FRINGE: 2 SPOOKY TEEN plays
These kids today – with their “fire” and their “wheel.” There’s going to be trouble, mark my words. Mark them, I say! Many uniformed opinions have been offered about modern teenagers, but few people (some parents included) have taken the time and effort to truly understand what it means to be a kid today. Some […]
FRINGE: 3 IMPROV! plays
Everybody’s favourite game show has returned! Edmonton’s renowned Rapid Fire Theatre presents another year of The Big Stupid Improv Show (Stage 17). The ever-changing cast of the Fringe’s most talented improv artists are Edmonton’s hidden gems of underground comedic culture. Among the cast is the frequent Fringer Mark Meer of Gordon’s Big Bald Head and […]
FRINGE MASTERS (Part 3): Bravo Brio! T.J. Dawe!
Stewart Lemoine’s main offering this year is unlike anything he has ever written before. He calls it A Lesson in Brio (Stage 12). It’s not really a lesson. It’s not a play. Or a musical. At times, it’s quite funny – but it’s not a comedy. The playwright gives a few clues as to what […]
FRINGE: 4 plays about SEX
It used to be that a guy could grab a brewski and check out some gratuitous female nudity at the Fringe festival – and not have to think about what it meant. Not so much anymore. Times have changed. For the better! From harbouring “shameful” secrets, we are in a modern age of lively and […]
FRINGE: 3 hilarious COMEDIES
The program notes for Blarney Productions’ Tragedy: A Tragedy (Stage 3) suggest a take on how a modern TV news organizations might report on the end of the world. It quickly becomes apparent that it’s not really the end of the world at all – just the usual coming of night. As a reporter observes, […]
FRINGE: 2 plays from UNEXPECTED artists
Walk (Stage 17) is unexpected because it is a new method of expression from one of Edmonton’s best writers – the Edmonton Journal’s Liane Faulder, and this is her stage version of a true story. The results demonstrate that she is a promising playwright. About 10 years ago the columnist wrote a book, The Long […]
FRINGE: 2 great STORYTELLING shows
AWKWARD HUG (Stage 11) is the perfect show to see if your family was a little weird, and you always felt a little out of place. Actor and playwright Cory Thibert takes you back in time to 2009 when he was just 19 years old. His story recounts his family’s move from their old house […]
FRINGE 5 out of 5: Xanadu a spirited send-up on wheels!
Xanadu: The Musical – at the Edmonton Fringe on Stage 25 (Strathcona High School) – was a daring Broadway experiment. The original reference is to a favourite Victorian poem. The verse inspired a 1947 Rita Hayworth movie, Down To Earth. The story is about a gorgeous Greek Muse who descended from Mount Olympus to thwart […]
FRINGE: You can’t HANDEL this brilliant musical!
You may have seen a touching coming-out-of-the-closet tale at the Fringe – but never one like this. And you may have seen a Broadway show tune revue – but never one like this. Elegantly combined in Handel: The Musical! (Stage 16), the result is sublime. George Frederick Handel is arguably the most popular composer who […]
FRINGE REVIEWS: 4 plays about DEATH
British performer Rob Gee was plagued with problems on the opening night of his new Fringe show, Death – A Romantic Comedy (on Stage 5). First there was an unfortunately-timed fire alarm, delaying the opening by precious minutes. He also told us that some git had nicked his pants – so he had to perform […]
FRINGE 5 out of 5: Scorch an enthralling revelation
Scorch (Stage 28) is based on the true story of the British schoolgirl who was found guilty of posing as a Goth boy to get another teenage girl into bed. She was charged and went to prison. This event, chronicled in Britain but largely unknown here, is the obvious basis for this play – but […]
REVIEW: Classic Canadians thrive at Rock Fest
Edmontonians waking up yesterday morning to head down to Hawrelak Park for Day 2 of the eighth annual Edmonton Rock Music Festival might have felt a bit of relief: While they knew they’d be losing a bit more of their hearing throughout the day, at least they’d be able to breathe without putting themselves at […]
