Red Bastard: Lie With Me

Red Bastard—Asper Centre for Theatre and Film – U of W

We were dancing around the house with delight when we saw that our favorite bastard was finally returning to Winnipeg. His last show was one of those performances so titilating, provocative and different, that I could never forget it. Eric has created a delicious, devilish persona that scares you back a bit; and yet, his understanding of human nature and warmth perk through and draw you in. He has created a show that is so different from the usual Fringe fare, that it really is a must see and such a welcome change. The premise is to make you question your morality and just where your boundaries lie, and how much do you really lie. He interacts continuously with the audience and the success of the show grows with the honest input of the crowd.

We were blessed with a really special volunteer whose openness really brought the show to a new level. This young man had a female partner in the crowd, yet he was willing to feed Eric chocolate and be fed, share a messy mango, close dance and even kiss him. Eric lovingly washed the young man’s hands of the mango juice and tenderly dried his hands. You could see the actor’s appreciation of the extraordinary lengths this young man was willing to go to and his open heart just melted the audience as well. This again, was an experience that will never leave me. This is Fringe at its finest and if I can, I will take this in again. In 30 years I have never seen a show twice in one festival, but I will make an exception. My top show this year! Bravo Eric!

Lisa Campbell