Fringe Fest 2024: Day 5
dead by dawn! dead by dawn! dead by dawn!
It’s the first time in five days that I’ve made it home before 1 a.m. I was tempted to catch a midnight show, but responsibility and guilt tugged me away. My landlord must enter my apartment tomorrow to test the fire alarm, you see, and my shame will not allow that to happen without tidying up the hallway and throwing out the fuzzy takeout boxes, so I must write these reviews quickly, go to bed at a reasonable time, and prepare for their visit before I head out again. A load of clean laundry would be a good idea, too.
Day 5 Reviews
Gertrude and Ophelia in Hell
Heaven hates Hamlet. This show isn’t about him, but two of the many relations he wronged: his mother, Queen Ophelia, and his girlfriend, Gertrude, who are both stuck in limbo after they die. Gertrude and Ophelia don’t actually go to hell—instead, they must reveal the truth of their deaths, discover how to make things right, and earn themselves another chance. I really enjoyed this tightly-packed 45 minute show, which is totally accessible to those of us (those of you) who aren’t Shakespeare nerds.
$téphanie Morin-Robert: SOFT SPOT
Stéphanie Morin-Robert is a very clever person. She’s one half of the Merkin Sisters and, get this, has a glass eye! Eye gags and puppetry are an important part of her show, Soft Spot, but Morin-Robert then moves on to pregnancy and popsicles and karaoke parties and birth until her personas collide and all is revealed. I was honestly shocked, in a good way, when all the seemingly innocent lines, karaoke song choices, and throwaway jokes tied themselves together in a sinister climax. Morin-Robert leaves you with hope, however, and for me it is the hope that you see her show.
Goose!
Goose! is a ton of fun. The world is (finally) overrun by Canada Geese—the Honkening, if you will—and two desperate survivors find themselves alone in a prepper shelter. That’s all I’ll spill about the plot, because you deserve to experience it for yourself. Goose! is smart, rehearsed, and focused, but does not sacrifice the foolery and fun you’re hoping for. Brandon and Janice are a duo I would pay to see more of, and you should too. Make your way to the Walterdale bunker and honk your ass off at Goose!
Colin Mochrie and Friends, Live at the Fringe!
What can I say? The largest crowd at the festival, by far, descended upon the Garneau theatre to see international superstar Colin Mochrie and his cast of improvisers. This was a strict hour of improv, with no real surprises, but absolutely worth it. Colin is an incredible comedian, and you can see his X-factor at work when alongside other comedians. Hasten to say, everyone on stage was great and contributed to a very funny preview of the non-Fringe standup shows Colin is recording in town this weekend. Probably worth checking out.
Evil Dead: the musical
I wanted even more blood. I also want most men I meet to be killed by Kandarian Demons, but we can’t always get what we want in this life. The Evil Dead musical does its best to give you everything, though, with catchy numbers, fun choreography, lots of comedy, and condiment squeezers filled with sticky, scarlet syrup. I had so much fun and am not surprised it’s sold out for the rest of the festival. I felt truly robbed, however, when I saw that many seats in the splash zone (front rows) were reserved. I ended up three rows back, where I merely became polka-dotted in blood. This would be a great show to hold at an outdoor stage, full band and everything, where they can just open up the pit and really drench anyone who wants to get close. Anyway, you should have bought tickets to see Evil Dead: the musical; congratulations if you did.