Staycation Edmonton Fringe Festival 2 Stars Sometimes a silly show can be irreverent and fun, and sometimes – well, it is just a disorganized mess.   Both of these actors are likeable, and they seem to be having a genuine good time.  However, there is a not-so-fine line between well-executed physical comedy and a show […]

Piaf and Brel: The Impossible Concert Edinburgh Fringe Festival 5 Stars Melanie Gall is a musical marvel.  An international performer trained in opera (wait for those ‘Queen of the Night’ high notes!) Gall showcases her cabaret chops in her one-woman cabaret, Piaf and Brel: The Impossible Concert.   Gall treats the audience to a concert […]

Robin Hood: The Panto Edinburgh Fringe Festival 3 Stars   An enjoyable Panto in true British style: Robin Hood, presented by Pumpkin Pantos.  This show had eye-catching costumes, clever songs, and an enthusiastic audience.   However, it also had major sound issues throughout.  This makes it quite hard to actually review, because it was likely […]

All KIDding Aside Edinburgh Fringe Festival 4 Stars All KIDding aside is a mix of confessional-monologue, physical theatre and mask, used to explore performer Christel Bartelse’s dilemma of if she will (or won’t… or can…or can’t…) have a baby.   This show was well-executed, with compelling mask work and thoughtful dialogue.  Bartelse is clearly a […]

Clowntown Edinburgh Fringe Festival 5 Stars Clowns have had a bad rap recently, and as a lifelong fan of clowning, it was a pleasure to see a well-executed, family-friendly, thoroughly enjoyable clown show.  Clowntown is a whimsical mix of jokes, magic, music and stories, presented by Canadian clowns ‘Patti’ and ‘Dandy’.   The honest camaraderie […]

Blindside Potashcorp Fringe Festival 4 Stars   A fresh take on the one-actor confessionals, this original, well-told story relates the life of Stéphanie Morin-Robert, who, having lost one eye at an early age, tells the tale of how she came of age with kisses, crushes and a glass eye.   Morin-Robert describes her glass eye […]

Ain’t True and Uncle False Potashcorp Fringe Festival 4 Stars Paul Strickland’s Ain’t True and Uncle False is a comical, poignant romp that melds an end-of-life event with the whimsical happenings in a fictitious trailer park. Strickland, a sort of modern L. Frank Baum, creates a pun-filled world, with a half-dozen memorable and likeable characters. […]

Curious Contagious Potashcorp Fringe Festival 4 Stars Curious Contagious is a creative, original and clever story, told by using shadow puppets, costume pieces, and slides. The accompanying original music is well-recorded, and adds to the overall ambiance and feel of the piece. Both of the puppeteers are incredibly talented, and have created a fascinating and […]

Deception Edinburgh Fringe Festival 5 Stars Craig Stephenson is a marvel.   His new Edinburgh Fringe show, Deception, is a delightful mix of magic, mentalism and menagerie.  Stephenson asserts throughout the show that he does not actually read minds, and his skills are merely an astute mix of observation and heightened awareness.  However, the feats which […]

Shark Weak: Nothing to Fear Winnipeg Fringe Festival 4 Stars   Who knew fear would sell so well?   Comedian and actor Shelby Bond returns to the Winnipeg Fringe, with a thoughtful, funny and well-crafted exploration of fear: What is reasonable to fear, how to face one’s fears, and…sharks.   Bond is personable and charming […]