Edmonton Fringe 2023 Reviews, Part 1

Hot and cold takes from a Fringe Fest fanatic.

About halfway through The Long Night of the American Dream, two brothers seek shelter in a bunker at the end of the world. Little brother exclaims: “This bunker has everything necessary to sustain human life.” The eldest’s pithy reply takes the form of a question: “It has a theatre?”

I would not trust anybody who does not understand this truth, a truth I am confident most everyone packing the venues at Edmonton’s 42 annual Fringe Festival holds as self-evident. “It has a theatre?” feels very Station Eleven, which suits a play that embraces a metacontextual manifestation of Shakespeare’s “All the world’s a stage / And all the men and women merely players.”

Edmonton’s Fringe Fest keeps getting bigger. The festival’s attendance and scope has returned to or exceeded pre-pandemic levels, at least by my estimation, which I can’t help think somewhat diminishes the fringe-y-ness of it, but that’s a bridge to cross further down the road. Who could honestly complain about too much theatre?

The festival is about halfway done and I have seen 22 shows. I’m scheduled to see at least twelve more, but it’s important to leave free time in your Fringe schedule to fit in those hidden gems once word of mouth spreads. That’s my gift to you: some word of mouth about what I’ve seen so far.

I’m writing these reviews at 1:51 a.m., with nothing held back and in order of which I saw them. I just got home and am running on soju, beer, a freshly smoked joint, and the lingering invaginations of Vavianna Vardot's Famous Sex Party. That’s my way of saying don’t blame me if you see these shows and hate them.

AWOL

Two seniors escape their continuing care home and stumble into a metal music festival. AWOL delivers on its premise with clever writing and eccentric performances, including jokes that will delight elders and those familiar with the hard rock scene. Ron Gee is a very smart and funny actor and playwright, and Jon Paterson compliments him well as the straight(er) man. AWOL is perhaps the best show at the Westbury Theatre, which should guarantee the audience it deserves.

Big Business

Big Business is all about audience participation. Participation is not mandatory, of course, so don’t let that scare you away from perhaps the funniest production I’ve seen so far. Lee Boyes is an excellent clown and a horrible boss (hard to tell the difference sometimes, right?) and if you’ve got the right stuff you can join his company and create synergy. The ‘employees’ I saw on opening night even started a union by curtain call. Don’t miss this hilarious, subtle critique of capitalism.

Ay Candela

Ay Candela is a trainwreck. Billed as Chicago with an Afro-Caribbean twist, Ay Candela begins by taking itself much too seriously. Then slowly, as it went on, I began absorbing the show not as a serious musical and dance production, but as a series of The Young and The Restless-esque vignettes. It became an experience more akin to seeing The Room at the Garneau, which is certainly entertainment of a kind. I believe the performers did their best, and they really are great dancers, but you should skip this one unless you have a sense of humour like mine or are taking an edible beforehand, or both.

Almost 13

Honestly, of all the one (wo)man shows I’ve seen, Almost 13 is one of the best. Joan Kane invites us to share in her traumatic memories while growing up in Brooklyn half a century ago, when the streets were a bit more violent and a lot more racist. Kane is an adept storyteller who handles difficult material with maturity and subtlety. Not every personal story is worth telling, but Kane’s is an important one.

Brave;ish

Are you a country music fan? I’m not. That’s why I’m confident you’ll have a great time at Sarah Dowling’s Brave;ish. Dowling is a talented singer who treats us to crowd-pleasing country covers from the 90s. More than that, she presents these songs in the form of a playlist, gradually telling a story as the playlist evolves and introduces new themes. I do this with my own playlists and found Dowling’s familiar approach gratifying. Dowling may only feel Brave;ish, but she takes after Terri Clark and Taylor Swift: Fearless.

Magic Michael XXS

It took until our host said it out loud—double excess—for me to get the play on words. Rapid Fire Theatre burned the house down with their sizzling, satirical improv comedy. Our show was about a group of male strippers and their efforts to bring circus runaways back to the club, Dongs, and if that doesn’t rope you in... But hey, the show is different every night, so who knows what you’ll see!

Late Night Cabaret

Not much to say about this one. It’s Saturday Night Live but at the Edmonton Fringe Festival and it’s great! Syd Campbell is amazing: I may have boogied from Magic Michael to Late Night in a hurry, but so did they, but they performed in both! Kudos to Mom and the Intern as well. Stay up late and see this show at least once.

Always Because

I can see why the adventures of Maggie and Megan may not be for everyone, but I adored this exuberant explosion of lesbian joy. Always Because is deliberately ironic, unfocused, completely void of stakes and conflict, and you know what? It makes for a great palate cleanser compared to some of the moody melodrama you often get with queer productions. Maggie and Megan are adorable, very funny, and I loved their show.

Puck Bunnies

Last year I saw Crack in the Mirror, which I thought was only okay. Super funny! But only okay. Well the same award winning legendary fringe group made me a fan this year with Puck Bunnies, a show that gets into exactly what you’re thinking. The Lloydminster Bobcats had (has?) their own version of puck bunnies—we called them Bob-kittens—and this production nailed its portrayal of such, ahem, dynamics. Anyway, Puck Bunnies is hilarious and, lest you worry, ends with a decisively feminist goal in overtime.

The Long Night of the American Dream

I referenced Long Night by way of this post’s introduction, and I don’t want to spoil anything, so all I’ll say is: see this show. Martin Dockery is consistently one of the best playwrights at Fringe, so you can also take this as a recommendation to see anything he creates.

Sherlock’s Inane Investigation

This may have been the first real letdown for me. There is so much you can do with an original Sherlock Holmes story and these folks chose… what? Horny Dr. Watson? And not in the sort of oafish buffoon way where he’s the punching bag, but in the just kinda creepy and boring way? I don’t know. Maybe ‘ordinary’ people will like this production just fine, but despite all its silliness it is outdated and unimaginative, which is a real betrayal of the Fringe spirit.

Charlie’s Riot

First show this year at the Sewing Machine Factory and it is… a hit! Laurel Marie Munro is an expert storyteller who made everything—from abuse in the punk rock scene to the horrors of having to declare yourself suicidal in order to get an abortion—feel as if it could happen to you, too. Maybe it has. Maybe that’s what’s so powerful about Charlie’s Riot. Munro caught my eye during her line, “Do you understand?” and all I could do was tear up. I don’t understand. I don’t think I can ever understand.

Epidermis Circus

Y’all. You gotta see Epidermis Circus. Whatever you’ve heard about it, it is NOT as gross or weird as you think. That said, it’s definitely gross and weird. Ingrid Hansen’s spicy puppet cabaret was a holdover last year and I can’t believe it took until now for me to see it. Fans of my favourite show from 2022—Are You Lovin’ It?—will adore Epidermis Circus.

Cabaret of Murder

True crime podcast girlies, unite! I think Cabaret of Murder may end up as an underrated gem this year, so see it before it blows up. More than an expose of notorious serial killers and their connections to the world of art, Bella Ciccone, Paulina Pino Rubio, and Katie-Rose Connors do it all. Catch this before they catch you! Muahahahahaha.

Shakespeare’s Sirens

Another hit from Send in the Girls Burlesque. They enchanted audiences last year with Ghouls, Ghouls, Ghouls, and Shakespeare’s Sirens may be even better. Nikki Hulowski is incomparable as Queen Elizabeth, who interrogates poor Billy on the nature of his female characters. Shakespeare’s Sirens is sexy and smart and not just for burlesque lovers; see it.

The Great American Songbook, Redacted

Yeah, this was alright. Rob Paravonian writes songs for a liberal audience, breaking down mythologized American history with satire and jokes at many white peoples’ expense, and it works. It’s just missing an X factor of some kind. This updated songbook was upbeat and informative, but did not blow me away.

The Grand Beaver

Have you ever been to Acacia Hall when the air conditioning doesn’t work? It sucks. But hey, steamy and sweaty was perfectly appropriate for this Send in the Girls production about the Canadian burlesque legend, Judith Stein. Delia Barnett is smokin’ hot and pulls off the role of Mama Beaver with aplomb.

Anatomica

Anatomica may rate up there with Epidermis Circus and Are You Lovin’ It in terms of pure strangeness. However, unlike them, Anatomica is personal and profound. I mean, have you ever thought about what might be the best kind of skeleton to have? Of what life is like for people with (or without) chronic pain? Of how nice it would be to just mush yourself up in a comforting cocoon and just float around? Explore these questions and laugh your ass off at Amica Hunter’s amazing show.

Yes, My Name is Mohamed Ali

You know, I may have found Mohamed Ali funnier than anyone else did, and I’ll stand by that. He is a smart dude with some amazing stories to tell, but I’m not sure his show was great. Ali’s stand-up knee-slapper suffers from opportunity cost: it’s not a bad way to spend an hour, but that’s not much of a recommendation when there are hundreds of other Fringe shows going on.

Dungeons and Shakespeare

This is a show I could easily see myself going to twice or thrice if not for the aforementioned opportunity cost (transitions!). Dungeon Master Shelby Bond ushers the audience through an epic tale of Mercutios and monsters, including the deadly Mosquito of Tommy Banks Way! The show is different every night and sure to please the D&D nerd in all of us.

The 11 O’Clock Number

Why don’t I see this show outside of the Fringe Festival? That’s going to have to change. The Number is an improvised musical comedy based on suggestions from the audience and it’s always a blast. Our show was set in a prison and focused on a volleyball game played for the inmates’ freedom—think The Longest Yard but good. The troupe even named the production after my suggestion: Hearts Behind Bars. See this show at least once.

Vavianna Vardot's Famous Sex Party

It’s 3:40 a.m. and I’ve finally gotten to the end of this post. This means Vavianna Vardot's Famous Sex Party ended nearly three hours ago, but let me tell you, I’m still riding the high. Vardot’s mansion (which is actually Rapid Fire’s impressive new studio and theatre—the old telephone exchange building) welcomes debauched debutantes and dudebros alike for a raunchy burlesque cabaret that leaves you wanting more. See it with your parents or your partner, there is no in-between.

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And curtains. That’s it for my halfway-through-Fringe-42 reviews. Like I said, I have a lot more to see and I will post that roundup at the end of the festival. Until then, I hope this all helps you decide what to see next.

Leave a comment on this post to share your Fringe recommendations for me - I know you have them!