I had high hopes for Dyck Spacee – A Spy-Fi Improvised Radio Play based on the description in the Fringe program. As the show unfolded I realized it was heavy (in costuming and content) on the noir and mysterious circumstances, with minimal elements of sci-fi. My night saw the cast of 6 Slapjack City Radio members put on the radio play instalment, Dyck Spacee and the Environmental Activist. As someone with more of a familiarity and interest in sci-fi than noir detective stories, I was a little bored during this instalment. I was underwhelmed by the sci-fi content: we got slime where I had been wishing for aliens, spaceships, or robots.

Upon reflection after the show though, I think the team was highly successful in making the slime central to the environmental activist mystery plot and neatly tying up the story (and solving the case!) in the allotted amount of time.

Sonja’s Favourite Bits:
The foley table with equipment to make the sound effects made a great centre piece and added an interesting element to the improv.

Missed the Mark for Sonja:
Would have loved (and been more engaged by) more sci-fi content.  

Dyck Spacee – A Spy-Fi Improvised Radio Play is playing at the Improv Comedy Institute 6 - 16 September as part of the 2018 Vancouver Fringe Festival.

~ reviewed by Sonja Cvoric

This was a really enjoyable show. A touching look into our treatment of old people in our society, especially those with dementia and Alzheimer's as well as how the system treats those who look after them. Patients with these illnesses can so often get violent and aggressive. This, combined with the stresses and lack of support for nurses who care for them, can really burn out caregivers and de-humanize them who, in turn, de-humanize their patients. It is an important show to make us more aware of the sensitivity that is needed and how much systems like the NHS need to change. This is not just relevant to the UK treatment systems though.

I liked the Whodunnit aspect, it made it a little more entertaining and humourous, but I think once it was established it was put aside a little, to establish the other characters and possible suspects in a way that almost made you forget the whodunnit part and get lost in the new characters. Perhaps there is a way of introducing them that still feels much a part of the whodunnit mystery.

Gee uses music and lights to add depth to some characters and scenes. Worth seeing is his detective character that speaks in idioms and proverbs that are completely mashed together with other similar meaning idioms and proverbs. This performance is flawless and just when you think you won't laugh at it again, you find yourself chuckling again at his delivery. A must see whether you have any connection the Alzheimer's or not.

Forget Me Not - The Alzheimer’s Whodunnit by Rob Gee is playing at the Revue Stage 6 - 16 September as part of the 2018 Vancouver Fringe Festival.

~ reviewed by Ferne Brown