Generic Male: Just What We Need Another Show About Men

PUSH Physical Theatre—John Hirsch Mainstage

I was thrilled when I opened the program and saw that PUSH Physical Theatre was back with their multi-award winning show. Not generic in the slightest, a show by men for everyone explores the male psyche with a flair for acrobatic absurdity with sprinklings of heartfelt humour throughout.

I did find that this show created by Darren Stevenson and Ashley Jones benefited from the more intimate setting last year, but the story keeps the audience on their toes as notions of familial roles, and societal expectations are challenged throughout this 60-minute piece.

It is always a delight to see a show that is polished and probes the audience with questions you’ll be pondering well after the sun sets on this years Fringe season.

Stephanie Natalya

Mindreader

Gregoire Entertainment—Théâtre Cercle Molière

Amazing mental feats are at hand at Cercle Molière through talents of Patrick Grégoire. A very impressive show of mental fortitude. There were many moments of me going I don’t know how he did that. He did a variety of tricks using a good chunk of the audience. Most of the tricks I hadn’t seen before which was refreshing. The performer did have a schtick where he would ‘get something wrong’ then do a big reveal that he’d been right all along. This was cool the first time but it became tiresome after 3 or 4 times. Great tricks but it seemed somewhat sloppy with so many pretend failures.

Kaitlyn Kriss

The Magic of Chanelle Munroe Presents: 5 Ways to Kill a Magician

Magician and the Muse Inc.—Planetarium

I’ve seen a lot of magician shows in my life, many of them at The Fringe. Through those shows, there’s a lot of overlap and I’ve figured out the secret behind many of the tricks. That’s what I do: as a scientist, I
look for the explanation behind everything. Refreshingly, there are a lot of tricks here where I cannot provide a rationale. I can see how they’re executed but I cannot find the actual gimmick. I know—it takes the fun out of it for many people, but the fun for me is figuring it out!

Despite seeing all those magic shows, I can honestly say that I’ve never seen anything like this finale before, and it’s spectacular. Even the jerkwater rubes who played with their phones through the entire show, put them away during the finale.

One final bonus: Munroe weaves the tricks into a pseudo-plot, and applies it to the Winnipeg context. She also gives a number of local statements, including the condition of our rivers because of pollution, and rather than defy death by biting a bullet, she tries to avoid the Winnipeg handshake (getting stabbed by a broken beer bottle).

I can honestly say that this is one of my all-time favourite magic or magick shows. It’s magically fun!

Ray Yuen

Pramkicker

An Seanchaí—Théâtre Cercle Molière

I worry about myself sometimes. I worried about myself yesterday when I saw “Pramkicker” at Venue #3 and was laughing uncontrollably at the first 15 minutes or so, during Jude’s (Siobhán Keely) expletive-laced yet hysterical rant about her experiences with a legion of self-righteous mothers at a coffee shop. Is there something seriously wrong with me? No, I don’t think so. This was hilarious, as is a great deal of this show, including the reactions of Jude’s sister Susie (Calum Peppard). No, it’s not for everybody, but it was definitely for me, speaking as part of an intentionally childless couple. I understand completely where the playwright Sadie Hasler was coming from when crafting this delightfully snarky work of art. I recommend this show to pretty much anybody who gets annoyed at others who inhabit their own little judgemental world, and lord it over others. The writing is crisp, insightful, and amazingly funny at points, poignant at others. The performances are top-notch and totally believable; I felt like I was watching an actual interplay between two sisters, not just two actresses playing sisters. If you’re easily offended by harsh language and delicate subject matter, stay home. If you have an open mind and want to laugh until your sides hurt, don’t miss it!

Mike Seccombe

Matt & Ben

Hill Party Productions—PTE – Colin Jackson Studio

This show is a hilarious portrayal of the origin story of the script for Good Will Hunting, as young pals Matt Damon and Ben Affleck embark on this journey together. Played by two very talented actresses, I found myself laughing nearly to tears as they told their story. The dialogue is fast paced, clever and engaging. Cameos from other notable celebrities really had me wondering wait, did all this really happen? The chaotic energy of the show was brilliant. A thoroughly entertaining and heartening show about two friends sitting on the precipice of seeing their dreams come true. I loved it.

Calantha Jensen

God Is A Scottish Drag Queen

Mike Delamont—MTYP – Mainstage

I am shocked and surprised that it took me 9 visits to finally see God perform here in Winnipeg. For that I may have to repent.

Donned in floral and barefoot with the truth, God descends from the back of the MTYP mainstage to address some concerns and to provide a higher power of observations for the dedicated audience. Though Mike Delamont kept the filled theatre engaged and roaring with laughter, I felt that the production was rather tame. I understand my threshold for drag comedy is extremely high after over a decade of being involved with Winnipeg Pride. However, I did find Delamont kept all demographics singing, laughing and wiping away tears as they headed out of the theatre following a standing ovation.

Stephanie Natalya

(in)decision

Drawing Board Productions—MTC Up the Alley

This is the slowest 10 seconds I’ve ever experienced, seeing as the entire show covers the real-time span of 10 seconds. It’s also the fastest 10 seconds I’ve seen, packed with energy, execution and enlightenment. Bryson is a fireball as she evaluates the pros and cons of a marriage proposal. In marketing, we call it as SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats), as she bends the question through every conceivable angle. It’s a roller coaster rides that’s full of thrills at every curve, turn, rise and dip. After all that, what’s the answer? That’s the one aspect that was not covered in the analysis.

Ray Yuen

All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

Shoestring Players—Tom Hendry Warehouse

If you haven’t had a chance to see All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, do not miss your chance before it ends. One of the more popular shows at the Fringe, Winnipeg’s Shoestring does it again. This group never fails to bring quality to whatever they do. My friend summed it up after yesterday’s Warehouse show: “There is nothing else like this at the Fringe. It is unique.” So, if you want a cracker go see “Kindergarten,” you’ll laugh, you’ll cry. YOU WILL ALSO LEARN!

Maureen Taggart

Twenty Four

Wind Flower Dance Company—Tom Hendry Warehouse

I loved this show!! The dancers were incredibly talented and I found myself captivated by their movement. The choreography is inspired and the use of the lighting made for a visually stunning show. Contemporary pieces always have some ambiguity to their storytelling and I find it to be a wonderful journey in discovering what sorts of reactions and thoughts are brought up by what I’m watching. Dance is a language in and of itself after all, and I was spellbound. The way they all MOVE! *chefs kiss* Incredible.

Calantha Jensen

Lia & Dor

Catun—Pyramid Cabaret

I loved this production for the music, the theatricality of the actors, and the interesting interplay of folk mythology and Romanian village life. I very much enjoyed the evocative Romanian folk songs sung beautifully in Romanian sometimes by Cristina Tudor, sometimes by Alexander Forsyth, sometimes as duets. The two actors each play many characters, changing roles frequently and marking the changing roles with small costume changes, such as adding a headscarf to indicate that the actor is now female, or deepening the voice to indicate a male voice. They also take on the roles of mythical creatures with the aid of masks and puppetry. It is a story of love between the title characters that is blocked by village and family prejudices. The question of whether they can overcome those prejudices is played out in the supernatural realm. At one point the two of them are discussing a magical charm: he says something like, “a charm can’t harm us,” and she responds, “but people can,” expressing the power of belief in such things. This seems to be the essence of the play.

Although the overall intent was apparent, I had trouble following the story and the frequent changes in characters, who was talking to who at times. There was a brief explanation near the start of the play about their changing roles, which was helpful, but I was often confused about who was talking to who. Still I was very glad to have seen the play.

Jeremy Hull