Maybe Baby

Possible Productions—Tom Hendry Warehouse

I had two motivations to see this. First, it stars Mike Delamont, our God and Scottish Drag Queen; who never puts out anything crap. Second, my curiosity to see what woman would be attracted to and actually marry this huge, sweaty guy with the quirky humour and constant touring. Chantelle is absolutely lovely and a fine actress in her own right.

Maybe Baby is the, I believe to be true, relating of the couple’s attempt to start a family. It is humorous at the onset; but as the play progresses, it becomes increasingly frustrating for the couple and just plain heartbreaking. I found myself silently yelling ‘adopt already’; especially since Mike himself, is adopted. It is a capable production, and may have special appeal for those who have experienced this struggle, but I far prefer any of his other comedic efforts, of which you have plenty to choose this Fringe. BTW, they are all selling out.

Lisa Campbell

Pea Soup

All About Theatre—John Hirsch Mainstage

Playing on classic odd couple classics, two literal clowns attempt to not get evicted by hosting a dinner party to kidnap their rich bosses wife.

These two lovable goofs’ missteps had me giggling throughout. They played really well off each other and had some great classic clown moments. It was very easy to fall in love the duo. They were so expressive and truly believed in the piece of theatre they were creating. I couldn’t help but smile through the whole show. It was so silly and fun the whole time. As a fan of clown theatre I wish some of the physical aspects were a little cleaner. There were times when the gags fell flat because they were performed way too slowly and ended up looking really lame. I found myself wishing they had picked up the pace for the ending as well. Part of what I enjoy so much about clown is the break neck pace but this production seemed a little timid. I wish the pace established in the middle had been able to be carried right to the end. There is definitely some polishing needed, but it’s a nice family friendly addition to the fringe circuit.

Kaitlyn Kriss

Sound & Fury’s Cyranose!

Sound & Fury—West End Cultural Centre

For the last half decade, seeing their name in front of anything they’ve brought to Fringe was reason enough to make sure I got a ticket to all of their productions. Sound and Fury is a trio of three very talented gents who are known for taking something popular and well known and putting their own spin on it as they blend pop culture with poetry and comedy.

Set in 1642 during war between France and Noway, Cyranose is the story of a young man who possesses the power of words to woo and a strangely obsessive insecurity about the physical appearance of his nose. He is in love with his cousin Roxanne, whose heart belongs to Christian, a young soldier who is as bumbly with his words as I sometimes am on my feet. (Quite) Christian commandeers Cyranose to write love letters to Roxanne on his behalf, and the story unfolds as the characters realize each others’ true feelings and intentions. It is quite comical and charming.

What I enjoy the most about Sound and Fury is the seemingly natural condition of their performances to feel both scripted and improvised at the same time. The three members play off each other extremely, connect with their audiences and make the viewer really feel as though they are part of the show. There’s never a dull moment and being part of the fun definitely adds to the appeal of their performances.

This particular production had the feel of being in the early stages of performance, as the cast members scrambled to ensure they timed their queues correctly, fixed their wardrobe malfunctions and moved fluidly in and out of character at times, which I’m still unsure was accidental or deliberate. With every show presenting new opportunities for jokes and improvisation when needed, each night is unique and fun. It also demonstrated that even though there can be mishaps and unexpected turns throughout the show, this is part of this company’s charm and this trio is wildly entertaining. I never miss a chance to see them; you should follow my lead!

Calantha Jensen

Luna’s Suitcase

Naked Theatre Productions—The Rachel Browne Theatre

Sarah Flynn hits hard right off the bat with a sock puppet rendition of “Take On Me” which had the entire audience laughing uproariously. She draws everyone in by making you believe she is a young girl named Luna who is trying to create the best show possible by practicing in front of her teddy bears. Luna doesn’t yet grasp the real adult nature of some of her routines, which leads to some very funny cringe inducing moments.

The show takes a turn to the dramatic when we learn why it is so important to Luna to put on a good show and it makes the whole show come together. Very well done!

Murray Hunter

Always Unique, Totally Interesting, Sometimes Mysterious

Alyson Parovel Productions—PLATFORM Centre

In the middle of a clear space in a pretty warm room, we encounter a young woman rocking back and forth as she sits on the floor surrounded by recycling items. Meet Chloe, a young woman living with Autism Spectrum Disorder. She is an endearing, charming passionate woman who is extremely excited about recycling, and she begins to tell her story. We also meet her sister, who expresses an enormous range of feelings of living with a sibling who has Autism.

This show got me right in the feels, as they say. It was full of real world scenarios of life in high school and struggling with a condition that is often misunderstood. Alyson Parovel uses a plethora of examples, demonstrations and metaphors to help explain what is going on in the mind of Chloe, which makes it very relatable to viewers who may have no concept of what Autism actually means or looks like.

Some phrases that stuck with me long after the show were how we all had a voice; some of us just have to fight harder to make it heard. And that when meeting someone with Autism, we have only met one person with autism; it manifests and is experienced in different ways with every individual. And for those of us who encounter it in others, what we must do is learn to listen in a different way.

This production was powerful, moving, and educational. She cites a poem called “Welcome to Holland”, a beautiful piece on raising a child with a disability, and it sheds some much needed light when a child is brought into this world who is different. But they are just as smart, clever, funny and passionate as the rest of us can be, just in a different way. It was absolutely beautiful.

Calantha Jensen

Tales Too Tall for Trailers

Theatre Mobile—School of Contemporary Dancers

Anything Paul Strickland does is gold and I will always see everything he’s in. I’m also blown away by the incredible talent of his real life partner, Erika Kate MacDonald for her last year’s “Evacuated”. How can anyone smile so much, they just bring out the best in each other, two halves and all that. Paul never strays far from this beloved trailer park and has brought home the love of life to meet them. Will they like Her? Will you love this play and the wonderful, witty tales and silly songs? Will they be able to do the 13 things for the may be birthday party? Yes!

Oh, and wonderful shadow puppetry by Ericka. Go!

Lisa Campbell

Hot Thespian Action: Classic!

Hot Thespian Action—Gas Station Arts Centre

Hot Thespian Action has been around for 13 years, presented 10 distinct shows through 86 performances and boasts of >130 sketches and to a sum audience of >15 000, with zero props, sets or costumes. That summary gives you a good idea of what the show entails and the formula remains successful as we have another sold out house tonight.

Entitled “Classics,” this year’s rendition depicts the cumulation of a survey collecting all time favourite skits. Essentially, this greatest hits version “brings out the best and cuts out the crap,” as the troupe suggests. As a “best of” show, all of the sketches should be hits, and they are, bringing the audience to laughter at many turns. Of course, this isn’t a true representation of their original work since I only get to see the favourites. The actors promise an all new show tomorrow as each day, they survey the public for their classic picks.

The Hot Thespians have been around a long time and what they do hasn’t gone stale. The acting isn’t quite polished and the singing is sometimes questionable but the overall package makes up for it, leaving you with a smile as you walk out the door—perhaps even wanting to bleach your anus.

Ray Yuen

Big Shot

Surreal SoReal Theatre—Planetarium Auditorium

We all want something unexpected to happen, because isn’t that what we remember the most? Haven’t you wondered what like would be life if you were in a movie? Moments that move slower than reality, frozen in a frame and in that moment, the audience sees and feels the exact same thing.

John Lachlan Stewart sweeps us into his storytelling as we meet a small cast of characters including a recovering heroin addict, an elder Japanese gentleman, a policeman, a young woman, a hot-shot movie buff, and a young boy who dreams of life being more like an action movie.

What seems at first to be separate storylines, each with a complex and interesting plot, start to take the shape of something bigger as the characters’ lives connect. With captivating stage presence, Stewart brings these characters to life and all the moving pieces slowly start to create the big picture. Their lives converge on the Vancouver SkyTrain as the puzzle pieces fall into place. I sat breathless on the edge of my seat with my heart racing, and the unexpected is exactly what we get.

I don’t want to give away the plot much because this show is a brilliant roller coaster and all I can think of is just WOW. Well done sir. Catching a tragedy isn’t something I do often at Fringe but this was intense. And extremely well executed. I am very impressed and very happy I chose to check out this production!

Calantha Jensen

Dandymouth: word. play.

Sugar Candy Dandymite Co—Centennial Concert Hall – Rehearsal Hall

I had the pleasure of meeting the performer before the show and having quite the nice chat. His love of Theatre, energy and dedication were obvious. I really wanted to love it for his sake, just because he was so earnest. Plus he came all the way from Portugal. He’s British, though.

You can guess as to his love of word play from the title, his company name and his description in the program. It must be, as promised, spoken word for the 22nd century as I understood little of it. There was a lot going on but nothing happening. The bones of something are in there; and he’s very clever; so I hope he can flesh them out. There were some amusing moments. But, when you are checking the time, that tells you something. A different guest musician will join each show, so each show will be different. We were blessed with an accomplished clarinetist, Amanda, who really added some humour to the show. I really wanted to love it.

Lisa Campbell

The Woods Witch

Little Fox Theatre—Kids Venue (MTYP Mainstage)

Wow! I checked my surroundings several times to ensure that I was a Kids’ Fringe. The show opens innocuously enough with a shadow puppet prelude on a lunar screen. As soon as the actors appear on stage, they tug your emotional heartstrings. The next scene feels like an Intro to Research Methods class before the scene twists again.

Among the verbosity, setting changes, Greek names and the sometimes frightening images, I can’t imagine this show to be very friendly to young kids. As an adult and veteran to literature, it takes some effort to keep up with the plot. I can’t say that this is my first pick of plays to bring the kids.

Ray Yuen