Edmonton Fringe 2023 Reviews, Part 2

It's the final stretch. See these shows before they sell out!

You need help deciding what to see this weekend at Edmonton’s 42nd annual Fringe Festival, right? Who wouldn’t? There are nearly 200 shows and it’s more challenging than ever to find something you like, what with all the gutted newsrooms and dead magazines and social media bans making reliable reviews hard to come by.

Luckily, I already wrote reviews for the first 22 shows I saw at Fringe. I’ve seen nine more since then and there’s at least six more to go this weekend, so here are my reviews and recommendations going into the final days of the festival. Get your tickets soon—shows sell out real fast right about now!

Krampus

The must-see musical of this Fringe Fest, at least in my opinion, and I wouldn’t lie to you… would I? Krampus is hilarious and modern, with one of the most amazing meta-plot twists I’ve ever experienced. Amanda Neufeld and Damien Pitcher offer standout performances here, but really, each cast member has moments to shine, including the titular holiday fiend. Sojourn to the French quarter and see Krampus for goodness’ sake.

Anatolia Speaks

Do you remember when First Lady Hilary Clinton lied about narrowly avoiding gunfire as her plane touched down in war-torn Bosnia? Or when she suggested any aid for those fleeing from Serbian forces was, “a Vietnam that would compromise health-care reform,” causing President Clinton to do nothing more for the region and thus giving the Catholic Serbs unobstructed freedom to murder 250,000 Muslims and Croats? Anatolia Speaks is not about Hilary Clinton at all, but the ethnic cleansing in Bosnia and Herzegovina are central to the story. Candice Fiorentino gives Anatolia a voice with a monologue that is equal parts funny and horrifying as she details Anatolia’s new life in Canada and what happened to her family. I can’t say Anatolia Speaks is the most entertaining of shows, strictly speaking, but I am so glad to have seen it.

Let it Flo

Viva Dance Company commands the stage in a performance set to a Florence + The Machine soundtrack. The result is enchanting. I love Florence Welch, but never truly noticed how many of her songs are great for dancing. Anyway, suffice to say, if you’re at all interested in contemporary dance, Florence’s music, and female empowerment, this is the show for you.

Free Kittens

“I’m an abortion survivor, and I support abortions.” That line is always funny and always will be funny. Megan Milton tells us the story of how she should have been an abortion, how growing up with a teen mom was actually not all that beautiful, and how it definitely should not have been made into an MTV reality show. Free Kittens is great, but don’t bring any old religious people with you (they ruin the vibes). Milton definitely deserves a larger and better audience than the group I saw her show with.

Method Prix

Jesus Christ, man. See Method Prix. Just see it. Unmatched artistic genius and film auteur Vincent Prix (get it?) introduces the audience to his method, the Method Prix, and together we make a movie that at times (most times) borders on pornography. Deanna Fleysher and Brooke Sciacca are incomprehensibly hilarious. See Method Prix.

Breaking Bard

The Spontaneous Shakespeare Company came all the way to Edmonton from Vancouver with offerings of a serviceable improv comedy. After collecting a few suggestions from the audience, the company dives into their original story—in our case literally, as it was mostly set at sea. Unlike something such as the 11 O’clock Number, the catch here is that everything is improvised with Shakespeare-like mannerisms, dialogue, and plot contrivance. Honestly, some of the biggest laughs came from how much the actors struggled to not break their Bardish character. Breaking Bard was a lot of fun and worth your time.

What the Hell was That!?

Laren Steppler may be a genius, and you must see his show. Whatever ‘it’ is, this is it. What the Hell was That!? embraces the true meaning of Fringe theatre while critiquing it; a top-notch opera tenor serenades you then asks whether unsavoury and unserious sounds are music, too; we recognize the subjectivity of art while insisting upon a singular meaning; it exposes the overproduced, commercialized world of modern music while making fun of avant-garde artists and superstars alike. I first saw Laren perform at Fringe years ago as a member of the Volare Tenors, a trio I believe is no longer together. Perhaps that’s for the best. Their show was amazing, but squeaky-clean. What the Hell was That!? is a bit dirtier, and Fringe needs a lot more of it.

Rat Academy

Seems border patrol let a couple rats slip into Alberta (ACAB) and we had the good fortune to experience their lessons on how to be a rat, including stealing, hiding, fighting, avoiding traps, sniffing for cheese, and experiencing traumatic flashbacks from that one time you died for a few minutes in a laboratory. Seriously, Rat Academy is hilarious, and I demand to know how Dayna Lea Hoffmann and Katie Yoner do those voices for an hour a day all Fringe long.

Mail Ordered

Shanice Stanislaus stars in what may just be the highlight of the whole Fringe. She also wrote Mail Ordered, and it shows, because she is obviously smart, funny, enthusiastic, a talented dancer, and so much more. So why is she trying to sell herself into a marriage instead of just, y’know, going on a date? You’ll have to get a ticket to this surely sold out show to find out. And you really should get a ticket.

That’s all for now. I will publish another review at the end of the festival, mostly for the helluvit, but also to recommend anything else that may be a holdover. After the holdovers are done, I’ll publish my final rankings of all the shows in order of what I enjoyed most. Toodles!