The Buzz – Reviews

7 Minutes In Kevin

Wackatoolis Incorporated—Red River College Polytechnic

Life got you down? Overwhelmed by the incessant horrors and struggles of existence? Then Kevin Gillese’s irreverent comedic stylings might be just what you need. His beautifully structured, mostly-solo show combines storytelling, one-liners, musical interludes, and endlessly self-deprecating humour into a thoroughly enjoyable hour of entertainment. From the delightfully absurd, self-aware sketch-style opening to the shockingly touching finale, this show doesn’t ask you to look on the bright side of life. However, some light might sneak through the cracks by the end, whether you want it to or not.

Ashley Frantik

Chase Padgett: Grab Bag Cabaret

Chase Padgett—PTE – Cherry Karpyshin Mainstage

I haven’t had a chance in previous years to see a performance by a man who’s reputation precedes him after hearing how 6 Guitars and Nashville Hurricane took previous Fringes by storm. I’ve finally had a chance and I am thrilled I did. This year’s show differs greatly from previous work of Padgett’s, as he has created it to include bits and pieces of ideas and projects he’s been working on that never quite fit together anywhere else. The audience gets to choose which parts he does by choosing a card, making the show different every night. The cabaret style shows allow for so much variety and creativity in what art is presented, and the parts shared in this show are extremely enjoyable. An hour filled with marvellous musicianship, heartfelt storytelling, and plenty of laughter, this is not a show to miss!

Calantha Jensen

UNSUNG: The Accidental Villains of History

Duck and Roll Theatre—Planetarium

The cast of four sing their way through 7 stories of ‘Accidental Villains’ after an opening number that provides a synopsis of those whose stories they will be featuring. A couple of the first ones are the person contracted to build and install life boats on the Titanic, and the person who causes the 1929 Stock Market Crash.

The songs by Mackenzie Langdon have great lyrics and the group perform very well together with very good harmonies. The only nit to pick, was sometimes the accompanying music was louder than the singing, even though they are mic’ed up.

Murray Hunter

Fakespeare

American Vaudeville Co.—Red River College Polytechnic

This show was a whirlwind in the best way. Welcome to a wildly condensed version of Shakespeare, of which I saw Hamlet. Fit within a half hour time slot, Hercamp is an expert in Shakespeare, brilliant at bringing this tragic story to life in a way that is both extremely entertaining and very understandable. Using our modern day slang and vernacular, an outrageous story of death and betrayal is transformed into a comedy, and gets the audience involved in an energetic way. It is extremely fun, make sure you check this one out!

Calantha Jensen

Seasons of Life

Flamenco on the Prairies —Tom Hendry Warehouse

It’s hot outside, but what else is new? That’s part of Fringe. Does anyone else find it hot inside as well? At venues that are supposed to be climate-controlled? Colin Jackson and Cercle Molière: why are they dank and humid? And for this show as well, it’s oddly warm and humid in Warehouse mainstage!

But it fits though!

I was in Spain not-so-long-ago and its atmosphere is known for searing summer heat,thick with humidity—and that’s where I last saw a Spanish band. It brings back fond memories to see this quartet playing Spanish folk music within the moist air of Warehouse. Several times, I closed my eyes and let myself believe that I was actually back in Spain, sipping on a cold sangria. Then I realised that I was missing the verve,elan and passion of these musicians, so I returned to my open-eyed, leaning-forward in my chair position.

When the singer hit the mic, it reminded me of being in Portugal for the fado performances. How can you not melt into your seat to the genuine, warm and artful sounds of her voice?

Then there’s the highlight of the show: the flamenco dancing. Visual, energetic and powerful—I simply could not get enough of it. It is such a feast for the eyes (and the ears), that I was completely immersed. Being so enrapt, I completely forgot that there was a plot unfolding with the dance. I think I just enjoyed it too much and missed the meaning. Perhaps I need to see it again.

The show is simply transcendent. I could not believe there were only ~20 butts in the seats. Get out there and see this spectacle!

Ray Yuen

1,000 Pieces of π

Broken Rhythms Victoria Society—John Hirsch Mainstage

After loving all the dance shows that I saw last year, I was keen on seeing what the festival had to offer this year.

This show was a ton of fun! A truly neat concept of blending contemporary dance with math. Introduced to us as an experiment, tool, and a challenge, this show is a powerful demonstration of beautiful physicality, and the creativity of movement within seemingly strict parameters. The dancers were amazing, creating beautiful shapes, moments of perfect unison and captivating cannons. This show is comedic and endearing, and tells a story about moving through the challenges of imagining and exploring a concept to do something completely different and to see what it creates.

Calantha Jensen

COMMANDO: The Radio Play

project pigeon—The Park Theatre

Having seen this show once before during a non-Fringe one, I do have to say that it absolutely holds up, with modern iteration and revisions to keep things fresh. A cast of 3 voice actors, Sam McLean, Cathey Herbert and Will O’Donnell vocally (and, in a smaller way, physically) act out the different characters of everyone’s favourite insane action film Commando. Will’s Schwarzenegger is always fantastic, with Sam and Cathey filling out the rest of the cast and taking on a multitude of different voices. The highlight, however, is as always Abby Falvo, doing the Foley work (sound effects) for the show right on stage, hatchetting melons, vibrating boxes, and rocking out on the electric uke to fill in the music for sensitive scenes and the numerous comedic ad breaks.

A real treasure to see, especially with the clear passion that this troupe has in keeping the show fresh and improve their performances over time.

Josh Fidelak

Chelsey Grewar: Adult Twin

Awkward Cheese Co.—Son of Warehouse

In addition to some funny material related to the twin theme, Chelsey Grewar’s stand-up set had some new takes on some oft-used comedy topics and some topics that were pretty unique. She is good at what she does and had the audience laughing throughout.

Murray Hunter

5-Step Guide to Being German

Paco Erhard | German Comedy International—John Hirsch Mainstage

Paco Erhard is always on my list. He totally changes up his show each time he plays here, which I appreciate. He’s very funny, warm and professional and if you are in the mood to just relax and be entertained, this is a great choice. I’ve seen every show he’s done here; and he was so pleased to hear this. I’ve never been disappointed. This year he gets a bit political, with much mention of US politics and also his fond opinions of Canadians. He’s particularly funny when comparing us to Americans, especially since he now resides there. Which explains less German and more US. Go see this!

Lisa Campbell

ImproVision: Nicolas Cage Match

ImproVision—Duke of Kent Legion

Always fantastic, the ImproVision boys have come to the Fringe once again with new improv games, a new frame for the show, and classic improv skill. The Nicholas Cage theming was a little sparse on the ground, but it’s not like anyone was coming to an ImproVision show because they were promised references to Good ‘Ol Nick. Their final improv game was fantastic as well, integrating puppets with a gonzo recreation of the show that came before it. Was that a spoiler? Who knows, go see this anyway.

Josh Fidelak