Wastelands is the story of the last human on Earth, Hero, and her last 3 years in “plastic purgatory” otherwise known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The performance begins with a tragedy, one which only seems to really matter to Hero, but we are brought along to help find the perpetrators and bring them to justice. Hero introduces her collection of garbage puppets, Wilsonesque (Castaway) creations of hers, who act as treasurer, secretary, Vice President, and the chair of recreation committee. With these creations and a plethora of swear words she tells us about how they ended up on the island and why it’s pointless to try to leave. Highlights of the show include the acid rain, national anthem, and the wonderful puppetry that brings the other 4 characters to life. Savanna Harvey builds a fantastical world for us and while the story is often funny it is unexpectedly sorrowful, frustrating, and intense. The work Harvey did with puppeteer coach Lindsey Zess allows the 4 puppets to become unquestionable characters with their own personalities and opinions on the situation as it unfolds. The venue presented its own unique challenges as bring your own venue stages often do. Positioned in a parking lot Harvey is at the whim of the weather, people cutting through the alley, business sounds and the Fringe Bar down the road. She did not let any of that distract her though and should be applauded for making the best out of a tough spot. It should be noted that the provided seating is garbage themed and as such not particularly comfortable. There are chairs in the back for those with mobility challenges. The venue accommodates about 30 people, so it’s a very intimate experience. Lighting is particularly tough in this area as early evening showings take you from dusk to night. Harvey has positioned bare bulbs around for light. Although thematically appropriate, they are tough on the eyes. Finding your check in spot and venue is a bit tricky so the instructions are in my video. Check in occurs at the BYOV c tent on the north side of Cartwright St. Wastelands by Pretentious Productions is playing in the Micon Parking Lot 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
Rachel and Zoe: Uncorked and Uncensored produced by PrettyUgly Theatre Productions performed at the Waterfront Theatre definitely gets pretty naughty at times. There’s nudity, sexual performances, coarse language, violent content, and of course, a whole lot of wine. For myself personally, some of the jokes and gags fell flat, but as the story progresses it turns out to get quite serious which for me made the performance much more enjoyable. This three person show portrays the effects dysfunctioning and abusive relationships have on one’s mental and physical health, and the performers, Hannah Gibson-Fraser and Jodi Morden, do a great job performing their emotional monologues. It’s not the show for everyone, especially if you’re uncomfortable seeing nudity up on stage and some of the dialogue feels stilted. However, it is an enjoyable performance, and Gibson-Fraser and Morden have created likeable characters that have a genuine friendship with each other. Rachel and Zoe: Uncorked and Uncensored by PrettyUgly Theatre Productions is playing 6 - 16 September at Waterfront Theatre as part of the 2018 Vancouver Fringe Festival. ~ reviewed by Jenna Masuhara
Rabbit Hole is written by David Lindsay-Abaire, and won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. So it is no surprise that it is an excellently constructed ensemble show, with very realistic dialogue and understandable human conflicts. This show is longer than most at Fringe, with a 95 minute running time, but every scene feels necessary and important. In another production, an intermission would be ideal. Rabbit Hole is about a family dealing with the loss of a child, which is difficult territory. But it is examined with precision by the script, and the script is, in turn, deftly handled by high quality actors. Every character is believable and real, and three-dimensional. My only complaint here would be inconsistent accents between siblings. Despite the difficult subject matter, the play is not as heavy or dark as one might expect. There are many laughs here and much is made out of WASPy concepts of what one should do, and how polite one should be, in various circumstances, regardless of how one feels. There are no villains here. There are simply very human characters trying to live life and move forward, in difficult circumstances. The inherent messiness that results is fascinating to watch. One aspect that was particularly interesting was the ongoing negotiations and conflicts between the various family members regarding what to hold onto and what to let go of, in the face of this loss. It was in these aspects that the brilliant subtlety of the script really shone. Production-wise, I found that the props were very good and had some nice details. The costumes were similarly appropriate, except for a pregnancy that fails to ever manifest itself in costume or behaviour. Whether you have experienced personal loss or not, this production is beautifully moving for all. Rabbit Hole by Frolicking Divas is playing at the VanCity Culture Lab 6 - 16 September as part of the Dramatic Work Series at the 2018 Vancouver Fringe Festival. ~ reviewed by Vanessa Marshall
No Belles is a heart-warming and entertainingly education play. This show is expertly and passionately pulled off and deserves the great success it has received since its debut in 2014. I hope this show continues touring for the next 4 years, 40 even! I hope that one day the scientific community will give this theatre company more women in science to include in their show. The current version of the show features 8 scientists, each of whom is spotlighted in a separate episode of the show. Each episode follows a different format – including slam poetry/rap, skits, sock puppets, letters, and illustrations – such that each episode is presented in a manner as unique as the woman it spotlights. Sonja’s Favourite Bits: Hearing the actors relate to some of their favourite scientists, describing why/how much they care about these women – both as scientists and as people. Their passion for the content is infectious and makes me want to go out and learn more! No Belles by Portal Theatre is playing at the False Creek Gym 6 - 16 September as part of the 2018 Vancouver Fringe Festival. ~ reviewed by Sonja Cvoric
Devon More is always a joy to see perform. In Flute Loops, as ever, musical talent, verbal skill, and physical grace are interwoven into seamless fabric. The simplest, clearest demonstration of this comes from the pedalboard, which is used to create the titular “loops”. More integrates the working of the pedals with her physical performance, controlling the sophisticated arrangement of samples through motions that seem effortless, accidental—to the point that we can almost believe the opening conceit of the show, that this entire performance is spilling out of her spontaneously as she waits for her boyfriend’s band to come on stage. Prospective theatre goers might be wondering about the educational content. This is about as deep a dive into quantum physics as a one-person symphonic orchestral poetic performance incorporating flutes and physical comedy can reasonably be expected to be. Devon’s descriptions of physical concepts are accurate up to a point, but they are mostly being used as the vessels of a more central creative idea, one that explores the role of science in the modern world and the objective of the human search for knowledge. (I discuss this more in the video review, which contains spoilers.) I did feel a little uncomfortable around the performer’s handling of Stephen Hawking. Perhaps the honorific of “Saint Hawking” and the imitation of his distinctive robotically synthesized speech patterns were meant to be affectionate, but to me both came off as sarcastic and perhaps a little in poor taste. I’m sure opinions will vary. Overall, I would recommend this as a fun, witty treatment of physics that informs and moves, even if it doesn’t (and probably can’t) explain things at a deep level. Also, if you’ve yet to see Devon More onstage, don’t miss this because Flute Loops is Devon More in top form. Flute Loops by Devon More Music is playing at the Cultch Historic Theatre 6 - 16 September as part of the 2018 Vancouver Fringe Festival. ~ reviewed by Mattias Martens
Levana Irena Prud’homme and Clay Nikiforuk’s collaborative piece, Life, Blood, Water is a unique and intimate look at an alternative narrative to clinical, normative, state-sanctioned understandings of pregnancy loss. This piece follows one woman’s personal narrative, as expressed through word and dance storytelling. Prud’homme and Nikiforuk perform in this piece and are joined by dancer Hayley Gawthrop. Prud’homme and Nikiforuk’s choreography and writing works well together to create a sombre and supportive story that poetically and politically examines ideas of body literacy. I really enjoyed this production and think this is an important piece for everyone, people with uteruses and without. My favourite part of the choreography was the dance implementing jars full of water; the dancer’s body movements were beautifully complemented by the swooshing sounds of the water in the jars. ~ reviewed by Sonja Cvoric
If you are looking for a poetic and nostalgic look at Vaudeville theatre, Charlie Petch has created a show that will take you both on stage and backstage of the Vagabond Theatre. This show is reminiscent of a time when theatre was the mainstay of entertainment and acts could be polished and tight or weird and wonderful. Mel Malarkey interacts with the audience pulling them in, teasing them and enjoying their reactions. This is a performer you can have fun with. Tell me what you think of the unusual instrumentation. Mel Malarkey Gets the Bum's Rush is playing at Performance Works 6 - 16 September as part of the 2018 Vancouver Fringe Festival. ~ reviewed by Melody Owen
La Palabra en el Tiempo translates to ‘a word in time’, and this captures perfectly the way spoken word and Flamenco dance merge into this high energy piece. At times hypnotizing, the lead dancer Denise Yeo is one of those artists that’s so skilled in her technique that she’s able to move and play with the limits of the Flamenco forms. She flexes this expertise by using physical theatre to act out the accompanying poetry with the best sort of wild and silly dramatic movements. On the other hand, I found the poetry of Garth Martens too abstract in its form to detect any real story. Instead, it only served to distract and break up the flow of dancing in a way that I personally found grating. I think the fragmented and emotional words he lumped together were likely an attempt to mimic the emotional non-form of the strains of Andalucian gypsy languages spoken traditionally by Flamenco dancers as an element of the lyrics sung along with this form of dance. However, this needed to be clearer, and didn’t work for me. The singing was exceptional, and the guitarist really stood out as well. The costuming was wonderful as well. I recommend attending with an open mind, letting go of your perceptions of how Flamenco should perform itself and instead let your mind wander into the infectious rhythms, melodies and music of this Fringe- worthy piece. La Palabra En El Tiempo is playing at Studio 16 as part of the 2018 Vancouver Fringe Festival. ~ reviewed by Elizabeth Goode
The Lady Show – A Comedy Thing is smart, sexy, self-aware, and side-splittingly hilarious! It really delivers on the show’s tagline – “Putting the joy in feminist killjoy”. The creative team artfully and positively dissects topical discriminations in the news, pop culture, and society at large to unending laughter from the audience. In the past I have had numerous emotionally draining experiences lamenting the patriarchy, racism, sexism, and misogyny; often enlightening but draining nonetheless. Before seeing this show, I never thought I could come out the other side of this topic feeling as enlightened and uplifted as I did leaving The Lady Show. I was in such high spirits leaving this performance and the positivity and hilarity has stuck with me. I am so thankful and excited to have discovered this comedy show! Can’t wait to see what the comedic genius of Fatima Dhowre, Diana Bang, Morgan Brayton, and Katie-Ellen Humphries brings us next. Sonja’s Favourite Bits:
Missed the Mark for Sonja:
~ reviewed by Sonja Cvoric
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