2009 Fringe reviews - J-S

—J.T.

★★★★ JEM ROLLS’ leastest flops - (Venue 7: VCAD at UCW) It’s hard not to love Jem Rolls. With a philosophy degree, a fierce commitment to the power of the spoken word, and an enviable record for garnering nothing but four- and five-star reviews, this bohemian bard from England is Fringe gold. A forceful poet-ranter, the sweat-shiny Rolls has the charisma of a punk rocker—so it’s only fitting that his current sortie is akin to a “greatest hits” tour where he mostly reprises the so-called leastest flops from his shows of earlier years. A social satirist armed with the instincts of a standup comic —his subjects range from mindless museum goers in France to an appraisal of history from a perspective ridiculing English arrogance—the funny and passionate Rolls is ultimately a word-conjurer who loves squeezing the English language into new shapes as he turns thinking into an exciting mixture of play, sport and theatre. 

—R.M.

★½ The Journey Is Not Done Quickly - (Venue 4: St. Andrews School) A dark Russian folk tale featuring the Tsar’s son Ivan, the Great Grey Wolf, and a peculiar narrator, The Journey is Not Done Quickly is a tale about choices where writer-actor Ken Lang leads us through Ivan’s bleak journey towards his “happily ever after.” In its best moments Journey utilizes the stage fantastically, leading the audience’s eye with great craft. Unfortunately, technical difficulties on opening night multiplied like rabbits: an excess of strobe lights, dropped lines, awkward pauses and overuse of music nearly ruined some otherwise fine performances. All in all, some scenes go on a little too long and the script couldn’t decide whether it wanted to be true to its dark Russian origins or be more comic, which lead to a forced and often disjointed feel to the piece. Overall, this wolf needs to give his tale a good brushing.

—E.G.

★★★½ Lavignia: A Modern Fairy Tale of Gigantic Proportions - (Venue 3: Wood Hall) Poor Lavignia—she’s a high-energy eight-year-old who’s just too darn big for her age; like, eight feet tall and 300-plus pounds. Yep, Lavignia’s a giant on a fairy-tale search for a place she can fit in—but don’t come expecting anything in the Shrek line. Instead, writer-actor Tara Travis has crafted a charming fable that speaks to the child in all of us—even to actual children, a rarity at the Fringe. And while cynics could easily dismiss this as merely the latest entry in the “awkward young girl” Fringe genre, Lavignia is just too darn cute (and smart) for that, likely due to the assistance of director-dramaturge Ryan Gladstone (whose Seven Lives of Louis Riel plays in venue 4). If you’re put off by the notion of big gestures, goofy faces and high-energy performances, better pick another show; but for the rest of us, this remarkably endearing tale is a treat for anyone willing to feel like a kid again.

—J.T.

★★★ Like a Virgin - (Venue 6: Intrepid Theatre Club) Jimmy Hogg may be a virgin—at least to the Victoria Fringe—but it’s clear this likable Englishman is a pro when it comes to dishing out lurid personal anecdotes to a receptive audience. Things get off to a slow start when he portrays a shrieky, nine-year-old version of himself experiencing pre-sexual moments in the school playground. Then it’s encounters with a porn mag, followed by a humiliating lecture on the birds and bees by his mom, who was drunk at the time. By the time he’s 16 and dating a gal with a too-firm grasp of how to show a fellow a wanking good time, Hogg is in full flight and the audience is in stitches. The confidently presented Virgin is often wickedly funny, but the subject matter is a bit too familiar. Happily, Hogg is an appealing rogue—and one with a knack for lobbing gifted ad-libs, many of which are wacky meta-theatre tropes.   

—R.M.

★★★★½ The Macbeths - (Venue 1: Downtown Community Activity Centre) Maria Lakes’ abridged Macbeth strips Shakespeare’s great tragedy down to the madness at its heart. Turned loose on a bare stage under chilling blue lights, The Macbeths haunts the audience from scene one straight through to its bloody end 65 minutes later. Lakes’ alter ego as the prophetic witch twirls, coos and mutters the plot into motion; her eccentricity, however, is slowly eclipsed by the trembling, yelping madness that consumes Serge Saika’s Macbeth and the merciless cries, pleas and stomps from his Lady (Lakes again). Shakespeare’s large supporting cast is mostly absent; the murderous couple’s unanswered pleas and empty surroundings offer no remorse and the quick pace of the adaptation runs actor and character alike ragged. Shakespeare’s faithful will marvel at the subtly rearranged finale. While it may be a bit daunting to those unfamiliar with Shakespeare, The Macbeths proves just how good a show can be with a little stage and a little madness.

—C.F.

★★★★ Missed Connections - (Venue 1: Downtown Community Activity Centre) What do you do in the 21st century when you need a second shot at first-sight love? Place an anonymous personal ad on the internet, of course! Missed Connections, written and directed by UVic students of 47th Place Productions, explores with very funny results the risks, benefits and awkwardness that ensues when John and Anna’s personal lives are trusted to Craigslist. The script could use a few tweaks (I wonder whether the dialogue alienated some older members of the audience) and opening night had a couple of small technical problems (music was a little loud, lighting a little low), but the show delivers on charm, never lags and has some genuinely hilarious moments, especially when it pokes fun at the popularity and ease of voyeurism in the age of social networking. With a few more performances, this one’s a winner—and it’s always nice to validate a guilty pleasure.

—J.S.

★★ Monday News - (Venue 2: Metro Studio) This “musical comedy telethon” to revive the Times Colonist’s Monday edition falls short of its political potential. Despite one or two solid performances and the odd catchy tune, The Monday News largely misses its mark (and occasionally its lines). Those expecting a biting satire of B.C.’s media and government will find the show short on local content (much like daily newspapers of late) and featuring bizarre cameos from the likes of Hulk Hogan. The combination of skits and jingles relies on tired critiques of bureaucracy and bourgeoisie and the impersonations seem more about costume than character. Though the enthusiastic troupe earned more than a few laughs from the audience, they were far between. Ultimately, this show follows its format too closely and becomes much like an actual telethon, complete with so-so performances and too much filler.

—E.G.A.

★★★★ Moving Along - (Venue 6: Intrepid Theatre Club) Maybe it was the heat, but Sunday’s crowd wasn’t really sure what to do with Chris Craddock’s Moving Along. Despite the fact it was blisteringly funny, fast and furious (“This is usually a funny show,” Craddock commented during the five-second intermission) it took a little bit of warming up before the Edmonton-based performer started earning his well-deserved laughs. This engaging one-man show, seen earlier this year as part of the Belfry’s Spark Festival, has Craddock sitting in an electric chair, manipulating various lights as he launches into a fast-paced monologue about his life. Craddock is a skilled performer who can turn from between funny and insightful on a dime. While at times the poignancy seemed a bit forced, this is still a hilarious and heartfelt show not to be missed.

—A.F.

★★★★ Not Fit for Flight - (Venue 6: Intrepid Theatre Club) Treena Stubel’s new solo dance work about a lonely, strung out ‘50s housewife is mesmerisingly bizarre. While struggling to complete daily chores such as baking a pie or sweeping the floor, our heroine drifts off into a dream world, listening to radio programs about grasshoppers, intersecting strange phone calls and fantasizing about escape. The intimate venue and Stubel’s engaging, full-on performance make this a stellar show. Part dance, part theatre, all surreal, this is a tale of desperation and loneliness from the era of quaaludes. Bonus points for using one of my favourite Explosions in the Sky songs—the aptly named “So Long, Lonesome”—as a closer.

—A.F.

★★★★½ Oh Winnipeg! A Surprising Musical Memoir - (Venue 6: Intrepid Theatre Club) John Pippus’s Oh Winnipeg! takes us on a trip through the Vancouver-based musician’s quest for stardom, from his beginnings as a kid in Winnipeg to a lengthy stint in Montreal in the ‘70s to his eventual settlement on the West Coast. The one-man show is punctuated with tales and impressions of his family members, descriptions of pivotal moments in his life and musical interludes containing both original tunes and ones he’s found inspirational. While this wasn’t a tale of my time (I’d add a half-star to this review for folks of the boomer generation), Pippus’ genuine and enthusiastic presence made this a thoroughly enjoyable show. Pippus’ transitions between characters were a bit slow, but overall this is still a charming and touching tale of one man’s journey to become a full-time musician—and the roundabout way he finally achieved it. If you were glued to the TV the night the Beatles played the Ed Sullivan show, don’t miss this great little play.

—A.F.

★★★½ The Peter ‘n’ Chris Show! - (Venue 1: Downtown Community Activity Centre) Add two more names to the ever-expanding list of talented UVic theatre grads. Peter Carlone and Chris Wilson’s Peter ‘n’ Chris Show is an utterly hilarious showcase of these two talented comic actors. Peter and Chris are young, “funemployed” actors trying to make ends meet—and when Peter decides it’s time to bite the bullet and get a job, Chris isn’t impressed. This simple plot is merely used as a jumping-off point for the pair’s ridiculous adventures, such as wrangling squirrels, foiling an attempted murder or having a near-fatal run-in with a discarded six-pack ring. The pair needs to work a bit on structure (while the employment plot was a great vehicle, the beginning was a bit weak and the audience was confused about when the show ended) but this is still well worth seeing. Packed with film references, great comedic timing and witty writing, Peter ‘n’ Chris is an hour-long journey into hilarity.

—A.F.

★★★★ pornStar - (Venue 5: Victoria Event Centre) When a small-town librarian finds out she’s been nominated in the “Best Amateur” category for a porn tape she never knew she was in, her reaction isn’t quite what we’d expect. And why would it be? Writer Chris Craddock (Moving Along, playing in venue 6, and the earlier-seen BASH’d) is no stranger to wry sexual politics and his pornStar offers a fast-paced and often quite funny satire of conservative Canadian politics, Christian hypocrisy and small-town sensibilities. Featuring a strong ensemble of characters—including an “omnisexual” sex columnist, a dead teenager and the refreshingly uninhibited title character—all played by perkily engaging (but a tad young) solo performer Anne Wyman (with the assistance of a few recorded unseen voices), pornStar succeeds despite a somewhat rushed pace and a script that’s actually better written than it is performed here. Well worth seeing, especially in the company of someone with an open mind.

—J.T.

★★★★½ The Power of Ignorance - (Venue 7: VCAD at UCW) Feeling unsatisfied and unfulfilled with your life? Maybe you’re just thinking about everything too hard. Join the man they call Vaguen as he releases the power of your ig by unlocking the hidden secrets of ignorance in this hilarious solo motivational-speaker spoof (at least we hope it’s a spoof). While the idea of tearing a strip off the new age isn’t all that fresh, writer-actor Chris Gibbs (with an assist by TJ Dawe) is just so darn smooth and feckless here that he can wring laughs from the house with the barest raised eyebrow. Yes, the material is funny but it’s more Gibbs’ performance that had me in stitches—especially his subtle mispronunciations and sly gestures. Shave a half-star for going on a tad too long and stealing a blatant Monty Python accent (the mysterious Ignorati sound exactly like the Spanish Inquisition), but this is still one of the Fringe’s best comedy bets.

—J.T.

★★★★½ Pretty Little Instincts - (Venue 13: Point Ellice House) A quirky tea party hosted by mute ghosts adorned in their finest Audrey Hepburn blacks, Pretty Little Things is the latest from locals SNAFU Dance Theatre—and it’s well worth venturing out of the downtown Fringe zone to see. The living green stage of Point Ellice House’s yard provides a vivid contrast (and an appropriately Victorian setting) for SNAFU’s stark butoh visuals and Hansen’s exploration of social conformity and proper behaviour. While the intentional repetition of some of the choreography reminded me of early Kate Bush videos (never a bad thing), other moments effectively captured the interior motives and exterior appearances of our at-times suffocating lives—all the while hinting at the animal nature lurking just below the societal veneer. Provocative and engaging—and, at times, wonderfully silly—Pretty Little Instincts is the kind of Fringe experience you’ll talk about for years to come. (“Remember that one with the painted naked people dancing on the lawn? No, the other one, the one with the tea cups.”)

—J.T.

★★½ The Return of Sex - (Venue 1: Downtown Community Activity Centre) Never has sex bored me . . . until now. The Return of Sex is a self-righteous and overly academic lecture that, at the best of times, feels like a 1950s educational film. It’s 2072 and, for some ridiculous reason, the government has outlawed human touch to stop diseases like HIV from spreading. Dr. Dipuc (Evan Roberts) takes the podium to tell us that we all need to stop the nonsense and start touching again. Forget those pleasure robots we use as masturbatory devices, he says, and let’s start having human-on-human lovemaking again. Fine, but this is all preaching to the choir . . . for a long, full hour. Conflict comes when two other doctors who emerge from the audience; one, the beautiful Dr. Spencer, Dipuc converts and seduces in a matter of minutes. But the contrived and incomprehensible plot and unlikeable robotic characters make you wonder why The Return of Sex is needed at all.

—J.R.

★★★★½ The Seven Lives of Louis Riel - (Venue 4: St. Andrews School) A somewhat historical interpretation of one of Canada’s most controversial characters, Seven Lives brings to light the many views on the Métis leader with wit and insight. The show straddles comedy and drama while traversing genres from film noir to campfire story with endless energy and charm. This engrossing and extraordinary tale captures our muddled history as well as the complexity of a single man, while earning laugh after laugh. Perhaps not a show for the kids (there are some dirty bits), but an educational and interactive piece of history. The writing is smart, the subject fascinating and Ryan Gladstone is a truly intrepid performer; Louis Riel is a fringe winner.

—E.G.A

★★★ shortened- (Venue 7: VCAD at UCW) Past-Fringers the Saucy Fops return with Shortened, another on the list of this year’s sketch-comedy entries.  Alas, like so many sketch-based shows, some of these skits are funny (notably the first and last) while others miss the mark and at least one—a squirm-in-your-seat Christmas tale about an asshole father—goes on way too long with no real payoff at the end. Based on previous shows, I find the Fops are most enjoyable when they’re focussed on their characteristic fast-paced verbal gymnastics (that’s the first skit, a clever bit of self-parody about a play’s script that’s just too damn long) and strong physical comedy (that’s the last, a hilarious tennis match-cum-massive ego stroke). Call this one a fun option if your A-list show is sold out.

—J.T.

★★★½ Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me  - (Venue 4: St. Andrews School) Though it doesn’t throb with meaning, this MBUH production of Frank McGuinness’ poignant play about psychological survival is both solid and comfortable. With extremely smooth direction by Darcy Stoop (of UVIC’s Phoenix Theatre) and impressive performances by three more local students, the show somehow has the audience laughing far more than brings a lump to their throats. Apart from delightful plays-within-the-play, Someone doesn’t stray from the expected but remains contained within a narrow tunnel where breakdowns—and breakthroughs—are cycled to no end. That, along with a spare and unchanging set, and a runtime of 100 minutes (20 longer than expected), effectively keeps the audience hostage alongside the characters . . . without ever making them feel shackled to their seats. Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me is like a book you read for school: You might never go back to it, but you’re glad you took it in at least once.

—R.C.

★ ½ SpeakEasy: Nouns Are People Too  (Venue 12: Paul’s Motor Inn)
When Missie Peters randomly pulled the Queen of Clubs out of a box, she declared, “Sometimes ya gotta take a gamble.”  This is exactly what Dave Morris and Peters did in the 50-minute show, SpeakEasy when they chose to put on a night of improvised spoken word. Drawing random nouns out of a box didn’t seem to inspire the poetry out of Morris and Peters, which was disappointing because that is just what they claimed to be able to do. Sure, Morris had some funny lines, which a master of improvisation should be able to throw out there, and Peters had two moments where her words were charming and even raised a couple of goose-bumps.  But two moments?  Out of an hour-long show?  I expected more. Contrastingly, Paul’s Motor Inn was a perfect place to enjoy the Fringe, and maybe, with another night, you’ll get luckier than me.
—Alina Cerminara

★★ Straight from that Side of Town  - (Venue 6: Intrepid Theatre Club) Straight from that Side of Town is bizarre, exceptionally crude and insane for all the wrong reasons. Trace Morgan’s (Catherine Montgomery) mom died and now she takes us on a tour of how bad it messed her up. There is no comedy here, as the program guide suggests, as Montgomery’s character proves 10 times more insanely fractured than Heath Ledger’s Joker. Substitute his guns and knives for a raging and shameless libido and you have Straight’s Trace. Providing her own rimshots with a twitch and a “Boom,” the protagonist jabbers on about her twisted, trailer-park version of love, at one point miming intercourse in two handfuls of positions. Nothing is clear here other than the fact that the protagonist has a mommy complex. The end came when Montgomery said, “That’s it.” Perhaps it could be something more, but I would be surprised if this show can rise from its own grave.

—J.R.