Macbeth: The After Party

7 Ages Productions—Asper Centre for Theatre and Film – U of W

An evening of murder and mystery abounds as the original company of Macbeth enjoy their cast party. A little too into their roles, the actors band together to try and figure out a whodunnit.

The cast did a very good job of playing their roles. They were funny and totally focused throughout the show. They had great costumes and used the space wisely. For a more amateur production I was very impressed by their fight choreography. Out of all the shows this year I’ve seen, this cast put on a really convincing sword fight that had me nervous sitting in the front row. I liked lots of jokes and the script idea was unique.

I did like the jokes but most seemed to not land with the audience. I will say if your not familiar with Shakespeare or with some of the other playwrights of the time your probably not going to get a lot of the jokes. I also found some of the jokes were over used. The acting was decent but they tried way too hard to be funny at points and some jokes fell flat.

An okay play with some decent acting. Worth checking out as a filler show or if you really like Shakespeare.

Kaitlyn Kriss

Dr. Caligari’s Future Cabaret

Secret—

Editor Note: The Cabaret is a yearly tradition that only has one performance.

As usual, a great time was held all, holding their flashlights to illuminate the antics of our favorite artists. An outstanding effort by everyone involved. So generous of them to put in the extra time and effort for this charitable, sold out event!

The new ownership of the King’s Head has seamlessly transitioned from our beloved Jay and Mae by not changing much at all. The same menu and traditions are thankfully being upheld, with great hospitality being shown to we Fringers. They are making a boatload from us, but that is beside the point.

Lisa Campbell

Today, For Now

new best friend—School of Contemporary Dancers

This play is a lot of things: fast, furious, frantic, frenzied, frenetic, feverish—the only thing it’s not is funny.

Ray Yuen

James & Jamesy in the Dark

James & Jamesy—

Finding new and interesting ways to present a show can be a challenge, and playing with the lighting the way these two do is one of the more original ideas I’ve seen. It must have been a nightmare for the technician. Although, while it’s cute for the first 20 minutes, I found the middle of the show dragged, and then picked right back up in the last half hour. The kids in the audience disagreed, and proved the performers have a very strong instinct when it comes to playing with children. This is a fun one to take the kids to, even if they need a touch of a reminder that this is marketed as family friendly sometimes.

Arden Pruden

Mother’s Little Secret

Broken Record Productions—School of Contemporary Dancers

I chose this because I wanted to see what some of Winnipeg’s veteran actors had to offer. I was not disappointed. The senior, and I mean seriously senior members of the cast were the most competent. It was a pleasure to see that age only added to their talent; and their joy in performing was obvious. The two younger members of the cast were still slightly struggling with some lines at this late date, but this did not affect the enjoyment of the show. A very clever script by Jo McDonald with a surprise twist. Worth seeing.

Lisa Campbell

She Was a Great Dad

Jeremy Productions—Onstage at Pantages

Based on a true story, this tale draws you back to the big band era and what it takes to be a hit musician. In one word, it takes a penis. What if you don’t have one?

This thoughtful bio relates what people are willing to do to succeed if they’re passionate enough about their trade. The journey depicts an era that is vastly different than the one we live in today. I’m not saying that our society is completely enlightened—it’s not be any means, but we have come a long way in the past century. It’s important to revisit our histories to understand where we came from, and Susan Jeremy takes us ably through this glimpse of the past.

Ray Yuen

Kafka and Son

Theaturtle—Asper Centre for Theatre and Film – U of W

At approaching thirty shows this year, this is the finest performance I’ve seen. The audience was dumbstruck at the end of the show, until they burst into relentless applause. This show has toured around the world to well-deserved five star reviews. If I could only recommend one show this year, this would be my choice. This is what theatre should be. Perfection!

Lisa Campbell

ONE DATE CITY

It’s All Relative Productions—Pantages Studio

I am soooooo glad that I’m married and so far removed from the dating world. In my day, looking for a date meant going to the Palomino Club; now it doesn’t seem that you can date without a phone. Even if I managed to get a hit through the multitude of dating sites, I don’t think I can engage in the lingo (Ghosting? Catfishing? Backsliding? Un-cuffing? Bread-crumbing?).

Then what happens when you actually get to meet a date? That’s what One Date City is all about. This warm and fuzzy exploration teaches us that it’s all right to seek Mx. Right; it’s also all right to be single. Everything is all right so long as you’re happy with yourself. And again, I’m so happy that I’m married!

Ray Yuen

Fractured Expectations

Timeless Weaver—Son of Warehouse

I have to wonder what the construction process looked like, as while the show was clearly scripted, it was also clearly improvised. There was a certain lack of tightness that did the show an injustice overall, that could have been fixed should they have solidified their story-lines sooner. That being said the performances were all around strong, and at times all too relatable. My attention never dropped (especially not when I heard my own name used by a friend in the show- for a homeless woman of all people), though the shifts in tone at times gave me whiplash. Funny and devoted actors, all they needed was a tighter presentation.

Arden Pruden

Final Four

ZList Productions—John Hirsch Mainstage

Part Gong Show, part Survivor, and part Big Brother, with the magnetism of none. From the description, this show had so much potential. It could have been a serious show with real competitors and genuine talent, or it could have been a comedic farce filled with laughter. I’ll give it credit for trying the latter but it just wasn’t that funny.

Problems start with the initial conception of the talent contest. Ok, you have a he-man, macho type—that’s good. Then you have a geeky type—that’s good too. However, the geeky entrant should use his brain to outwit his competitors; instead, there was nothing cerebral about his character at all. Enter the prissy participant who gets by on appearance—that’s fine too, but they never played that up. There should have been prancing about and soliciting votes by enticement. What’s the story with the mass murderer and the hippie? I understand the farce is supposed to be silly but this is just silly without merit or direction.

Ray Yuen