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We closed out the 2026 Winnipeg Fringe with our 33rd Jenny Awards at the Royal Albert Arms. A huge thanks to Dave McKeigan and staff at the Royal Albert for hosting our Awards show. Pictures are coming soon! And now the categories and results (winners in bold):

1. Dance Dance Revolution: An Award for Shows that Get Their Steps In

  1. 50% Nonverbal [C. Neil Parsons]
  2. Could Kill But Creates [The Delicates Dealer]
  3. Rumours: In Motion [hiljames movement]
  4. QUALIA [(in)sight]
  5. Dead Chef [JHG Creative]
  6. Tango After Midnight [PointeTango]

2. God of War: An Award for the Horrors of War, or a Terrible God

  1. Babel [Geräuschbiest]
  2. East of Berlin [Glitter & Sawdust]
  3. Eleanor’s Story: Life After War [Ingrid Garner]
  4. PANIC – A Live Radio Musical [Panic Players]
  5. Letters [Parachuting Camel Productions]
  6. Thor’s A Dick – Viking Legends Not For Kids [Stories Alive]

3. Complete Walkthrough: An Award for History and Classics

  1. Bullheaded [Chronically Ch(ill) Productions]
  2. Lies of a Promiscuous Woman [Darker Bright Theatre]
  3. The 7 Lives of Louis Riel [I, Metis Productions]
  4. The Taming of the Shrew [Indifferently Reformed]
  5. Black Fish [Sima Sheibani]
  6. The (Un)Official (Un)Researched History of Manitoba [VoLto]

4. Ctrl + Alt + Delete: An Award for Stories that Restart Fresh Every Time

  1. Couch Surfing [Chief Mingus]
  2. Solovela, An Improvised Solo Telenovela [Diane Jorge]
  3. Four Hearts [The Improv Company]
  4. Winnipeg is a Lie [Portage and Mayhem Presents]
  5. Your Boring Story [Tectonic Improv]
  6. The Truth is Out There: An Improvised X-Files [Tolzbad]

5. Up, Up, Down, Down Left, Left: A Left Leaning and Social Commentary Award

  1. False Profits [Active Salad Productions]
  2. Afeni [A Friendly Co Pro’]
  3. 69, Emil Amok: Less News, More Life. The Headlines Got Loud, So He Got Personal. [Emil Amok Productions]
  4. Human$ [jurasco]
  5. The Naked Mennonite: Genesis [Real Live Entertainment]
  6. How Bono Saved my Life (Three Times) [Sonya Ballantyne Entertainment]
  7. Our Father [Stark Raving]

6. Choose Your Settings: An Award for Playing the Game Your Own Way

  1. Brilliantly Awkward [Adam Schwartz]
  2. Happy Valley [Cripplethreat]
  3. Where We Fly from Hospital Beds [Cy-Fi Studios]
  4. Oversharer [Einarson Productions]
  5. Who’s Gonna Push Your Wheelchair? [Karin Fekko]
  6. #BLACK EYE : a dark standup comedy special by Stéphanie Morin-Robert [Silver Lining Comedy]
  7. Captain Ted: Disabled Astronaut [Strokes of Genius]

7. Massively Multi-Player: The More the Merrier, a Large Cast Award

  1. The Green Grab [All About Theatre Adults]
  2. Black Butterfly [Blackwestward Productions]
  3. Love is Blank [Club Soda Improv]
  4. Strange Things: A Stranger Things Parody [Meraki Theatre]
  5. The Glass Between Us [Shoestring Players]
  6. Quintland, The Musical [Winnipeg Broadway Theatre]

8. Rhythm Heaven: An Award for Shows You Don’t Want to Leave on Mute

  1. La Vie Parisienne [Barclay Productions]
  2. Sounds from the Meat Machine [Licensed Fool Productions]
  3. Céline & Cher: Divine Divas [Marysia Trembecka]
  4. Promise & Promiscuity: A New Musical by Jane Austen & Penny Ashton [Matthew Harvey]
  5. Mr Loopy Pants: The Art of F*cking Up [Mr Loopy Pants]
  6. The Ballad of Isobel Gunn [Possum Hollow Productions]
  7. The Late Great Mormon Drag Queen [Steven Morton]

9. Animal Crossing: The Not Afraid to Work With an Animal Award

  1. Unzipping the Cat [3L Theatrics]
  2. Alexander Mantia’s Zucchini Club [Alexander Mantia Puppetry]
  3. Goose! Night of the Cobra Chicken [Faux Ghost]
  4. A Sexy Pigeon Show [The Lighter Touch Art Collective]
  5. The Beanstalk Market Crash [Mind of a Snail Puppet Co.]
  6. Viento [Neat Story]

Editor’s Note: There was a tie between Goose! Night of the Cobra Chicken and A Sexy Pigeon Show, but Goose! prevailed in the trivia tie breaker.

10. WooHoo: A Stimulating Sims Award

  1. No Worries If Not [Battlefield Heartbreaker Productions]
  2. Chase Padgett: The Next Guy [Chase Padgett]
  3. The Golden Boys [Enigma Performance Company]
  4. A Woman’s Guide to Romance Novels [Holly M. Brinkman]
  5. Looking for Love in all the Weird Places [M.P.M.M Productions]
  6. The Funny Thing about Men [Olive Productions]
  7. Site #57 [Thinking & Feeling Theatre Company]

11. 5 Nights at Fringe: An Award for Shows that You May Find Scary

  1. The Rocky Horror Show [The Dramatic Theatre Company]
  2. Things That Go Bump [Krol Entertainment]v
  3. The FIRST VAMPIRE [Monster Theatre]
  4. A Curated Exit [Shot in the Dark Productions]
  5. The Ghost of a Flea [Wych Elm Productions]
  6. 1-Man No-Show [ZeekTech Productions]

12. Just Trolling: The Bad Faith Devil/Cults/and Crime Award

  1. CULTS [Blair Moro]
  2. The El Diablo of the Cards 2.0 [Ewerton Martins]
  3. Dan’s Inferno [H.A.N.D. Productions]
  4. ONE MORE TIME [HonourablyUnstable]
  5. The Cult of the Comfy Wizard [Inner Worlds Theatre]
  6. Absolutely Not a Cult [Starr Street Productions]

Editor’s Note: There was a tie between ONE MORE TIME and Absolutely Not a Cult, but ONE MORE TIME came the closest in the trivia tie breaker.

13. High Score: An Award for Performers That Did Well On Our Instagram
(people who got the most views in their photos with Jenny and were
not nominated in another category)

  1. House of Gold [Brighter Dark Theatre]
  2. Surprise! [Chicka-Hehes]
  3. A Kid Napping [Desert Rose Collective]
  4. You are happy [Hypothetical Projects]
  5. Sweat [Manitoba Underground Opera]
  6. Finding Rem Lazar [Rem Lezar Theatre]
  7. Somewhere Up There in the Sky [Singularity productions]

Lies of a Promiscuous Woman

Darker Bright Theatre—MTYP – Mainstage

I walked into the show with no real idea of what to expect and left feeling… everything. I laughed, I raged, I despaired, I cried and still left inspired. They managed to take a heavy topic and make it…marketable? Theresa has the kind of voice that was designed for storytelling and a knack for saturating lines with so much emotion you can’t help but feel it in your bones. It was a beautifully done show with some really fantastic acting, if you haven’t seen it yet I highly encourage you to go. Easily one of the best performances I have seen in a very long time.

Sarah Leighton

Captain Ted: Disabled Astronaut

Strokes of Genius—One88

What a hilarious and fantastic show! The cast was incredibly talented, and I laughed from beginning to end.

I especially appreciated that they incorporated ASL into the play and, even more impressively, provided ASL interpreters at every performance. That kind of accessibility is so meaningful and something I wish every Fringe production would offer.

And Anne Droid collecting bras once again? Absolutely iconic!

If you haven’t seen it yet, go check it out before it ends, you won’t regret it!

Joanna Hawkins

The Mistress of Wholesome

R-G Productions—One88

A splendid performance of all 3 actors in this show. Well done.

Hank Koreman

Captain Ted: Disabled Astronaut

Strokes of Genius—One88

Kudos to the cast of this amazing show. The timing was perfect as was the humour.

Hank Koreman

Quintland, The Musical

Winnipeg Broadway Theatre—CCFM – Salle Pauline-Boutal

I had no idea of the full story of this show before going in, it had just been highly recommended to me by several other people. Wow, I was blown away. This musical was very well done, the cast of over 20 performers did an amazing job telling this important story through some great musical numbers. They utilize three sets of five women and girls to portray the five sisters (and other side characters throughout), and I was especially impressed by abilities of the young and very young members of the cast. The powerful chorus when the entire cast are all singing is really something to behold. The show’s music is also performed live on piano and guitar. The heart wrenching but hopeful ending was met with well deserved standing ovation. There is one more show on Saturday at 11 am, catch it if you can.

Murray Hunter

Unresolved

Cactus Theatre Co—One88

“Unresolved” tackles a hard-hitting, emotionally-charged issue -teen suicide- with an unapologetic, heartfelt approach. The script is tight, the performances are intense and deeply moving, and the entire production takes the audience on a journey into the darkest depths of despair in a struggle to find some sort of resolution to an unfathomable situation. But seriously, is resolution even fully possible? If so, how does one even get there? Or are things destined to remain…unresolved? This is difficult to watch at times, but ultimately it’s a powerful portrait of a family dealing with an unthinkable tragedy, acted and written with great sensitivity. Not to be missed.

Mike Seccombe

Lies of a Promiscuous Woman

Darker Bright Theatre—MTYP – Mainstage

Lies of a Promiscuous Woman is a narrative of feeling: what it feels like to be gifted by your parents to serve at the Temple at age three; what it feels like to fall in love; what it feels like to give birth to a beautiful baby; what it feels like to hold his lifeless body in your arms. The powerful feelings ground Mary’s story in the real, the visceral, the universal, while also drawing in biblical references and songs from Madonna to create a dialogue between the historical tragedy of a mother losing her son and a modern world that still sees young women as disposable.

Thomson’s second turn as Mary brings an extra edge: she carries the fiery defiance of one who has faced harassment and attempted silencing, and refused. This dimension gives Mary bite; her simmering righteous rage gives weight to her declarations that we all matter, the hope matters, and belief in the extreme is always dangerous. The Madonna chorus does a beautiful job to amplify the message, as does Koreen’s turn as a young woman seeking Mary’s intervention.

The weight of such a sorrowful story is balanced perfectly with Thomson’s wit, as cheeky jokes and one-liners gild the story, giving us respite and release to laugh and cry at a mother’s story of love and loss. We can remember that we can talk about politics and religion, but we shouldn’t take it all too seriously.

Christina Fawcett

Double Dare Magic

Double Dare Magic—Kids Venue – MTYP – Mainstage

Right from the opening moments, the young magician took command of the stage with an incredible illusion, making the other magician appear in spectacular fashion. It immediately grabbed the audience’s attention and set the tone for an unforgettable performance.

Wynter and Tanek are exceptionally talented young performers. Throughout the show, they delivered one amazing illusion after another, mixed with outstanding comedy that kept everyone entertained. The children were laughing from the very beginning until the final curtain, while the parents were cheering, applauding, and even jumping to their feet several times throughout the performance.

When I attended, the auditorium was packed with hundreds of excited families. As the audience filed out after the show, you could hear kids saying things like, “Wow, how did they do that?” and “That was so amazing!” Those reactions say everything about the impact this show has.

As an adult, I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. As a fellow magician, I was especially impressed by how polished their techniques, timing, and presentation were. It’s remarkable to see two performers of their age delivering such a professional, high-quality production. Their passion, confidence, and stage presence are truly beyond their years.

If you love magic, enjoy great comedy, or are simply looking for an outstanding family-friendly show, Double Dare Magic is an absolute must-see. I highly recommend it to audiences of all ages.

Sitruc James

Art by Dave Pruden

July 24, 2026

As we head into the last weekend of the Fringe we have 130 shows reviewed on the website. You can click on the show titles in the lists of Reviews and SSPs (Shameless Self Promotion) below to see the review or SSP. There are still a few days of Fringe to go but many of the popular shows are now selling out, so be sure to check the Fringe’s Sold Out List so you are not disappointed.

Appreciations—Thanks again to all those who have sent in their reviews. We always appreciate the additional coverage. If you have seen a show that we haven’t reviewed that still has a few shows scheduled this weekend, you can send us a review at: jennyrevue@gmail.com

Additional thanks to the all volunteer Jenny review crew (Ashley, Josh, Lisa, Ray, Steph, and Shane) who put in long hours in reviewing and writing reviews. Also a big thank you to Dave Pruden, whose amazing Jenny cartoons make the website and limited paper issues a lot more interesting. You can check him out at Venue 7 in Dark Horse Theatre’s ‘The Shelter’ which still has a couple performances on Saturday and Sunday. Last, but certainly not least, thanks to Michelle Cook who keeps me on track with finding my errors and without whom this whole endeavour would probably not function.

The Fabulous Jenny Awards!—Just a reminder that our end of Fringe wrap party and awards show on Sunday July 26th will be in its new location, The Royal Albert Arms at 48 Albert Street (Venue 15). It is an accessible licensed venue and we will have a selection of pub grub available for purchase. We will have 13 crazy categories to celebrate as many shows as we can fit in. The crowd decides who should win, as determined by crowd noise carefully analyzed by our human sound meters. The winner can make a short acceptance speech and receives one of the highly coveted hand sewn Jenny Awards, lovingly crafted by Michelle Cook. Winners must be present to accept. Doors will open at 9:30 pm with things getting underway at 10 pm(ish).

Well that is almost a wrap for us, except for putting together a finale and Awards show. Thanks to the management and staff at Kevin’s Bistro on Bannatyne for hosting our staff meeting. Enjoy the last weekend of Fringe!

Murray Hunter