Life on the Fringe Blog

Life on the Fringe Blog – July 25

My Top Ten List

It’s Friday morning and there are only three days left to experience the Winnipeg Fringe Festival. My general impression is that this was a pretty good Fringe in terms of quality shows. In recent years, more and more shows at the Fringe are comedies but I surprisingly found several top notch dramas. There’s also one really good clown piece, one really good movement piece and two excellent dark comedies. Of the 46 shows I saw this year, only 9 were really bad. Interestingly enough, most of these really bad shows were comedies. Anyway, here is my top ten list in order of personal preference.

1. The Wizard of One – An incredibly charming show that had me smiling throughout the piece. I was amazed at how well The Wizard of Oz story transfers over to a group of senior citizens.

2. The Tricky Part – A powerful story about an adult trying to come to terms with the abuse he suffered as a child. As an energetic young boy, actor Peter Hayes uses hand gestures and freely moves around the stage. As an adult, Hayes is stuck sitting in a chair. And, in the end, the adult is still affected by the abuse that happened 30 years ago.

3. Spiral Dive – A young Canadian signs up for the Air Force in World War II. Cleverly staged and very well acted, this play encompasses both pro and anti war attitudes.

4. Remember The Night – A loner develops a relationship with a prostitute until she is mysteriously murdered one night. This play succeeds as a romance, a mystery and a dark comedy. Also, just seeing how director Arne MacPherson strategically used every inch of this venue is alone worth the price of admission.

5. Guernica – A movement piece about three people who are reborn. Even though I thought some of the movement was over exaggerated, I still liked the story they told – if we were given a second chance at life, we would make the same mistakes again.

6. The Red Handkerchief – Eddy and Emily are in a relationship but don’t get along too well because they are two totally different people. So, each of them invent lovers to help fill the void of what’s missing in their real lives. A well acted and insightful look at the ideal (blissful love) versus the often sad reality of relationships (communication problems).

7. Criminals in Love – A dark comedy about a dysfunctional family. An imprisoned father wants his son to do a favour for his brother. Of course, the favour involves criminal activity. Full of dark comedy, absurd plot twists and the occasional deep thought, this was an enjoyable show.

8. Morro and Jasp do Puberty – A very funny clown show about two teenage sisters. One has a crush on a boy, the other is adjusting to having her period. Like life, this show is both funny and touching. I especially loved how fragile and insecure the character of Jasp was.

9. Boat Load – A struggling actor named Gary needs a thousand dollars to either save his cat or pay for an audition to help his career. Even though this is one of the funniest shows I saw at the Fringe, I felt this show was a little too long in the middle when Gary was looking for money.

10. How to Fake Clinical Depression – An actor volunteers to take part in a research study on depression because it pays good money. This show was not only funny but also a stinging indictment on pharmaceutical research practises.

Quote of the Day

“I don’t know why we have to have a big song and dance about the issue.”

From The Really Real Adventures of Scott Free and Will Do.

Goodbye

This is my final blog entry. I hope you have enjoyed reading the blog and our reviews here on umfm.com. Enjoy the final three days of this year’s Fringe and we will see you at next year’s Winnipeg Fringe July 15 to 26, 2009.