HAMILTON FRINGE FESTIVAL MINI-REVIEWS
HAMILTON CITY Magazine is taking in Hamilton Fringe Festival shows all across our city and delivering fast and fun reviews. Check them all out here! Fringe 2025 is 55 plays and 350 performances and runs until July 27.
* HAMILTON CITY Magazine's CRITIC'S PICK: A Canadian Explains Eurovision to (Other Canadians)
Performer/creator: Matti McLean
Venue: Mills Hardware
Until July 26
Tickets here
In the one-man, tour-de-force A Canadian Explains Eurovision to (Other Canadians), artist and performer Matti McLean frames an exploration of his queer identity using the vast and intricate history of Eurovision, the megapopular European song contest that rocketed such artists as Abba, Celine Dion and Loreen to superstardom. Though McLean starts off admitting he’s not much of a singer, what follows is a hysterical yet powerful exploration of his obsession with the singing contest, one where he deftly showcases his physical performance and musical chops. What’s so impressive about McLean’s show is how many layers he hits in his storytelling. Yes, it’s a fan’s guide to the glitzy gala of Eurovision. But it’s also a heartfelt personal dive into his childhood and adult relationship struggles. At the same time, it’s a fun hour-long romp for any audience member. In this, the show walks the perfect line between sexy and silly, revelling in an irreverence that is immediately relatable for anyone in love with a fandom. Although the music is sometimes overpowering, McLean makes excellent use of projections, which adds to the show’s depth. A lights-out performance, A Canadian Explains Eurovision to (Other Canadians) is a not-to-be missed hit at the Fringe. – Stephen Near
* HAMILTON CITY Magazine's CRITIC'S PICK: The Giant Space Monster That Ate Hamilton in 3-D
Writers: Larry Smith & Kristian Reimer
Directors: Larry Smith & Kristian Reimer
Venue: The Centre for Talking Arts
Until July 26
Tickets here
Oh no, a giant space monster is growing at an unfathomable rate, and is threatening to swallow the city of Hamilton entirely! Only Larry Smith and Kristian Reimer, who play several characters but primarily a Hamilton cop and McMaster professor, are dedicated and knowledgeable enough to save the city. Part vintage pulpy sci-fi comedy, (think Jaws) part puppet show, this proudly Hamilton production is one of the most innovative plays of this year’s Fringe. By intentionally limiting their physical space to mimic the set of a puppet show, Smith and Reimer challenge themselves to get as playful as possible with props, costuming, and numerous moustaches, which only increases the physical comedy and produces many a belly laugh. Setting their story within the Steel City naturally produces many local references and inside jokes, making The Giant Space Monster That Ate Hamilton in 3-D a guaranteed romp, and must-see, for any lover of this city. – Sarah Jessica Rintjema
* HAMILTON CITY Magazine's CRITIC'S PICK: Horseface
Playwright and performer: Alex Dallas
Director: Clare Barry
Venue: Theatre Aquarius Studio
Until July 26
Tickets here
Ah, the satisfaction when a show you thought would be great is, in fact, bloody marvelous! Horseface is a one-woman show written and performed by veteran Fringe storyteller and comedian Alex Dallas. As I said to a friend, you don’t accumulate (four!) decades of experience on the Fringe circuit unless you are either genuinely good, independently wealthy and/or a raging masochist (I suspect Dallas is neither of the latter). Despite the show’s synopsis, which alluded to the #MeToo movement and “handsy professors, train manspreaders, A-list fondlers, and pornography-cataloguing fathers,” I still managed to misjudge Horseface. I thought it would be “funny ha ha.” Turns out, Dallas is hilarious but the show is gritty and justifiably angry and tells it precisely how it is. It’s funny with plenty of bite. Drawing on episodes from her life, from childhood all the way to the present, Dallas examines the outrageous everyday cruelties, injustices, horrors and judgements that arise from patriarchal and misogynist social norms. Dallas eviscerates those men she’s encountered – often in positions of respect – who prey upon and take advantage of women and girls (often without conscious awareness). It’s razor-sharp, but never unfair. There are moments of vulnerability. It’s very funny – and a little sad – because it’s true. Don't miss it. – Allison M. Jones
Call Me Hutch
Cast: Paul Hutcheson
Venue: The Staircase | Elaine May
Until July 27
Tickets here
I would buy tickets to see Toronto’s Paul Hutcheson read from the phone book. Those are some confident words but Hutcheson delivers yet again in his hilarious new one-man show Call Me Hutch. This is his fourth show at Hamilton Fringe. I first saw Hutcheson perform at the 2017 Fringe with Stupefied. There is now a Stupefied 2, as well as a whole series of Hutch-branded comedy shows including Hutch in Halifax, Hutch in NYC, Hutch’s Storytime, and Hutch & Friends. He’s toured to over 30 festivals including Montreal, Winnipeg, Victoria and Orlando. We are of similar vintage as '70s-born Gen Xers. He grew up as an awkward queer kid in London, Ontario, and I grew up as a sensitive straight kid in Mississauga. As a result, the cultural references with which he peppers his autobiographical stories never fail to tickle my funny bone. When the stories hold poignancy or allude to the fact that it’s not always an easy world to navigate as a gay man, well, those resonate, too. Paul always sets a warm atmosphere at his shows, and makes audiences feel like his friends, friends he regales with his observations and many adventures, while poking gentle fun at the foibles of being human. It’s the kind of good time where you leave with a sore belly from laughing as well as a smile. – Allison M. Jones
Saad Sheikh’s “Get it Together!”
Writer and director: Saad Sheikh
Venue: The Centre for Talking Arts
Until July 26
Tickets here
This musical production is light on theatre, but heavy on pop – featuring nine original songs written and performed by musician Saad Sheikh. The pop songwriter’s two friends perform as backup dancers for lead Sheikh in between slices of dialogue narrating our pop star’s luckless love life. Catchy and lighthearted, the performance is high energy, but lacking in actual theatre. By adding more meat to the storyline and conversations, Sheikh and co. could elevate “Get it Together!” to a higher level of camp. – Sarah Jessica Rintjema
Red Hot Cherry Poppin Experience
Writer: Suzanne Cutler and Jason Thompson
Director: Jason Thompson
Venue: The Centre for Talking Arts
Until July 26
Tickets here
Raunchy, boisterous and sex-positive, Suzanne Cutler dominates both the stage, and her cast partner Jason Thompson, in Red Hot Cherry Poppin Experience, a stand-up comedy production about the sexual history of our lead character. Winthrope, Thompson’s sub butler character, is very comfortable humiliating himself on stage, and Cutler dishes out the commands with strength. Some of the jokes could be refined, as many lean too heavily into vulgarity as a substitute for more thoughtful sex-themed quips, which hint at inexperience. With time, practice, and much lubrication, I’m sure the folks behind Suck It Productions could earn the confidence to produce a plumper version of their sexy stand-up routine. – Sarah Jessica Rintjema
Minimum
Writer: Victoria Sullivan
Director: Brandon James Sim
Venue: The Player’s Guild of Hamilton
Until July 27
Tickets here
A new Ontario premier has been elected! With a soon-to-be ex-wife and a kooky Gen A aide, this win promises a brighter future for the slightly alcoholic Ontario representative. Until he gets too drunk out on the town, and promises on video to live out his time in office on minimum wage. Wacky troubles ensue, including a vengeful ex-wife, many drunken mistakes, and an aide working behind the premier’s back to write in some of his own personal policies. Minimum flexes a talented cast who deliver committed performances, albeit with somewhat confusing politics. This production swings at narcissistic, out-of-touch politicians, and provides us with easy caricatures to hate. – Sarah Jessica Rintjema
Let’s Start A Fake Cult: Nihilism, Narcissism, Hypnotism
Writer: Jake Cenk Koseleci
Director: Dexter Ico
Venue: Centre For Talking Arts
Until July 26
Tickets here
Koseleci is a father, business owner, student of philosophy, and most recently: artist. Reflecting on aging, fatherhood, existentialism and “coming out” as an artist, the founder of the Centre For Talking Arts walks us through several streams of consciousness, including stories from his childhood, and invites us to participate in his newest business venture.
Gaumukhi (Cow)
Writer: Kush Shah
Director: Kush Shah/Deval Soni
Venue: The Westdale
Until July 27
Tickets here
An existentialist solo-drama set against the backdrop of the 1992 Bombay riots, Gaumukhi (Cow) follows a cow as she navigates various identities amid difficult political and cultural tensions in India. With gorgeous visuals and music, The Ghare-Baire Collective produces a haunting, monologue-driven production scored with live Indian classical music. Cinematic and thought-provoking, Gaumukhi is worth attending more than once to catch every detail. – Sarah Jessica Rintjema
The Fruits that Rot in Our Bellies
Playwright and director: Kitoko Mai
Venue: Theatre Aquarius Studio
Until July 27
Tickets here
From playwright and director Kitoko Mai comes The Fruits that Rot in Our Bellies, an imaginative and multilayered ensemble piece about motherhood, identity, memory, trauma, and relationships. It feels like a film in the form of a stage play. The startling and evocative title sets the tone, particularly for the otherworldly scenes in which one of the central characters, Fimi, is confronted with troubling memories, visions and the presence of dead loved ones. What initially starts as a seemingly straight-forward scene of a dinner party with Fimi, their partner, their sibling and her partner, soon starts to spiral. The push and pull, and tension between siblings spills over to envelop their partners and one small apartment becomes a pressure cooker. Then there’s an increasing sense of dread as Fimi’s sanity begins to slip. This tale and its committed cast grab the audience’s attention and take it on a complex, original, and unsettling ride. – Allison M. Jones
A Very Queer Easter Pageant
Writer and director: Rebecca Casalino
Venue: The Player’s Guild of Hamilton
Until July 27
Tickets here
Hamilton’s Häus of the Holy Spirit presents a very queer retelling of the biblical story of Easter, featuring Jesus himself, Mary Magdalene, Judas, Peter, Thomas and the Virgin Mary, all played by Hamiltonian drag artists. Drag Race and RuPaul references are sprinkled throughout, lip-syncs to Billy Talent songs tell the majority of the story, and the cast’s glittering costumes are to die for. Execution could be improved with refined lip syncing, more emotional range for Jesus and cast, and some sort of visual display of the lyrics for those unfamiliar with Billy Talent’s discography.
Impatient Inpatient
Writer, director and performer: Rikki Wright
Venue: The Staircase | Elaine May
Until July 27
Tickets here
Performer Rikki Wright does what his fellow artists and comedians do so well, mining the slings and arrows of the human experience and turning them into moments of insight, laughter, beauty and inspiration. In his solo show, Impatient Inpatient, the British-born Oakville resident takes audiences through the harrowing accident in which he was struck while cycling by a car moving at significant speed, causing multiple serious injuries. He woke up, disoriented and battered, laying on a gurney in a Hamilton hospital. Wright’s show is mostly humorous, teasing a considerable amount of laughter out of the audience while describing the months-long experience of being isolated in hospital, dependent on strangers and the vagaries of our healthcare system. Peppered in with the funny and salty remarks, though, are some genuine insights and honest self-reflections. He notices the vital need for social connection, the differences in facilities at the hospitals in Hamilton and Oakville, the stretching thin of nurses’ time and attention. He recognizes the importance of patients advocating for themselves, or having someone to do so for them. Bureaucracy and passive gatekeeping can have very real impacts on patient health. Above all, he uncovers the quirkiness, generosity and sometimes selfish nature of the human condition, his own inner workings included. Wright is a very enjoyable storyteller and I’m glad he survived to tell the tale. – Allison M. Jones
Meat Market
Writers: Alex Boese and Shaun Soutar
Director: David Civcic
Venue: The Westdale
Until July 27
Tickets here
Newly out and queer, protagonist Fagabond downloads the fictional queer dating app Findr right before their first semester at college. Between creeps, weirdos, and closeted old classmates, Meat Market follows our lead through a journey of sexuality, identity and self-discovery. Meat Market Collective proved to be a talented group with great chemistry, owning the stage with the confidence of professionals while still managing to keep their cool during the silliest moments of the show. Hilarious, horny, and surprisingly emotional, Meat Market is one of the best productions Fringe 2025 has to offer, it’s a must see – especially for any and all queer theatre lovers.
– Sarah Jessica Rintjema
Liz, A Traumatic Comedy
Playwright: Liz Buchanan
Director: David Faulkner-Rundle
Producer: Renata Ona
Venue: The Staircase | Elaine May
Until July 27
Tickets here
Liz Buchanan is a long-time theatre creator, but this is her first one-woman show. That takes guts. When a play is autobiographical, it’s a vulnerable position for any playwright or performer. But when it delves into such deeply personal territory as Buchanan’s story does, that takes courage. As Liz, A Traumatic Comedy begins, its humour is evident. Buchanan describes her upbringing and young adulthood with earnestness and dry humour, revealing an early flair for the dramatic. She reveals herself as an idealistic, passionate person, desiring above all to help others and forward just causes. She pursues health science in university until she realizes it isn’t a good fit, struggling with a growing awareness that she may be a little “neurospicy.” As Buchanan settles into her story, she makes the audience feel like intimates. Her life has its quirks but things are good … until they aren’t. Something traumatic occurs, and try as she might to contain it, it grows and spills over – into her psyche, into her behaviour – until it cannot be suppressed any longer. With the same earnestness and authenticity, Buchanan leads her audience through the hard efforts she’s made to work through her pain. She evokes the notion of “kintsugi” in Japanese pottery, whereby fused edges of formerly broken bits are made in gold to acknowledge change. No matter what trauma or grief has impacted an individual audience member, when Buchanan acknowledges she still mourns the loss of her old self, it strikes an incredibly real, and poignant, chord. I hope we hear more from this playwright as she continues to develop her authentic voice. – Allison M. Jones
I’m Actually Right About Everything: A Bisexual Love Story
Writer and performer: Tracy Hamilton
Venue: The Staircase | Studio Theatre
Until July 27
Tickets here
Comedian and performer Tracy Hamilton brings a funny yet touching story of her own life and sexual coming-of-age in I’m Actually Right About Everything. It’s a well written play that is delivered with warmth as well as a word-perfect flow that suggests a remarkable level of preparation. Hamilton welcomes the audience into her confidence with a series of stories from her grade school days up to the present. The voice of an unseen man with a British accent hilariously serves as her intuition, and his commentary punctuates the stories and inspires a lot of laughs. The set is pared down to a simple bench and a funny box full of unexpected items connected to Hamilton’s evolving sense of herself as a bisexual woman. There’s heartbreak, disillusionment, mistakes, and even a narrow escape. Through it all, Tracy tells a tale of being true to herself, and if you’re in need of a happy ending (especially these days!), be sure to catch this show. Also, if you enjoyed last Fringe’s critically acclaimed show The Underwear Fairy, you’ll appreciate the plays’ similarities in tone and unsinkable optimism. – Allison M. Jones
Bangs, Bobs & Banter: Confessions of a Hairstylist
Writer & performer: Joanna Rannelli
Dramaturg & director: Kerry Ipema
Producer: Muhammad Dewji
Venue: Theatre Aquarius Studio
Until July 27
Tickets here
Snap up tickets for the remaining performances of Joanna Rannelli’s Bangs, Bobs & Banter, as Tuesday evening saw an extremely full and happy house. The show title is direct; Rannelli regales audiences with insights and funny character sketches of a hairstylist’s regular clients. There’s the overburdened mom who is desperate to register her kid for soccer while taking some “me time” to have her hair done. There’s the New Age-y entrepreneur whose dreamy approach to life and commerce is being underwritten by a “difficult” business partner (her dad). Then there’s the client from hell: an entitled, passive aggressive and condescending woman who checks the accuracy of her cut with a tape measure. Based on the laughter and groans from the audience, most of these characters were all-too familiar to most, no matter the workplace. Two racks bracket the stage and a salon chair, holding a collection of wigs Rannelli uses to transform from one character to the next. Transitions are punctuated by pop music and segments of hairstylist lore that Rannelli shares directly with the audience. As I left the theatre I heard an apt summation of the show: one girlfriend said to the other, “Wasn’t that great?” to which came the reply, “Oh my god, it was so fun!” – Allison M. Jones
Raccacloon
Writer: Bethany Robert
Director: Jesse Lewis
Venue: The Westdale
Until July 27
Tickets here
Brandon the raccoon is struggling to feel accepted by their raccoon family. Why? Instead of foraging for garbage like the rest of their species, Brandon has dreams of pursuing clowning, and prefers to be called Raccacloon. Sick of being rejected by their family, Raccacloon sets off on a journey of self-discovery, and picks up a chef in search of his birth dad along the way. The new friends commit to helping one another, and by the end, learn a lesson about staying true to your identity. (Many nods to Ratatouille.) Raccacloon is incredibly silly, and that’s exactly what makes it a fantastic watch. Never does the production take itself seriously, but each performer gives their all and delivers a polished, hilarious clown-filled caper. – Sarah Jessica Rintjema
Crane Girl
Playwright: Alexa Higgins
Stage manager: Daniel Entz
Actors: Ian Ottis Goff, Alexa Higgins, Katherine Cappellacci, Kira Chisholm (swing)
Venue: Theatre Aquarius Studio
Until July 26
Tickets here
Crane Girl, written and directed by Alexa Higgins and staged by Falling Iguana Theatre, was presented as a staged reading for one night only back in 2023. It was the winner of the 2025 Hamilton Fringe Best New Play contest. Inspired by a 2017 incident which Fringers may remember from the news, the play imagines a backstory and excavates possible motivations leading a young woman named Jane (Higgins) to climb more than 100 metres up a construction crane in Toronto’s downtown core. At the centre of the stage is, fittingly, a large scaffold structure meant to represent the crane as well as a place to set segments of reflection and other scenes leading up to the incident. Two other cast members play a variety of characters, from Jane’s sister-in-law Maria to her husband, a police officer, and Jane’s eventual rescuer, a firefighter named Jon. There’s quite a bit of comic relief provided by Jane’s vivid sister-in-law, but I would have preferred more fleshing out of Jon’s backstory (involving guilt and troubled memories connected to his relationship with his deceased brother). There’s a lot of movement introduced through the device of moving the scaffold/imagined crane to mark scene transitions and it is well-choreographed. All in all, the play creatively borrows from the headlines to ponder: what would cause a woman to become so untethered? – Allison M. Jones
Hope in Hot Times
Writers: Chantal Bassous, Sue Carroll, Sivert Das, Angelic Goldsky, Michael Higginson, Kendra Ward, Janice Jo Lee
Director: Janice Jo Lee
Venue: The Westdale
Until July 26
Tickets here
Hope in Hot Times is one of those pieces of art that’s hard to box in. Part absurdist comedy, part “clown” physical comedy, and part commentary on climate change, the production is silly and hopeful in spite of the declining state of the world. Certain inspirations come to mind, like its Monty Python-esque silliness, sprinkled with some Tim Robinson inspired ridiculousness. Its positivity and family-friendly foolishness is refreshing, like a cool drink of water. The Play Play Collective succeeded in sending audience members out of the theatre giggling and full of hope during such a hot Fringe summer season. – Sarah Jessica Rintjema
The Pole Shebang
Creator & performer: Andrea James Lui
Venue: Theatre Aquarius Studio
Until July 27
Tickets here
The star of this solo show is Andrea James Lui, an Asian-Canadian/Australian pole dancer. Fittingly, the main prop taking up much of the stage is a sturdy, portable pole which Lui uses to show their artistry, skill, and considerable strength. Our host has a warm and friendly style that instantly makes us feel like friends. This is even before Lui invites a pair of audience members up to walk them through a few key pole dancing moves. This serves multiple purposes: it’s hard not to chuckle at the newbies’ awkward attempts at kicking and twirling around the pole, and demonstrates in short order just how much core strength and practice dancers put into their craft. While some may think of pole dancing as salacious, Lui is a positive ambassador for the art and reveals it to be an incredibly athletic pursuit as well, similar to gymnastics. Of course, it feels a little different from traditional gymnastics when Lui straps on 7-8 inch heels! The show does have a mild identity crisis: Is its focus preparing for the world championships? Is it Lui’s evolving gender identity and the split of her sport into an unequal binary? Or, is it one person’s journey from childhood to adulthood and from the practice of traditional martial arts to modern pole dancing? Some themes are raised but never really resolved. Still, The Pole Shebang is very entertaining and it would be easy to stay in Lui’s company for much longer than an hour. – Allison M. Jones
The Fortune Teller
Writers: David Laing Dawson
Director: Ronald Weihs
Venue: The Westdale
Until July 27
Tickets here
A fortune teller’s séance is interrupted by her teenage niece, who informs her aunt that after repeated bad behaviour, she’s officially moving in by order of her mom. The chaos grows as the clairvoyant’s original client arrives to try to contact his late wife, but is interrupted by the teenage niece’s much older boyfriend barging through the door. The show’s attempted messaging about youth, love, second chances and cyclical patterns manifests in a messier plot than imagined, and still feels undefined by the end. The young couple are made more cartoonish than believable, and our protagonist psychic’s backstory and personality is never fully fleshed out. The Fortune Teller could improve upon its original ideas with more dedication to the lessons it’s trying to teach, and by adding padding to fully round-out its characters. – Sarah Jessica Rintjema
What If? Improvising Your Alternate Universe
Cast: Bradley Doyle, Brie Watson, David Lahti, Dina Senior, Heather Eyman, Natasha Bromfield
Venue: The Staircase | Bright Room
Until July 27
Tickets here
When the group of comedians behind What If? mounted the Bright Room stage, the vibe was warm, positive and friendly. It felt as though the audience was welcomed into a laid-back party and it was an hour spent among friends. It took a while to get rolling as a few improv concepts were explained. The theme of the show was making important decisions, and the jumping off point for the long improv performance involved imagining how an individual’s life would change had they not made a certain decision in their life. At the performance I attended, the cast collaborated with a performer from another Staircase show, Liz Buchanan. She shared a small segment of her show that described her decision to change programs while in university. The cast asked Liz questions to clarify facts and add details for their use, and then they embarked upon a multi-scene improv performance, bringing Liz’s “alternate universe” to life. Some scenes brought big laughs while others were more mildly amusing, but it was entertaining in itself to watch the performers take turns running with the story and watch the action unfold. – Allison M. Jones
Mind Reader
Performer/creator: Steven Nichols
Venue: Mills Hardware
Until July 27
Tickets here
Cleveland-born magician and performer Steven Nichols begins his one-man show Mind Reader with the audience in the literal dark as he whispers about a turning point in his life, during a failed math test, when he resolved to excel in matters of mentalism. What then transpires is a jaw-dropping hour of astounding feats of illusion and seeming sleight of hand that have to be seen to be believed. Although the substance of these feats have perhaps been seen before, Nichols roots his performance in a grounded manner, drawing upon the wonder of the audience to showcase impossible acts. Aside from the feats themselves, this largely sets the show apart from similar magic shows at the Fringe. Nichols enjoys socializing with the audience, making them part of the show at the same time as the wool is being pulled over their eyes. What’s more, the show capitalizes on a minimal set-up, keeping the focus squarely on Nichols and whichever audience member is part of his latest trick. An unforgettable hour of magic, Mind Reader is not to be missed. – Stephen Near
Unsolicited: Good Advice Gone Dad
Writer, director & performer: Kristi Boulton
Producer: Marc Nascimento
Tech: Rose Uscenica
Venue: The Staircase | Bright Room
Until July 27
Tickets here
Veteran improv comedy performer and multi-year Fringe participant Kristi Boulton is quickly making a name for herself as a solo performer of hilarious, poignant, original and quirky shows that draw heavily on her family and upbringing. Boulton is a natural storyteller who seems very much at home on the stage. Not only that, she makes audiences feel like they are long-time friends and intimates gathered ’round to hear her newest tales. Unsolicited covers a bit of ground already included in last year’s award-winning The Underwear Fairy as part of setting the stage. Kristi is one of three siblings who was raised by her minister dad after her mother died of cancer when Boulton was 12. The vehicle for the storytelling in this show is the motley collection of advice Boulton has received from her dad over the years. This she divides into categories including sex, death, and Jesus. Some of it is extremely pragmatic, some of it is decidedly off-kilter, and all of it is well-intentioned, genuine and honest. The show is full of laughter and heart, and is clearly a love letter to a much loved parent. Never forgotten, Kristi’s mother is also woven into the stories like a golden thread. It’s a sweet treat to have a new Kristi Boulton show so soon after the first, and I’m eager to see what she does next. – Allison M. Jones
The Heterosexuals
Performer/creator: Johnnie McNamara Walker
Venue: Mills Hardware
Until July 27
Tickets here
Tricks, traps and tests. All these and more, says playwright / performer Johnnie McNamara Walker, are the ways queer culture is infiltrated and appropriated by the dreaded death cult known as The Heterosexuals. Framed as a close-door session to avoid the insidiousness of straight society, Walker’s solo show deftly and hilariously guides the audience through his own queer awakening with the central premise that: The straights are not OK. Yet, despite the humour, the piece works as a nuanced and provocative examination of how queer identity is both oppressed and co-opted by so-called straight allies who are anything but. A dramatic performer with a pitch-perfect sense of comic pace, Walker immediately commands the stage and the audience such that no set or props are ever needed. More impressive, though, is how he transforms from the "100% fruit" and fabulous Johnny to the garage-grunge emo Other John with but a single shirt and a subtle shift in his physicality. Laugh-out-loud funny while striking close to home, The Heterosexuals combines sharp wit and social insight, making it an unmissable gem at this year’s Fringe. – Stephen Near
Waiting for* Godot. *Waiting for Waiting for
Director: Braden Henderson
Stage manager: Sarah Soares
Actors: Adelaide Dolha, Liam Lockhart-Rush, Jonah Paroyan
Venue: The Staircase | Studio Theatre
Until July 27
Tickets here
When I first read the title, I’ll admit I groaned. I hated reading the original Waiting for Godot in school, leading my Grade 13 English teacher to become disillusioned with my apparent lack of literary taste. Turns out, while this production is inspired by Samuel Beckett’s play, it’s decidedly its own clever and often funny ensemble piece about waiting, becoming, measuring up, and staying relevant. Waiting for* Godot. *Waiting for Waiting for is the newest offering from Breadbox Theatre. Just last year they brought The Bread Cycle to Hamilton Fringe. In the playbill, director Braden Henderson refers to the play as “an absurdist, meta, theatre-kid fever dream.” And so the action opens with a harried, jittery new stage manager (played by real-life theatre manager Sarah Soares), anxiously setting up a first meeting with three up-and-coming actors and their director (Henderson). You don’t have to be a thespian to recognize the character types represented by Liam Lockhart-Rush, Adelaide Dolha and Jonah Paroyan. Lockhart-Rush particularly stands out for his portrayal of an over-serious, tightly-wound, insecure actor who has constructed an armour of pretension. By the time he starts fully DIVING across the stage, he has already grabbed our attention. Paroyan ably plays his opposite, a popular rising star whose laidback, carelessly charming demeanour rouses Lockhart-Rush’s resentment. But where is the director? Tensions mount as both cast and audience wait ….
– Allison M. Jones
500 Doubloons
Writer: Katherine Teed-Arthur
Director: Max Cameron Fearon
Venue: The Westdale
Until July 27
Tickets here
According to an old tale, during the Golden Age of Piracy (between the 1650s and the 1730s), a rich pirate once paid a woman 500 doubloons simply to take her clothes off. One evening, a circle of young bar patrons are discussing the legend, and decide to fill in the historical blanks with their own theories. Raunchy, high-energy and lighthearted, 500 Doubloons feels like the manifestation of a group of childhood friends acting out brainstormed skits. The actors are clearly having a blast on stage, and their electrifying fun invites us in to participate in their silliness. Go see these swashbuckling thespians for a great time! – Sarah Jessica Rintjema
A Question of Character
Playwright: Steven Elliott Jackson
Director: Alice Fox Lundy
Performers: Paula Wing, Tanisha Taitt
Venue: Mills Hardware
Until July 27
Tickets here
In A Question of Character, playwright Steven Elliott Jackson takes one of cinema’s most controversial figures – Leni Riefenstahl – and holds her up to the light. A trailblazer who exercised rare creative control as a woman, Riefenstahl's film legacy remains deeply tainted by her active collaboration with the Nazis. Triggered by the arrival of film writer Paulina seeking a tell-all interview, Riefenstahl’s culpability is inevitably called into question early in the play. But their conversation is quickly overturned when Paulina becomes Riefenstahl’s interrogator, one with a much darker agenda. To be sure, Jackson deftly writes with a deep love of cinema and history. His script explores the moral dynamics between these two women, portrayed in raw, powerful performances by both Wing and Taitt. That said, the compelling central conflict between Paulina and Riefenstahl, an unstoppable force against an immovable object, sometimes makes the script’s debate feel repetitive, as neither woman concedes to the other. Lundy’s capable direction keeps the action taut, but the cluttered set design–perhaps intended to convey Riefenstahl’s own cage–poses a blocking problem when the drama kicks into gear. Nonetheless, A Question of Character is a hard-hitting and timely play well worth seeing. – Stephen Near
Big Chick Energy Presents: Big Chick Lethargy?!
Created by: Alicia Carrick, Julia Jones, Emily Decloux, Sam Sexton and Jo Anne Tacorda
It pains me to say that if you missed last weekend’s performances of Big Chick Lethargy?!, you missed out on the show’s only scheduled timeslots at Hamilton Fringe. Toronto’s Big Chick Energy sketch comedy troupe blazed in for three performances and the one I attended had a large and satisfied audience. The troupe, made up of Jo Anne Tacorda, Julia Jones, Sam Sexton, Alicia Carrick and Emily Decloux know that life’s challenges can deplete the spirit, but it’s important to take back one’s energy from those sources of stress. The goal of the show is “fun, friendship, and laughs” as these performers bring a series of high energy, well choreographed, fast-paced and zany comedy sketches to the stage. The women of Big Chick Energy work as a very well-balanced ensemble and yet there were moments when Tacorda and Carrick’s performances particularly stood out for me. The Hamilton Fringe show expanded on a shorter version of the production the troupe recently performed at Toronto Sketchfest. I hope we’ll see them again in future. – Allison M. Jones
Charon
Playwright / director: Jake Hunter
Performers: Ali Farhadi, Jessica Konkle
Venue: The Gasworks
Until July 27
Tickets here
It’s a familiar storytelling trope: a character wakes up in disbelief to their own demise, only to struggle in accepting the end. Thus begins Jake Hunter’s play Charon, as the titular reaper of the River Styx transports a doubtful girl named Daphne to her fate in the Underworld. Fortunately, Hunter gets this obligatory moment out of the way quickly, allowing the rest of the play to explore the far more interesting story of how Daphne’s mundane yet troubled life begins to stir feelings of empathy and warmth in the aloof Charon. Ali Farhadi and Jessica Konkle each deliver solid performances, their best work coming when Charon and Daphne defy the story’s expected sturm und drang and instead choose to literally and figuratively play off one another. A capable director, Hunter effectively uses the expansive venue to play’s advantage, making the story feel both epic and intimate. Where Charon falls short is in keeping the stakes of the drama high, even during the script’s more contemplative moments. The result is a piece that sometimes meanders but still works, overall. – Stephen Near
Nahanni Gold: A True Canadian Legend
Writer: Mordred
Director: Lucas McDonell
Venue: The Westdale
Until July 27
Tickets here
Settled within the Canadian Mackenzie Mountains is the Nahanni Valley, a region famous for decades-old folk legends. One tale, involving Willie and Frank McLeod, brothers who died prospecting in the early 1900s, is retold on stage in the one-man play Nahanni Gold: A True Canadian Legend. Breathtaking visuals of starry skies, snowy mountains and clusters of campfire candles, including glowing cool blues and sparkling warm whites, help to perfectly illustrate chilly northern Canadian winter evenings for the Fringe stage. Although beautifully done, the production could use more dynamic elements to prevent audience members from gazing absentmindedly at the starry screen. Not dissimilar to other Fringe performances, the play relies on a single actor monologuing the tale, which quickly turns into background noise without enough elements to keep the audience engaged and focused. – Sarah Jessica Rintjema
Catch Me in the Kitchen Story Adventures
Playwrights/performers: Ginette Mohr and Stephen LaFrenie
Director: Liz Pounsett
Composer: Tim Freeman and the Pickle Peppers
Venue: Theatre Aquarius Studio
Until July 27
Tickets here
This year’s Fringe schedule is a little on the thin side when it comes to options specifically for children and young families. Catch Me in the Kitchen provides a high-quality option with a simple premise that will amuse and even increase the vocabularies of kids and their grown-ups. With a friendly tone and warm energy, performers Ginette Mohr and Stephen LaFrenie act out some familiar stories, mostly in English with a very accessible smattering of French. They gift audiences with energetic, funny and fresh new takes on a pair of old classics: Goldilocks & the Three Bears and The Three Little Pigs. The props are minimal (some are imagined), the choreography is excellent, and the pacing is just right. It’s a testament to Mohr and LaFrenie that a good time was had by all; even the boy in the front row who looked to be about 11 or 12 years old seemed entertained, though most of the youngsters in the audience looked to be 10 and under. I didn’t notice much fidgeting during the performance and everyone seemed to be engaged. This would be a lovely first exposure to theatre arts for those thinking of bringing their children. – Allison M. Jones
Limb Loss, Love
Writer / performer: Dan Hurwitz
Venue: The Gasworks
Until July 27
Tickets here
In stand-up, comedians have to learn the hard way that a room that doesn’t start out giddy with laughter has to be created themselves. It’s a lesson comedian Dan Hurwitz understands in his stand-up routine and solo show Limb Loss, Love. As a disabled, mixed-race, light-skinned, and patrilineally Jewish comedian, Hurwitz is the first to admit that he has a lot of material to draw upon. Although he mixes observational humour with self-deprecation, Hurwitz has a real knack for connecting with his audience, such that even a room with barely a handful of people comes to feel like conversation punctuated by jokes. They don’t always land, of course, and Hurwitz needs more familiarity with his routine so as to avoid the frequent pauses that slow down his set. Nonetheless, Hurwitz’s raw, irreverent humour combined with an upfront sincerity make Limb Loss, Love hit the mark. – Stephen Near
Visiting my Mother And Other Repetition Compulsions
Playwright: Patrick Teed
Director: Carly Anna Billings
Performers: Audrey Clairman & Meg Webster
Venue: Theatre Aquarius Studio
Until July 27
Tickets here
Visiting my Mother is an intense two-hander with actors Audrey Clairman and Meg Webster. It comes from Afterlife Theatre Company that brought the critically acclaimed Meat(less) Loaf to Hamilton Fringe three years ago. The play excavates notions of generational trauma, abuse and family ties in a text-heavy, dramatic fashion. It begins with a session of psychoanalysis with an academic as “analysand” or subject. Clairman plays the therapist with a subtle yet almost terrifying restraint. Except for writing notes, she is very still and there’s much she doesn’t say, but her body language gives off a feeling of judgement. Webster’s character rambles defensively in an effort to rationalize their actions and articulate high-level principles. The dialogue is quite cerebral in the first scene, as the behaviour of the academic’s mother (also played by Clairman) comes into focus. As the story continues, a family dinner reveals with increasing tempo, tension and volume that the matriarch is abusive, impossible to please, and holds her family hostage with her constant barrage of passive and overtly aggressive judgements. As the tension grows, it’s hard not to feel anxious as a spectator to this dinner from hell. It’s as though a fuse has been lit as Clairman transforms into this shrill, unhinged, emotional tyrant. There are reasons why the mother is the way she is, which become evident as the play moves through its final scene. – Allison M. Jones
A Non Canonical Musical Adventure with Pookamhura: Mistress of B-Roll
Music: Chris Cracknell
Book and stage direction: Brian Morton
Cast: Emily Bolyea, Francis Wallace, Jelena Vermilion, Mason Micevski
Venue: The Staircase | Studio Theatre
Until July 27
Tickets here
Perusing the material for this show, I wasn’t at all sure I was its intended audience. Sure, I grew up loving video games, but my all-time favourite is Pac-Man and my familiarity with gaming trailed off around the turn of the last century. Certainly there were others in the audience who caught more of the gaming in-jokes but I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this original musical with songs by Chris Cracknell and book by Brian Morton. The investment of time and creativity into its storytelling is undeniable and considerable, from its thoughtful, melodic ballads to its choreography, detailed visuals, and ultimately, the poignant beating heart at its centre. Four performers initially sit with backs to the audience in high-backed gaming chairs with rapid-fire commentary as a multiplayer video game projects on a screen. Gradually we get to know the characters and their players in a series of songs and conversations. The musical raises some fascinating ideas about gaming and virtual reality as safe spaces for those whose real lives are subject to judgement and danger, and the resentment of some to the encroaching of those realities into their virtual worlds. This is truly an ensemble piece, and the cast can be very proud of their efforts. – Allison M. Jones
Men Love Horsies: The Musical
Playwright/director: Devin Bateson
Venue: The Staircase | Bright Room
Until July 27
Tickets here
There are bound to be those who think, “what the $#%^ am I watching?!” while in the audience of Men Love Horsies. I’ll admit, the thought crossed my own mind while my eyebrows were near my hairline (with amazement and disbelief) on multiple occasions. Judging from the audience’s raucous laughter throughout the performance, there is definitely an appetite for such an unhinged and funny one-man musical. It’s a show that leans into its oddness and leaves viewers wondering just what playwright/performer Devin Bateson will do – or sing – next. After some initial sound issues, Bateson showed his adaptability with humorous ad libs and the decision to perform without his usual headset. There followed earnest ballads, multiple costume changes, and audience participation in the unspooling of a strange little fever dream about a place called Cool Horse Town. Through it all, Bateson fully commits to his story and few will be able to resist being swept away by the force of his imagination. – Allison M. Jones
Once Upon A Pizzeria
Writers: Charly Chiarelli
Director: Jay Shand
Venue: The Player’s Guild of Hamilton
Until July 26
Tickets here
Little Luigi’s grandma might make the best pizza in town, but the pies are peculiar. Nonna Maria’s famous pizzas are square, not circle, and Luigi’s classmates love to tease him about it. Wanting to please her grandson, Maria breaks from tradition and crafts a circular pie, but when Luigi opens the oven before the pizza is done cooking, it grows legs and takes off down the street! This fun-for-the-whole-family, musical Italian adventure is inspired by the classic Gingerbread Man fairytale. Presented with storybook visuals and original songs to sing along to, Once Upon a Pizzeria is a guaranteed crowd pleaser, and adorable, kid-friendly fun. – Sarah Jessica Rintjema
All The World’s A Cage
Writers: Sabina Stan/Robb Gendron
Director: Robb Gendron
Venue: The Player’s Guild of Hamilton
Until July 27
Tickets here
Set in the 1800s, an initial vintage comedy following cartoonish conniving suitors and their romantic interests quickly devolves into a meta-commentary on exploitative working conditions for performing artists. All The World’s A Cage is like a nesting egg, where the layers of performance strip away to reveal the true environment that our protagonists are subjected to, as the story’s actors slip in and out of consciousness. While ambitious, some scenes could be improved with more experience and confidence, a flaw guaranteed to improve over time as the Gendron Productions crew perform throughout the 2025 Fringe run. Actors’ dedication to timely accents is impressive, costuming is beautiful, and the systemic issues presented through this metaphor are worthy of more stage time. – Sarah Jessica Rintjema
A Gentleman’s Murder
Writer: Tyler Brent
Director: Tyler Brent
Venue: The Player’s Guild of Hamilton
Until July 27
Tickets here
Based on the gothic stylings of Oscar Wilde, this bloody one-man drama follows a Victorian-era wealthy man planning his upcoming wedding, interrupted by a dark prophecy demanding that he commit murder. Will he go through with it, and if so, who will he choose to be his victim? Brent is a clever writer, and is clearly comfortable navigating a stage by himself. His use of space is creative, and the props he’s chosen for the production are minimal but effective. Despite his confidence, the production lacks a dynamic element to keep audience members engaged with his amount of monologuing. Adding a secondary actor, more visual storytelling, or other features to keep the energy high would help prevent attendees from zoning out, and heighten the well-crafted drama. – Sarah Jessica Rintjema
Sex Goddess
Performer/Creator: Riel Reddick-Stevens
Director/Dramaturge: Christopher Manousos
Music: Ghostboyrj
Venue: Mills Hardware
Until July 27
Tickets here
In her solo show Sex Goddess, multi-disciplinary artist Riel Reddick-Stevens plays Rayna, an up-and-coming singer in the city who yearns to make it big. Relegated to rapping vulgar lyrics written for the male gaze, Rayna’s career fails to speak to her own sense of power and identity. So, when a golden opportunity to sign with a major label goes south, Rayna is determined to strike out on her own, overcome the odds, and make her dream a reality. Reddick-Stevens is a riveting performer who powerfully owns the stage, whether belting out one of the many featured songs or portraying the wild cast of characters she encounters on her journey. Exploring power and autonomy in a show business dominated by the patriarchy, Sex Goddess gives Reddick-Stevens the spotlight to perform a myriad of musical styles including hip-hop, rap, soul, and R&B. Furthermore, director Christopher Manousos lets Reddick-Stevens show her chops as a physical performer by including dance and an impressive fight scene that wouldn’t be out of place in a video game. All of it makes Sex Goddess a fun and fierce show at this year’s Fringe. – Stephen Near
Sister Sophia Kicks the Habit
Writer: Lisa Randall
Director: Kate Johnston
Venue: The Player’s Guild of Hamilton
Until July 27
Tickets here
After the death of her sister in cloth, Sister Sophia experiences a crisis of faith. Is God there, and is he really listening? Is the Catholic Church morally righteous? Has she chosen the correct path, or has she wasted the last few decades of her life? Sister Sophia is witty, curious, and easy to root for, thanks to a stellar performance from the very talented Lisa Randall. The one-nun-show is cheeky, introspective, and thoughtful. Catch a performance to find out whether Sophia sticks by the holy life, or if she takes off the habit for good. – Sarah Jessica Rintjema
Hum-Buzz
Playwright: Ciarán Myers
Director: Maria Colonescu
Performer: Zaniq A. King
Venue: Fringe Mini Bar | Ringside
Until July 26
Tickets here
Hum-Buzz will not be to everyone’s taste, and that’s perfectly okay. There’s a place at Fringe for this kind of unique and visceral theatre experience, and there is no doubt that this production is well-crafted and masterfully delivered. Hum-Buzz is odd, audacious, and intense. There are mildly disturbing and uneasy moments. Early on, the sole performer Zaniq A. King performed an unexpected action and I watched the woman in front of me recoil. The premise? Imagine the staccato and swirling spoken-word of a fly, lingering in a bathroom, brought home among the belongings of an unseen human. The delivery is feverish and rapid, delirious and unrelenting. The words are obsessive and reflective, like a fly repeatedly taking off and returning again. It takes some time to piece together the fly’s story and intentions, but it’s a riveting 20 minutes. Hats off to King for her mesmerizing and committed performance. Hum-Buzz is incredibly text-heavy and yet she never falters. Viewers may wonder what the #^$% they are witnessing, but it is impossible to take your eyes off King. Those who enjoy experimental work and performance art that pushes expectations will be satisfied. – Allison M. Jones
Catching a Cheese Pervert: A Frances Francis Mystery
Playwright: Kayla Kurin
Playwright / Director: Krista Rowe
Performer: Megan Phillips
Venue: The Gasworks
Until July 27
Tickets here
When American food company heiress, and unrestrained influencer, Frances Francis gains an unwanted follower dubbed "The Cheese Pervert" who threatens her company, she is drawn into a live-streamed cross-Canada caper to unmask the culprit. What follows is a surreal if convoluted show about consumer wellness culture in the age of constant connectivity. To be sure, Vancouver-based Megan Phillips is a dynamic performer with the comedic chops to deliver on the more absurd bits of the show. Unfortunately, the script never rises above the premise of the titular character’s vapid sense of entitlement. As a result, the audience is never given much reason to care about her attempts to untangle the increasingly confusing plot. Krista Rowe’s direction and design, including a slide show and white board of bizarre corporate suspects, keeps Phillips busy onstage, but it also creates obstacles that slow the pace down. Nonetheless, in spite of the cluttered story and staging, Philips does her best to connect with the audience and manages to make some of the running gags land. – Stephen Near
Group Prompt
Creative Head: Amanda Tkacyk
Venue: Fringe Mini Bar | Ringside
Until July 26
Tickets here
Group Prompt is really nicely suited to the short format of the Mini Bar shows. Performer Amanda Tkacyk has no script. She solicits ideas from audience members, who use their phones to share these prompts, which become the text of the performance (this is one time when attendees will want to delay turning off their devices). I shared the words “flamingo” and “pizza pocket.” AI combines these prompts into short monologues that are delivered to Tkacyk through a headset for her to recite. This takes some real skill to quickly repeat the text as she hears it without stumbling or losing the pace. Some of the monologues are funny, some more poignant or serious. Sometimes the AI falls short as certain sentences trail off or don’t make sense. Group Prompt is a fascinating and timely theatre experiment to witness regarding the place of humanity in the creative process, and ever-changing notions of what art is. There’s certainly room here for further development and experimentation. – Allison M. Jones
Brown Noise
Actor/playwright/producer: Medha Arora
Actor/director/producer: Rishabh Kalra
Venue: Fringe Mini Bar | Ringside
Until July 26
Tickets are here
I was delighted to see Brown Noise listed in the Fringe schedule, created by young artists of colour, particularly given its comedic nature. Medha Arora and Rishabh Kalra perform a range of humorous monologues, dialogues, and skits illustrating the “topsy turvy” experience of being a brown – in this case, South Asian or Indo-Canadian – young adult. Both Arora and Kalra have a natural flair for comedy and work well together. Arora stands out for the sense of ease and poise she possesses on the stage. Brown Noise is a show I would like to see developed further, tightened up in places and expanded with additional material. The tone is friendly, fresh and loose, but I think these performers have even more talent to show. The production is fun and yet has an earnest heart about what it means to live and be (and be accepted as) Canadian. – Allison M. Jones
Old Girls Gone Rogue: Age Against the Machine
Playwrights/performers: Pia Shaw & Betsy Dee
Jessica Mackenzie (Understudy for Ms. Dee)
Venue: Fringe Mini Bar | Ringside
Until July 26
Tickets are here
In Old Girls Gone Rogue, Pia Shaw and Betsy Dee show they know their way around a stage. They play a pair of colourful long-time friends, women of a certain age, who banter and bicker their way through a series of dialogues and sketches. They put me in mind of Coffee Talk, the popular series of ’90s SNL sketches hosted by Mike Myers playing an exaggerated version of his then mother-in-law Linda Richman. Shaw’s character is gung-ho about AI and all the newest technologies, while Dee is reluctant to say the least, cracking wise about the dangers of the machines taking over our lives. During the performance I attended, a large fan was blowing in the venue. I missed a few of Shaw’s lines until, thankfully, someone turned it off. It’s an entertaining 20 minutes with plenty of laughter. When Shaw and Dee’s time is up, it’s clear that the audience would be more than happy to stay for a full hour. – Allison M. Jones
3 Hours, 10 Minutes
Playwright/director: Raymond Beauchemin
Actor: Melissa Murray-Mutch
Actor: Mark Gamache
Venue: Fringe Mini Bar | Ringside
Until July 26
Tickets here
Playwright Raymond Beauchemin’s 3 Hours, 10 Minutes is a subtle, quiet, contemplative play. A two-hander with Melissa Murray-Mutch and Mark Gamache, this short play asks some deep questions about how technology is shaping society and its individuals, their attention spans and ability to notice and connect with the world around them. Situated in an art gallery as indicated by a bench, velvet rope, and some understated artworks on the wall, the pair of actors embark on a conversation inspired by the length of time Gamache has spent looking at a single work of art. It’s a pleasure to watch the expressive qualities of Murray-Mutch’s face, particularly as she studies an earnest Gamache from a vantage point behind him. 3 Hours, 10 Minutes asks us to slow down and observe as well, for a short time, the nature of art, attention, connection, and of ourselves. I must applaud Murray-Mutch as she performs in not one but two productions at this Fringe, the other being The Fruits that Rot in our Bellies. – Allison M. Jones
Mind the Gaps
Performer/Creator: Nathan Lise
Producers: Will Erskine, Nathan Lise
Venue: Mills Hardware
Until July 27
Tickets here
Nathan Lise’s improv-storytelling show Mind the Gaps is a surprise performance, in both pleasant and unexpected ways. It begins with Lise rushing to fill the stage with piles of boxes while apologizing to the audience for his disorganization. It soon becomes apparent that beneath the discord, and buried within the boxes, are stories waiting to be told. Though the performance seems to defy structure, this works in Lise’s favour. As he searches randomly through items, finding one kernel of meaning after another, Lise is able to connect with the audience in a way that is both direct and raw. Though he tries to avoid it, the most persistent and powerful story dogging Lise refuses to be ignored. It’s here, digging through a painful chapter as a queer youth living through loss at a local religious university, where Mind the Gaps really hits home. Although Lise could be more specific in his recollections of the items he selects from around the stage, he makes up for it in a performance that is both searching and sincere, which makes for a unique Fringe experience. – Stephen Near
Moving In
Playwright / Director: Elias Campbell
Performers: Brett Houghton, Jensen Porter, Hannah Whitmore
Venue: Hamilton Theatre Inc.
Until July 26
Tickets here
At the heart of Elias Cambell’s compelling drama Moving In is the fear and uncertainty beneath the silences and small talk of intimate relationships. Sarah (Jensen Porter) and James (Brett Houghton), basking in the glow of their relationship's honeymoon phase, have abruptly jumped into renting an apartment together. But something unsettling lurks under the surface; Sarah yearns to know James’ inner world, just as he cooly resists her efforts to dig deeper. When her friend Patrice (Hannah Whitmore) unexpectedly visits, and picks up something strangely familiar about James, it sends Sarah into a spiral of doubt. Campbell’s measured script and direction gives the actors time to occupy the play’s uncomfortable spaces while navigating (or avoiding) their connections to one another. Both Houghton and Whitmore deliver excellent performances, each bringing depth and nuance to their respective roles. Porter, meanwhile, is deeply compelling, portraying Sarah as a tightly coiled ball of anxiety with mesmerizing intensity, especially during a powerful monologue at the play’s midpoint. Although the script could afford more polish with its ending, Moving In is an unsettling and intriguing new play worth seeing. – Stephen Near
Mark I
Writer / performer: Tom Bates
Venue: The Gasworks
Until July 27
Tickets here
The Gospel of Mark, the story of Jesus as a wandering prophet teaching parables and healing the sick with his Twelve Disciples, is one many will be familiar with. For those, like myself, who are unfamiliar with the story, Mark I, makes for a simple yet elegant performance. Performing the Gospel of Mark as a one-man show has been a passion project of actor Tom Bates for some time, and it shows. Right out the gate, Bates is an effective storyteller. His pace is even and his energy is always electric. Using the wide stage of the Gasworks to his advantage, Bates moves across and around the audience, providing a narrative third person perspective as well as the voices of the Gospel’s wide-ranging cast. Where Bates is strongest is in voicing the disbelief and wonder of the cast of characters who surround Jesus in his travels. Although the piece moves at a brisk pace, Bates might consider inserting more quiet, intimate moments so as to allow his audience to keep up with the epic story he’s telling. But this is a minor issue in an otherwise strong piece of theatre. – Stephen Near
Ostrich Park
Writer: James Allen
Directors: Lucia Crespo and James Allen
Performers: James Allen, Jasmine Mino, Rob Mines, Matt McNama, Kyle Billie
Venue: Hamilton Theatre Inc.
Until July 27
Tickets here
In comedy, “committing to the bit” means pushing a joke to its limits – no matter how absurd things get. Ostrich Park, by Hamilton’s The Plot Hole Company, does exactly that, hilariously swapping Jurassic Park’s dinosaurs for ostriches and then going even further. Although show creators James Allen and Lucia Crespo have kept the character names from the movie series, the details have been altered. In this case, doctors Grant (Allen) and Sattler (Jasmine Mino) are newlyweds who’ve just lost their wedding venue. So when eccentric, ostrich-obsessed billionaire John Hammond (Rob Mines) offers up his avian-themed park as a replacement, there’s little thought of what could go wrong. Admittedly, Ostrich Park plays like an extended SNL skit for the first third of the show as it revisits the scenes of the film. Soon enough, though, the first of many ostrich puppets emerge onstage, and the show crosses into truly original and absurd territory. To say much else would spoil some truly hilarious gags that have to be seen to be believed. Though the whole ensemble is clearly having a blast, stand-outs Matt McNama as a feathering Nedry and Kyle Billie as Ian Malcolm steal the show. – Stephen Near
The Damage Done
Writer: George F. Walker
Director: Matthew Willson
Performers: Rebecca Durance Hine, Adam Lemieux
Venue: Hamilton Theatre Inc.
Until July 26
Tickets here
George F. Walker, one of Canada’s most prolific playwrights, has written about the plight of the working class throughout his storied career. In The Damage Done, deftly directed by Matthew Willson, the playwright revisits the troubled lives of two characters last seen in his script Moss Park. Bobby (Adam Lemieux) and Tina (Rebecca Durance Hine), two thirty-something divorcees working to overcome hardships, both self-inflicted and bad luck, reunite at the park where they first met decades before. As the play unfolds in real time, and Tina demands Bobby step up as the father to the couple’s two daughters, unsettling secrets and unspoken regrets are slowly peeled away. It’s a beautiful, layered performance that is both powerful and profound. Durance Hine and Lemieux share an undeniable chemistry onstage, letting them dive into Walker’s rapid-fire dialogue in one moment before seizing the tension and lashing out at one another in the next. More captivating, though, is how both actors hold the quiet moments of hurt that pepper Walker’s script, while drawing the audience further into the story. In addition to his direction, Willson has designed a fully working swing for the HTI stage; it’s a marvelous addition that literally gives the actors room to play. Deceptively simple yet deeply moving, The Damage Done is must-see theatre and a highlight of this year’s Fringe. – Stephen Near
Ugly Privilege
Writer/performer: Jessica Pigeau
Venue: Mills Hardware
Until July 27
Tickets here
Vancouver comedian Jessica Pigeau holds no punches in her hour-long set, hitting on familiar comedic fodder, which often veers into some pretty dark territory. Think 9/11 gift shops, sexualizing the Queen, and the private lives of incels and serial killers. Though much of her material consists of observational bits, Pigeau’s self-deprecating delivery throws the set into a kind of unhinged territory that is often more cringey than it is funny. Additionally, Pigeau’s evident strengths as a comic performer sometimes get too weighed down by her use of voice affectations, keeping some of her jokes from landing as well as they could. That said, Pigeau unabashedly owns her identity as an openly queer and neurodivergent comic. And this blunt awkwardness works in her favour, especially when she directly engages with her audience and drags them into her set. It’s here, alongside stories of her rural Alberta childhood or the less-than-friendly side of Vancouver, that her act starts to fly. It’s an aspect of Ugly Privilege that Pigeau might consider leaning into, grounding her humour in authenticity and allowing her jokes to better hit the mark. – Stephen Near
