fusion of jazz with country, classical, Flamenco and Indian styles; his mentor, country legend Chet Atkins, called him "the greatest guitarist in the world." Breau eventually got clean, only to be strangled to death in 1984, though his murder has never been solved. Unfortunately, save for the info included in the somewhat-rambling program, we learn almost nothing about Breau, the man, from Vancouver-based professional guitarist Colin Godbout, who instead uses his time to pay musical homage to his hero with a set of songs that, while technically impressive, make this one-man show feel more like a concert than a piece of theatre. If you like Breau’s work, you’ll appreciate Godbout’s significant guitar skills. If you’re expecting narrative or exposition, you’ll leave disappointed.

— Marlo Campbell

• • •

2 stars
THE LAST GODDAMNED PERFORMANCE PIECE
Lonely Egg
Venue 3, The Playhouse Studio

When this two-person show concentrates on lampooning avant-garde theatre and its close cousin, "performance art," it's a corker. However, "it’s a play," declares one of the players, and so playwright Jayson McDonald — the man behind the hit Giant Invisible Robot — undercuts his own best material to present us instead with the story of a performance art group breaking up. Well, more specifically, it’s about young lovers breaking up. Problem is, the romantic and life woes of these particular young lovers just aren’t that interesting. And as the show veered further and further away from more hilarious material — such as a re-enacted "birth" onstage — I restlessly began waiting for this goddamned performance piece to end. Mercifully, it did — 10 minutes ahead of schedule. McDonald may have needed a line upon which to hang the satire, but it’s too bad he didn’t find a better one.

— Kenton Smith

• • •

2.5 stars
THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE
flatlands theatre company
Venue 4, Alloway Hall

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is a classic children's story with a rather complicated plot. As Peter and Lucy warn us at the beginning of this rendition of the story, retold and acted out by the two of them, there is a lion, a witch, and a wardrobe, and also a magical land, mystical creatures and a great battle. While the characters were charmingly played and the format was quite clever (they delineated their acting from narrating with a "magic circle" device, an invisible border inside which they acted) the actors’ full potential was restricted by the one-hour run time. The play was as much exposition as it was action, and the long setup and introduction flatlined the arc of the story and threw off its timing.

— Emily Wessel

• • •
 
3 stars
LIZARDBOY
Whimsical Productions and Winged Centaurus
Venue 8, The Rachel Browne Theatre
 
To give credit where it’s due, this show had the best opening scene of all the plays I saw at this year’s Fringe. Written, acted and co-directed by Toronto-based Víctor Gómez — who turns in a solid, physical performance and makes great use of a variety of props — Lizardboy follows the misadventures of Hector Fernandez, a young boy living with his dysfunctional family in a violent, Colombian barrio who takes sanctuary from his dad’s beatings and his peers’ bullying in the attic of his apartment. Gómez successfully embodies the childish innocence needed for such a role but overall, the show felt more like a series of vignettes than a cohesive whole. As a result, any broader statement about the cycle of violence that plays out in so many families was lost in the mix.
 
— Marlo Campbell

• • •

4.5 stars
LUCKY 9
Big Sandwich Productions
Venue 12, Canwest Centre for Theatre and Film
 
What type are you? In Lucky 9, Vancouver-based Fringe veteran TJ Dawe takes us through the Enneagram, a nine-sided model of human personality, as well as the books of Dr. Gabor Mate and HBO’s The Wire. At first, Dawe’s monologue feels like a simple regurgitation of other people’s ideas, but with the injection of humour, private life anecdotes and a very natural delivery, those ideas go a long way in explaining his personal situation and possibly yours too. Seriously, his self-analyzing style resulted in audible audience self-realization, especially when he went through the different behaviour types found in the Enneagram. Like a great cover song, Dawe’s funny, thoughtful and unique look into other people’s work will have you checking out the originals.

 — Jared Story

• • •

5 stars
MARY ROSE
Snakeskin Jacket Productions
Venue 6, MTC Warehouse

Combining James M. Barrie’s 1920 play with elements of Jay Presson Allen’s 1964 draft for an unproduced Alfred Hitchcock film makes this play a must-see for movie buffs. Director George Toles also uses frequent Hitch collaborator Bernard Herrmann’s hauntingly lovely score from The Ghost and Mrs. Muir to accent this tale of a family torn apart by the disappearance of their only daughter on a mysterious island in the Outer Hebrides. The entire cast, led by Jane Walker as the childlike Mary Rose, is admirable, and Tobias Hughes is able to lend some comic relief as a Scottish local who becomes ensnared in the mystery. It’s a subtle ghost story without the scares, and asks the sad question: what would you do with the dead if they were to come back?     

— Amanda Stefaniuk

• • •

3.5 stars
MASTER ORLOFF & MADAME CLODILLE’S PENNY ARCADE FREAKSHOW BEAUTIFIQUE OR THE ILLUSIONARY BOX
Theatre Incarnate
Venue 15, Studio 320

This, a tale of the grotesque told using the distinctive magic of physical theatre, feels like it should have been some sort of masterpiece. It’s not, quite; the physicality itself could have used some clarifying in spots, and the stakes of the drama don’t really resonate as they should (at least until the latter half). But horseshoes and hand grenades, does this story of a sideshow ringmaster’s obsession-repulsion with his prize freak come close to being sheer Fringe magic. As is, it allows us enough glimpses of the genuine stuff to make it an experience worth seeking out. And as with all Theatre Incarnate productions, the design by director Brenda McLean — who also plays the four-legged Clodille — is outstanding. It’s not even just the sets, but also how they and the costumes, staging, lighting, sound design and sublime musical accompaniment work in concert to create the end effect. Even with its blemishes, this is often skilled, even sublime theatre.

— Kenton Smith

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4.5 Stars
MATADOR
Bolero Dance Theatre
Venue 1, John Hirsch Theatre at the MTC Mainstage

A flamenco version of the vintage Ibanez potboiler Blood and Sand, filmed by Valentino all those years ago. A tragic love story told entirely through dance, live music, and some spectacular costumes. With guest artist Etienne Hernandez as a dancing bull!

— Quentin Mills-Fenn

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1 star
MONKEY PUPPET
Monkey Centurion Productions
Venue 4, Alloway Hall

Monkey puppet is the first play that Winnipegger Gio Navarro has written, produced and directed. This may help to explain why the show is so half-baked. This production seems to purposely go out of its way to ruin any chance the audience has of liking it. The story, about a man being followed by a monkey puppet, is told by an omnipotent narrator who keeps interrupting the play to make smug comments and remind us what a douche the protagonist is. The only good thing to say about the play is that its much shorter than the advertised 75-minute running time. Monkey Puppet leaves several strands of its thin plot dangling, but judging by the audience reaction, most of them were just happy to get out of there early.

— Mike Sherby

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 2 or 4 stars
MONOPOLY MAN PIT
Project Pit
Venue 5, Son of Warehouse

A non-stop onslaught of full-frontal male nudity, crazed despair, obscenity spitting, taboo breaking, sweat, chocolate, ketchup and urine from physical theatre performer Ian Mozdzen. Naked for the first half of the production, Mozdzen has his penis + a rubber chicken + 2 walking sticks hanging out of his pants for the rest; unwilling audience participants are recruited for a dirty puns, business deals and cock fighting; most cringe-inducing of all, Mozdzen takes a whizz into a large pot then takes a swig (repeatedly), joking "this piss tastes like piss." Believe me, the shock value does not diminish.

If you saw Mozdzen’s riveting performance as a lunatic Tom Cruise in Out of Line Theatre’s Time 2 B FameUs earlier this year, you’ll have a sense of what you’re in for. This time he’s a down-and-out version of the Monopoly Man, who’s lost his monocle and his mind – a stuttering, deluded, angry, cock-fighting addict. If you like cocks (not the chicken type) give this four stars, otherwise two.

— Sandee Moore

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3 Stars
MR. CRUMPLE’S PUPPET PAD
Wishweweres
Venue 2, MTC up the Alley

Stephen McIntyre has fun as a down-on-his luck kids show host attempting a comeback but things don't go smoothly when a teen star drops by the set. The proceedings are a little shambolic, but funny things are in store along with what might be the best puppets of the whole Fringe. Plus a bonus cartoon!

— Quentin Mills-Fenn

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4 stars
MY BROTHER SANG LIKE ROY ORBISON
Randy Rutherford Presents
Venue 12, Canwest Centre for Theatre and Film (U of W)

Yes, Randy Rutherford of San Francisco is back again — still as easygoing a storyteller as you'll ever encounter, still weaving classic oldies into his tales, still insisting on 90-minute running times. I found that last part a bit demanding the first time, but he’s so grown on me since, this time it almost felt like slipping into a reverie. This may also be the finest tale I’ve yet seen Rutherford tell: about meeting his older, very cool stepbrother in the mid-'60s, and how growing older can mean growing apart from people you loved. Given the present divisiveness of our own political culture, the bits concerning the Vietnam War and its bitter effects resonated particularly. It's amazing to watch Rutherford go off on a 10-minute tangent of how he was found lying naked in front of a refrigerator with a jar of peanut butter, and hold the audience so gently yet firmly in his grip throughout. Like fellow Fringe perennial Erik de Waal, Rutherford is a one-man storytelling master class.

— Kenton Smith

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3 stars
MYTHIC
No Snowcones Productions
Venue 7, The Cinematheque

Featuring two actors playing upwards of 12 different characters in what can best be described as the story of two star-crossed lovers told as an epic, Mythic should certainly be commended for the effort put into telling this story The problem is the story is just a little too ambitious for two people. Despite the fact that this was their third performance, actors Brenan Campbell and Michael Davidson flubbed several lines and, with so many different characters being played, even the actors got confused as to who was playing whom. Which is really too bad, since the story — a simple yet intriguing romance between the pizza delivering Kale and the ambitious business student Rain — had potential.

— Mike Sherby