The Buzz – Reviews – 2016

Gimpel the Fool

Nephesh Theatre—The Playhouse Studio

This simplistic story based on Jewish folk lore was a very cute show. The main character is treated so bad by his neighbours you spend the entire play just begging for anything to go right for the guy. Gimpel is considered rather dull and foolish by everyone in his town. For fun they tease him and make him do silly things just because he can. Gimpel knows that to be good and foolish is better than to be smart and evil, but can he take the humiliation forever. There are lessons to be learned about how we treat each other here. While lessons are to be learned, there isn’t much deep digging required for this bare bones plot. There is no depth or great character redemption. The idea of good versus evil is brought up but never really resolved. The story was quiet and safe but unfortunately not much more than that.

Kaitlyn Kriss

Let Me Freeze Your Head

Neil McArthur—Red River College

This shows biggest fault was that it did not know what it wanted to be. It started as a sales pitch and turned into a life story, and truth be told it left me a little confused. If a man pitched something to me in the way the actor did I would not have bought the product. I also noticed it seemed as though he was having trouble committing to his emotions to the end of his phrases. This could have been a character choice on his part but it didn’t quite read properly. All this being said however I did in fact enjoy the show, the character proper the face that was ‘Neil the Salesman’ was interesting enough to keep me going. While he almost lost me here and there he pulled me back in with very real, and human reactions to memories. Yet I still can’t shake the feeling that he was not entirely sane. Any man who must tell you that he’s not a serial killer will certainly set off some alarm bells.

Arden Pruden

Nashville Hurricane

Chase Padgett Productions—PTE – Mainstage

This is it! The play that lets you slide into entertainment ecstasy. The show that pulls you in, rocks you from head to toe, pulls on your heartstrings and yanks your funny bone while challenging your sense of morality. The show that makes you go ‘Yes! This is why I miss meals, stand in endless lineups, forgo sleep and pound the pavement.’. This is what the Fringe is about!

The audience was there to see more of the huge talent that brought us the sellout ‘6 Guitars’ last year. There was lots of lively debate afterwards as to which was better. It doesn’t matter; Padgett has his fan’s loyalty captured. Chase is an example of an actor who has mastered his craft to perfection. Each intriguing character is developed clearly and completely. You cheer for the underdogs and hope the villain gets his due. It’s a roller coaster ride of triumph and setbacks accompanied by some of the best guitar plucking and strumming you will ever see. The standing ovation was the loudest and longest I have heard this year. You do yourself a disservice if you miss this shining gem!

Lisa Campbell

2-HANDER!

Ribbit Productions—Eckhardt-Gramatté Hall (UofW)

“If you want to hear God laugh, announce your plans.” The Fringe program announced that Jon Patterson and Fraz would be doing this two-hander about 2-handers. What could go wrong? A bicycle accident that put Fraz hors de combat. But the show must go on, right?

The solution was to have a variety of game performers step into the lights with Jon Patterson and do the show script-in-hand. Could be a recipe for disaster, but on the day I went, Patterson played opposite Ryan Gladstone, and they had some great comic moments. Patterson is a performer who I would watch washing the dishes. He’s always interesting and has one of the quickest minds on stage. Gladstone is also a seasoned performer. We didn’t get the show the program promised, and because of the lack of preparation time, some of the timing was a bit off, but they got us into the spirit of the adventure and worked the flubs for laughs, too. The script is funny, the performances were great, and if I didn’t get a chance to see them do Laurel and Hardy or Burns and Allen, I was happy to see them do what they did. Great lemonade, guys.

Kevin Longfield

Siddiqi Jones

White Rhino Comedy—Red River College

As with any improv show, the direction and topic changes with every performance, but generally, the meats and guts remain constant. Today’s event starts with a flurry and the laughs come fast and hard. Then things mellow somewhat, laughs turn to giggles, and it doesn’t seem to pick up again. On more than a couple of occasions, the actors seem to lull and fall into repetition. This is a good effort but short of fall-out- of-your- seat hilarious.

Ray Yuen

Comedy Isn’t Funny Anymore

Kali Wags—Onstage at Pantages

It is fitting that a show honouring the history of vaudeville show take place on the Pantages stage. This theatre is integral to the history of Vaudevillian theatre in North America and boasts a proud history of entertainers (including Houdini). I know this because this is something I learned in the first 5 minutes of the show. Stephen Sims and Caity Curtis flow seamlessly between new and old, improv and script to present an entirely new breed of comedy show. While parts of the show were scripted (We were told this up front), It was tricky to tell what was improv versus what was scripted. I loved the banter between the two artists. They really riffed off each other and had good stage chemistry. The show ran very smoothly and transitions were handled in a unique way. In between sections the audience would sit in darkness and listen to prerecorded segments. Although these were interesting, they tended to run a little long. I thought a lot of the jokes in the tracks went very long and should have ended much sooner especially when we were all sitting in the dark. It was tough to expect anything from reading the show synopsis but I am very glad I went. These two are pros at what they do and it shows. Vets of the comedy scene they can turn any scene into a good one. The two performers were hilarious and I would definitely check them out!

Kaitlyn Kriss

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addpunctuationtheatre—Eckhardt-Gramatté Hall (UofW)

The first thing I would like to say is that this piece could have benefitted from more actors. A one woman show is fine; voice over only characters are fine; and together they can work very well; but this show with diction issues from our one woman and glitchy technical cues did not come across as strongly as it could have. I understood what the show was trying to convey but overall it seemed to lack a point. It’s something mothers who have experienced postpartum anxiety disorder would appreciate, but very few other people. It’s a shame really, because that’s the opposite of what it was trying to accomplish. I walked out 15 minutes earlier than I expected (given the published run time) and a little disappointed. Good ideas, but a poor execution.

Arden Pruden

Papa Squat

ManDamsel & FellaLady—Bandwidth Theatre

Don’t let the trailer park motif fool you: this is an intelligent, wise play that deals with the essence of truth and the meaning of love. Plus the performer, Paul Strickland, is a gifted singer and storyteller. This play will stay with me for a long time.

Kevin Longfield

The Philip and Lucinda Show

bike circus—School of Contemporary Dancers

This ludicrous show oozes with energy and spunk, and when I say “ludicrous,” I mean it in a comical, zany way, rather than an offensive way. Honestly, many actors could not pull of this show. Lessor
actors could reproduce the routine identically and it wouldn’t be the same. The single driving force behind the success of this show comes from the ability of both Phillip and Lucinda to engage the audience and capture their rapt.

Beyond their charisma, they treat you to an adept acrobatic experience with some good humour and the requisite cheesiness. This engaging show ensures that everyone has a good time.

Ray Yuen

Strip Down

Floater Studios—MTC Up the Alley

Steven Andrews show asks the question: “Who gets to actually follow their dreams?” Dougie Reevers has a passion for exotic dance. His existence and very sole is taken up with this passion. This is what he is sure he was put on this earth to do. The only problem is he has a mental disability and his case workers think that Dougie had better do something else. Rather than be shot down Dougie perseveres with the help of his best friend. This show contained one of the most surprising and heartfelt bromances on the planet. Dougie’s sidekick Greasy was hilarious and was willing to do whatever and whoever to help his buddy out. All characters in the show are portrayed seamlessly by Andrews, but these two especially stood out to me. I ended up really rooting for Dougie to succeed.

I liked the characters and enjoyed seeing them develop before my eyes. While I did find the play funny, I was very uncomfortable laughing at some of the jokes. I felt at times that disability became the butt end of the joke; But, the redeeming moments of the play over shadowed this for myself. I would also not bring anyone with sensitivities to strong language or dirty humour to this show. I really liked this play and would recommend it to anyone with a dream or anyone who likes a rocking 80’s soundtrack.