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Adjunct Professor of Law at Washington and Lee University. CEO at Westmoreland Coal. CEO at Telescpectrum Worldwide. President and CEO at Jackson Hewitt. President and CEO at Farm Fresh Inc. This is not the CV of a Fringe performer. At least not usually. But this year Keith Alessi has come to Fringe to show as that even a recovering executive might have something to offer the arts. This show is exactly the kind of intimate and vulnerable performance we come to the Fringe to see. I am not particularly a banjo fan, but after seeing this show I now understand the appeal. Alessi weaves beautiful stories for us, some moving, some funny, but all are accompanied and enhanced by the 3 banjos he has on stage with him. For the banjo enthusiasts in the group you will be tickled by the occasional banjo joke and Alessi’s solo performances of some very famous songs, and one at least he wrote himself. Tomatoes Tried to Kill Me But Banjos Saved my Life has toured Canada’s Fringe scene from Toronto, through Edmonton and now in Vancouver. Next Alessi will be taking his show international and heading over to Australia. Working with a very talented group of performers, Alessi may be a newcomer to Fringe, but I don’t think it will be his last time charming an audience from the stage. Check out his website TomatoesTriedToKillme.com to enjoy some of Alessi’s favourite places, banjo builders and music. He is also offering comp tickets on his website, so if you feel like you need to see this show, but are tight on cash, you can email them and request one. Tomatoes Tried to Kill Me But Banjos Saved my Life is playing at Carousel Theatre 6 - 16 September as part of the 2018 Vancouver Fringe Festival. ~ reviewed by Brieanna Fiander
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Are there Vampires in Barcelona? Join Brian Cochrane as he takes you on a journey that includes love in Paris, train rides through Europe and maybe even some vampires hanging out at a bar in Barcelona. The story builds slowly as the narrator recounts Brian’s younger years and his adventures which started innocently with Brian following a girl to Europe. For proof Brian has some photographs that he projects on screen at random points throughout the show. Honestly, I didn’t think they added that much and would have loved to seen them used as the conclusion as ‘proof’ once the story had ended. Arts Umbrella is a small intimate theatre quite well suited to storytelling with the black walls and lack of intricate set allowing us to conjure up our images of the array of characters Brian meets along the way. One of my favourite parts were Brian’s asides, when he needed to add details the narrator didn’t share with us. A charming story that builds slowly and doesn’t disappoint. Vampires in Barcelona is playing at Carousel Theatre 6 - 16 September as part of the 2018 Vancouver Fringe Festival. ~ reviewed by Melody Owen
It is definitely worth a watch just to experience Jem Rolls' brain unfold and ingeniously manifest on stage through the means of poetry, interpretive dance and throwing himself around the stage. I felt smarter leaving the show. He really delves into what it is that makes us human, which is essentially being an idiot. His ideas are philosophical and almost need a second viewing just to process everything that he said and to ponder on the wisdom of it. It is a fast paced energetic show of chapters that tie together wonderfully. I thought it lacked an underlying story that linked all the chapters together somehow but the theme of idiocy and humankind is strongly held together throughout and he manages to keep your attention for the full hour. I'm not usually drawn to big word, or poetic performances but the Jem Rolls experience is definitely worth it and is far better than I expected. jem rolls: I IDIOT is playing at Carousel Theatre 6 - 16 September as part of the 2018 Vancouver Fringe Festival. ~ reviewed by Ferne Brown
This show is a wonderfully innocent experience. Katie Purych is just perfect as Mikaila. She plays her with so much energy and draws you into her world of imagination. I loved that her character was strong and didn't need rescuing but was the heroine in her stories and led the adventures. Andrew Wade plays Hullaboo with a tenderness that is so endearing to watch. The show delves into giving up your childhood and venturing into adulthood in a way that is heartbreaking. When the voice of the parents are heard urging Mikaila to leave her friend behind and grow up, you almost want to shout out at them to leave her and not take that imagination away from her, destroying that innocence and becoming a hardened adult. The show makes you reflect on your own life and wonder when the moment was where you stood on the precipice of adulthood and made the jump, letting go of your childhood and ability to disappear fully into your imagination. This really should be made into a full length movie. We need to let children keep hold of their imagination for as long as possible. This show is for all ages and I think kids would love it, so it is a shame that most of the shows are later at night. Bring your kids if you can but otherwise come and enjoy this heartfelt show, and if you have kids, then go home afterwards and play a made up game with them. Hullaboo and the End of Everything is playing at Carousel Theatre 6 - 16 September as part of the 2018 Vancouver Fringe Festival. ~ reviewed by Ferne Brown
Spinning You Home, written by Sally Stubbs, is performed as a stage reading for the Fringe festival. I thought Sarah Roa playing granddaughter Sarah and Simon Webb playing Grampa were both individually well-suited to their roles. However, I did not feel like their performances complemented each other very well. There were some moments in this piece when I felt the foley – which was excellent, not just excellent by comparison – was more engaging than the conversation between the two characters. I felt uneasy for most of this show about the level of conflict and contention between these two, and I just couldn’t fully understand their motivations for continuing to be around each other. I’m not sure if I felt this way because of the stage reading format, or the unfiltered script, or due to a general struggle to grasp the tone of the performance. I feel like this show had all the right ingredients for a compelling adventure tale – travel, history, storytelling (complete with believable sound effects), spooky ghostly elements, and difficult family members – but somehow did not come together in a way that I found significant or relatable. Spinning You Home by Spinners Collective is playing at Carousel Theatre 6 - 16 September as part of the 2018 Vancouver Fringe Festival. ~ reviewed by Sonja Cvoric Click "read more" for the full video transcript.Synopsis: The completely improvised church service for a religion made up on the spot! A joyous new comedy from Travis Bernhardt, creator of the award winning Charlatan!, Unpossible!, and Chris & Travis. Come sing, laugh, and pray together! Join Vancouver's own Travis Bernhardt on an exploration of the religion you've always wanted to be be a part of. This show is great fun. I definitely recommend seeing it if you want to see a show that will have you laughing and singing along. If you are a fan of improv, you will appreciate Bernhardt's incredibly quick wit and ability to run with an idea extensively. He definitely has the gift of the gab. I was hoping for more of a developed 'preacher' character that was clearly distinguishable from Bernhardt himself. There were moments that truly resembled a church service but then it seemed to drop off from being an actual sermon to him just riffing on the chosen subject matter philosophically. This show may not be for kids as it has some language, but if you are a fan of improv and want to have a good laugh during your fringe-ing, then come and see this show. Whether you are religious or not, it is immense fun. Unscriptured by Travis Bernhardt is playing at Carousel Theatre 6 - 16 September as part of the 2018 Vancouver Fringe Festival. ~ reviewed by Ferne Brown Click "read more" for the full video transcript. |
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