Sapphire Butterfly Blue

MTYP’s Summer Studio—MTYP – Mainstage

An excellent and unique interpretation of a glimpse in time of the trial of Bridget Bishop in the Salem Witch Trials. The transition moments flowed so well. The voice of one spoken by many gives power today to the voiceless of yesterday. May all voices be heard in the days of tomorrow, especially those who are persecuted unjustly. A must see for all youth and adults too! Thanks to the writer, directors, stage hands & performers that made this possible, keep on doing great work together.

Koreen Hrizai

Broadway at the Blue Elephant

7 Ages Productions—Théâtre Cercle Molière

4 singers meet to sing their favourite show tunes on the topic of love. At least that’s what I assume the subtext of the play was. Don’t let the cute little stuffy elephant in the corner fool you. That is the only connection to the Blue Elephant the play will ever make. The show was a park and bark to show off the impressive vocal skills of the four singers. They were incredibly gifted and sang the songs beautifully. If show tunes aren’t your thing this is not the show for you. The actors sing, bow, and make way for the next song. I wish there had been a bit of dialogue in between songs to either explain the songs meaning to the singer or even just to give a premise on how these singers knew each other. Not enough meat to make this play a meal.

Kaitlyn Kriss

Neechies

Broken Record Productions—CCFM Pauline-Boutal Hall

Irreverent, whacky, cute, silly and just plain fun!

I just want to stay home and watch Jane Eyre, but my bickering best friends bring my world down,
crumbling before my eyes! Can Shouty Pants and Nosey Pants help these neechies put it all back together?

Ray Yuen

Sapphire Butterfly Blue

MTYP’s Summer Studio—MTYP – Mainstage

This show was sensational! It is a brilliantly choreographed, gripping, and powerful contemporary show. A most creative way to tell the story about the first Salem witch trial. I found myself captivated from the very first moment of the show, and enraptured the entire time. I wept, was astounded and shaken by the dialogue, and impressed with the way the choreography added to the storytelling. I had a particularly visceral reaction to the show in the sense that I am enraged and can empathize with those women. The sense of hysteria and terror was tangible as we saw how fear makes fools and they punish the innocent. It’s a poignant, compelling and breathtaking show. The costumes and set/lighting design were also incredibly well done. This show is a MUST SEE.

Calantha Jensen

Laughing Yoga – The Musical

Laughing Lion Wellness Therapy—CCFM Pauline-Boutal Hall

WHY?!

Why why why why why why wouldn’t you classify this as a kids’ show? There is not a stitch of adult, or even teen humour here. All of the songs, gags and gimmicks are geared towards the very young, or the very young at heart.

What about those who are not young at heart? They left the show—in droves. Twenty minutes in, half
the audience was gone. I would have been gone too if I didn’t have an obligation to see it through before writing about it.

All the material is juvenile at best, puerile at worst. If you have young children, give it a try. If you’re a child in an adult’s body, sure, maybe. Everyone else? It’s probably not for you.

Ray Yuen

At The Table with Keith Brown

Keith Brown—Alloway Hall – Manitoba Museum

I used to think I didn’t care much for magic until I saw Keith Brown many years ago at the Fringe. Now I won’t miss his show and heartily recommend it to everyone I love. He’s so warm and wonderful with his audience. Not only did he have the packed crowd oohing and gasping ’how did he do that?’ throughout; he also is a superb storyteller. His true story of the Icelandic President and is family is charming. It warms my heart to hear how sincerely performers love our Fringe. Keith literally choked up on stage about how happy he was to be back. His magic really is amazing but his total package of personality and performance just bring this show over the top! He’s going to be sold out, so get your tix in advance!

Lisa Campbell

Flourish

Yours Queerly, Arts Collective—CCFM Pauline-Boutal Hall

Hello? Is this the Common Mycelial Network? Yes? I’m looking for some mushrooms? The kind you
take that gives you hallucinogenic effects? No? The Manitoba government shut you down? Damn. I guess I’ll just smoke some dope. I don’t really know what’s going on in this show but I’m sure some dope and early Pink Floyd will help me along.

Ray Yuen

A Wpg Stand-up Show

Gray Productions—Exchange Events Centre

Tim Gray is on every night showing off four very talented comedians to the good people of Fringe. The talent is undeniable. A veteran of the Winnipeg comedy scene, Tim brought some heavy hitters out with him to make the crowd laugh. Like any comedy show, some of the jokes didn’t land or weren’t my cup of tea. Some of the transitions were messy or clunky and one bit by one of the comics ran way way way too long. That being said I did belly laugh at most of the material. If you like stand up comedy this is well worth any price to come see!

Kaitlyn Kriss

The Barbarian Bombshells

The Barbarian Bombshells—

This is one of those shows that needs the audience to fuel the action. I’m not sure they would pull it off if there are only a few people in the audience. As well, as they point out often, it also works better if people have been drinking. Today’s run, at 11 am, means that the bar at the Warehouse isn’t even open yet.

Without the assistance of alcohol, it starts a bit slow, with some off-colour jokes that don’t click right away. Fortunately, the audience recruits are a load of fun themselves, which injects a large dose of adrenaline. The second half of the show picks up speed fast and most everyone ends up having a good time. The costumes and props? Top notch!

Ray Yuen