The Buzz – Reviews – 2016

Perpetual Wednesday

White Collar Crimes—The Rachel Browne Theatre

Based on the audience around me, I’m far in the minority but I don’t find this show nearly as entertaining as the rest of the crowd. The jokes range from inane to absurd, hokey to clumsy. There’s a lot of repetition and frankly, once is enough. They self-describe their act as “physical buffoonery” and I
think that nails it—they’re a couple of buffoons acting as buffoons. The shadow puppet show offers some nice imagery but that’s about all I get from the show.

I’m sure most people will enjoy this show but if you’re like me and you want deep and intelligent humour, there’s none to be found here. If you want rampant wackiness, you’re at the right place.

Warning: this show runs late so if you’re in a hurry to make the next play, be sure you sit close to the door. It may take a while to get out of here.

Ray Yuen

Gossamer Obsessions: Wilt

Gossamer Obsessions—MTC Up the Alley

This is a fun little show with a number of tongue-in-cheek comedic sketches meant to show how ordinary things can become frightening. Paul Blinov and Amy Shostak work great together and their wordplay had the audience laughing throughout the show. If you like shows similar to “Macabre Tales” (that was here a few years ago) this will be right up your alley.

Murray Hunter

nerdf*cker

Cameryn Moore—Red River College

The formula to a successful show is simple: great storyteller + great storyline = great show. Cameryn Moore is a great storyteller. Unfortunately, Nerd F*cker is only a so-so story. The strong start
leads the audience to have great expectations. The intro describes the premise well and tells us that geeks are great; geeks are smart; geeks are beautiful; geeks want sex. I get it. Now it’s time to move onto some development or some background. There isn’t nearly enough plot or evolution.

Unfortunately, the descriptive narrative continues and the plot comes to a squealing stop. The dénouement revives the story, leading to the introspective conclusion but long moments in the middle drag way too long.

Ray Yuen

In Search of Cruise Control

Gangland Productions—John Hirsch Theatre at the MTC Mainstage

This one-man play seems to be about one thing but turns out to be about so much more. I won’t reveal all of its secrets here. The poster for this show makes it look like a comedy about a man out of control on a passenger cruise ship, but that is only one tiny aspect. James Gangl seems to be speaking autobiographically and humorously about his experiences with learning about sex from childhood on, but as the show progresses things become more serious, while never completely losing the comedy.

Throughout the show Gangl often repeats phrases and entire paragraphs of things he has already said, but as we learn more and more about him, these very same words take on greater depth. It is the peeling away of the onion of the dysfunction he has experienced in relationships, including with his mother and with various women he has met. While performing, Gangl was able to remain on point while also keeping things loose, sometimes taking a break from his material to joke about, for example, the challenge of making good use of the large stage he was on, or to ask an audience member if she was knitting. Overall, this show was a satisfying blend of funny and serious.

Konrad Antony

A Story of O’s

Tonya Jone Miller—The Playhouse Studio

An accomplished storyteller, Miller takes a backroom subject and shines a beacon into the black hole (!) of phone sex. Most non-users have preconceptions about phone sex and those images mostly arise from Hollywood depictions. Through this show, you leave Hollywood behind and see the commoditised sex world as it is. The operator is not a robot; a human being sits on the other end of the line and that human being has feelings and emotions.

Through both passionate and engrossing fetishes, you ride with Miller into laughter and tears. If you have any questions at all about the sex trade behind the scenes, this show is a must. If you don’t, see it anyway because it’s superb.

Ray Yuen

Welcome Player Two

Axiom Theatre—The Cinematheque

I knew I was in trouble when I looked at my watch a half hour in thought “I have to sit through another 15 minutes of this?” The play started out really strong. I was stoked to walk in and immediately receive my pick of Doritos (there were several varieties to pick from). The show is a live “let’s play” (a form of video game walk through where the player plays through the game as the audience watches and makes jokes or commentary along the way) with a different guest every night. This guest did her best to keep up a lively banter but this was thwarted by the uncharismatic host. At the end of this 45 minute play I felt like I had just listened to a lecture given by one of my professors on feminist tropes in video games. I came in with extremely high hopes and left very disappointed. It could be worse though, I could have left hungry.

Kaitlyn Kriss

Songs For A New World

White Rabbit Productions Inc.—One88

The material for this show was originally from a 1995 off-Broadway production. This present eighty-minute show, featuring songs from start to finish, but no dialogue or plot, explores themes of struggle and salvation. Two male and two female singers are accompanied by a drummer/percussionist and a keyboardist. Many songs featured intricate and pleasant vocal harmonies but others were solo showcases for individual singers. Some of the songs definitely had a religious bent but they never became too preachy. I particularly liked the song Stars and the Moon, which is about a woman who marries a wealthy man, gets everything she wants materially, but ends up feeling empty. It was beautifully and emotionally sung by Paula Potosky.

Konrad Antony

Peter ‘n’ Chris present: Here Lies Chris

PKF Productions—PTE – Mainstage

What a wild ride this show was! The show starts off with a fantastic drumming sketch to get the audience in the right mood and ready to laugh. This feeling was sustained throughout the show thanks to the brilliant comedic timing of Peter and Chris. The two performers and masters of comedy and know just how far to push a joke or when to improvise to keep the high energy consistent. There are very few negatives I can say past a few swears (2 f-bombs being the main concern). The story was kooky and the mime was on point. All of this came together to create a fantastic show. Definitely check it out while you can still get tickets.

Kaitlyn Kriss

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Knavish Hedgehog Productions—PTE – Mainstage

This was a spirited but bare bones ninety-minute production, complete with Shakespeare’s archaic language. Most of the ten young performers wore very casual street clothes and they all remained barefoot during this show. They also all played multiple roles. Furthermore, one of the main female characters, Helena, was performed by a male, and this added some extra comedy to the proceedings. Nine wooden chairs, with artificial leaves tied to each of them, were the main props. Five minutes before the show proper began, the ten actors played several rounds of silent musical chairs, which got a fair amount of laughter from the audience. Ultimately, whether you like this production or not will depend on whether you like Shakespeare and moreover, if you don’t mind his work being done in such a simplified manner.

Konrad Antony

2 for Tea

James & Jamesy—PTE – Mainstage

I went into this show assuming that I had seen this show before based on the title. I have never been so happy to say I was wrong. James and Jamesy are back with a brand new show. This one focusing on a two week period in which the delightful duo get into all sorts of mischief. The relationship between the two artists in undeniable. These two best friends are so accepting of each other and support each other through everything. This brotherly love is extended to the audience and by the end I felt like I was the duo’s best friend as well. This show left me feeling happier and with a much brighter outlook on the world. This is worth seeing with anyone who likes to smile and laugh big.

Kaitlyn Kriss