2012 Montreal Fringe Fest ... It's A Wrap!

After nearly three weeks of off-the-wall shows of all stripes, "flyering", venue-hopping, a mac & cheese cook off, the 13th hour, 11-second dance parties and the famous beer tent, the 22nd edition of the St. Ambroise Montreal Fringe Festival is a wrap.

This was the first Fringe Fest that I covered for my Grapevine column in the West End Times, and I have to admit, I wondered why I waited so long to finally tackle this festival that exposes you to so many fun shows that you usually won't find in the mainstream entertainment world ... and that's what the beauty of this festival is all about. Thanks to the June 4 "Fringe-For-All", and plenty of recommendations from Fringe staff, volunteers and longtime devotees, I was able to zero in on which shows to catch. As a result, I saw 11 Fringe shows in nine days (not bad for a rookie).

So in no particular order, here are my favorite shows from this year's Montreal Fringe Festival:

-"My Exploding Family". This physical comedy by the Japanese theatrical company Osara Soup was a surreal delight. The trio that pranced around in garishly coloured makeup and costumes (even offstage, as they traversed along St. Laurent Blvd. between shows) and their ability to pull off a great deal of physical and visual comedy sketches (including my favorite routine, in which an index finger goes on an arduous journey) just grew on me as the show progressed. It's like a combination of a Japanese Kabuki show and a three ring circus. No wonder it won the top prize of Best English language production at the Frankies Awards ceremony which capped off the festival (the trio is pictured below accepting their prize).

-"Gaulier Made Me Cry". The spirit of such classic comedy duos as Laurel & Hardy and Abbott & Costello is alive and well in this 30-minute production, which relates the story of Kendall, a hapless, happy-go-lucky individual, who goes on an intensive 13-day workshop to learn how to be a clown by Gaulier, a veteran French clown who is a difficult, impossible and hopelessly demanding teacher. The dynamic duo of Jessica Fildes and Kendall Savage tells this story with plenty of humor, empathy and lots of cream pies. The end result is a fun romp and the messiest looking stage I ever saw ... and yet, you'll enjoy the way it got so messy.

-"The Last Man on Earth" may sound like an apocalyptic piece of drama, but this classical encounter of innocence vs. evil is a terrific tribute to the golden age of silent film comedy, when Chaplin, Keaton, Harold Lloyd and Harry Langdon ruled that domain. And what's so great about it was that the Keystone Theatre group paid attention to every detail that made up a typical silent movie about 90 years ago ... that meant title cards, white face makeup on all the performers, live musical accompaniment with an old-fashioned upright, tinny piano and the reliance of facial expressions and physical gestures to tell the narrative sans dialogue (all that was missing was the flickering lights effect). Special kudos to Sarah Joy Bennet, who played the role of Minion, the Devil's pet bat and devious companion, who stole the show with every scene she appeared in.

-"Tinfoil Dinosaur". Victoria, BC native Sam Mullins gives a funny and poignant performance of his struggles to become a professional actor in Vancouver, and ends up working as a waiter in a chain restaurant, and how he found purpose thanks to a simple customer request of sculpting a dinosaur made of tinfoil. It shows how amazing one simple thing can be a major change in one's life. It's a fine example of what a solid, storytelling solo show should be.

-"Nothing Never Happens in Norway" became a sensation at the Festival, playing to sold out crowds during the fest's home stretch. It's an original musical comedy by the Montreal-based troupe Processed Theatre, which tells a story of love, betrayal, promises and infidelity in 19th century Norway, the land of Ibsen and fjords. Another scene stealer was the actress (whose name escapes me, I apologize), who plays the witty and sarcastic maid who does a great job breaking down that fourth wall between the performers and the audience.

-”Pitching Knife Fight” is local columnist Walter J. Lyng’s hilarious spoof of how movie ideas get pitched in Hollywood. The audience members are the potential “investors”, as Lyng combines his love of pop culture and action movies to pitch his idea of a 23-film action movie franchise called “Knife Fight”. He covers everything from concepts, casting, merchandising and even related charitable tie-ins (“Knife Fight Cares”) … and it even has its own original theme song (which was recorded by a Montreal punk rock band). Lyng’s suggestions are so off the wall, that they practically make sense to any potential investor or Hollywood producer. After seeing “Pitching Knife Fight”, all I have to say is “Walter, to whom do I make the cheque out to, and for how much?”

And finally, one thing that stood out for me at the Fringe Fest was the amazing way the shows were cross promoted. Besides the plethora of flyers, posters and cards that were plastered throughout Fringe Park, St. Laurent Blvd., and every festival venue, several performers from different shows were always present in the audience. At the conclusion of each show, the onstage performers encouraged those in the audience to shout out which shows they were appearing in, where it was playing and when. This is what I call true camaraderie, and was amazed how close knit these performers were, who would go the extra mile to support each other and their respective shows.

Before I close the book on this year's Fringe Fest, there are several people I have to thank for their accessibility and personal touch that helped make my first Fringe Fest an unforgettable experience. Festival Director Amy Blackmore gets a thank you and congratulations (along with her professional and volunteer crew) for staging such a great festival (not to mention taking the time to introducing herself to me at the June 4 launch and making me feel very welcome). Another big thank you goes to Communications Director Kathryne Radburn for all of her tremendous help (especially for her quick reply to my request for media accreditation and the lengthy conversation we had at the Mainline Theatre prior to a show one Sunday afternoon, in which she gave me plenty of show recommendations -- many of which I managed to catch). And finally, special thanks to Fringe personnel (professional and volunteer) Shayne, Sarah, Paula, Rose and Cassandra from the Quebec Drama Federation for their encouragement and respective show recommendations. Without any of the above-mentioned people, I would have been hopelessly lost!

Now I can proudly say that I am a Fringer. Bring on #23!

Fringe Festival gets off to a frenzied, free-for-all start

This year, I decided to cover the Montreal St. Ambroise Fringe Festival, because I have heard so much about the wide variety of comedy, dance and performance arts shows that border on the off beat and the way out. As a Fringe rookie, I was quite overwhelmed at the huge number of shows that were announced as its line-up was unveiled at a press conference (and chili cook-off) that was held last month.

I was still scratching my head about which shows I should catch when I was invited to attend a rather unique event that not only officially launched the 22nd edition of the Fringe Fest, but also doubled as a "sampler" to what kind of shows one could expect during the fest's three weeks. It was called the "Fringe-For-All", and was a frenzied blitz of about 93 of its local-based shows that gave the overflowing crowd at Cafe Campus an idea of what these shows would be like ... and all in two minute snippets per act.

Was I able to survive and withstand this fast and furious blitz of 93 acts in four hours? Stay tuned to this blog later and find out.

This Fringe-ful evening of June 4 began on a rather tranquil note with a 5 a 7 launch reception at the Petit Campus, a small annex of the Cafe Campus facility. The first impression I got as I entered the Petit Campus was that the people who work for the Fringe (volunteers and paid staff) are very friendly, accommodating and do everything and anything to the best of their abilities to make sure everyone is made to feel welcome; overall a good first impression.

Second, these people enjoy their work and like to have fun. Case in point, I noticed the nametags that every festival personnel were sporting had a rather unusual nickname which accompanied their normal name. I asked Alexandrine, a very pretty and charming young lady who greeted the guests at the door and handed out our festival super passes, what these nicknames were all about. She told me that in honor of St. Ambroise brewery, the festival's chief sponsor, all the employees were asked to choose their official nickname, but it had to be the name of a local or international brand of beer (Alexandrine's name was "Bintang" -- which sounded like a rather racy term that came out of the Vietnam War -- but is actually the name of a brew that's made in Indonesia).

While munching on some rolled up cold cuts, crudites and fresh fruit, and admiring the Fringe Fest swag that was given to us (which included the fest's brand new reusable beer cup, a lanyard, a St. Ambroise bottle opener and even a St. Ambroise brand condom), Amy Blackmore, the Fringe Fest's bubbly and very personable director, explained to the gathering the set of values to why The Montreal Fringe Festival has been so successful for over two decades.

“Anyone can apply. Artists that are accepted to perform can do whatever they want. One hundred percent of the money from ticket sales go directly to the artist. Ticket prices are low to keep the festival accessible to everyone. And word of mouth is key,” she said.


I have to give Amy a lot of credit for making the extra effort to personally introduce herself to practically everyone who attended the launch reception, especially those who are Fringe rookies (like myself), so that we were made to feel welcome. She ably proved that she is just as accessible and down-to-earth like the festival she is at the helm of. When Amy spoke with me, she remembered me from the days when I did my "Book Banter" segment on Peter Anthony Holder's show on CJAD for 19 years. In fact, she related to me the time when she won a couple of books from us during our monthly "Fire Sale" broadcasts (one of them was a Christmas book that she reads every year as the holiday season rolls around). Imagine that ... My first encounter with the director of the Fringe Festival and we already have a connection. My inaugural Fringe experience is really getting off to a great start. It can only get better.


Well, 7 p.m. rolls around, and everyone makes their way upstairs to the main Cafe Campus venue, where an overflowing crowd of Fringe Fest fans, artists and personnel eagerly await the highly-anticipated "Fringe-For-All" showcase.


And now, may I present another case in point to how the Fringe Fest people take good care of their sponsors and the media. The first three rows at the venue were reserved for us, which gave us an exclusive vantage point to sample these 93 performance tidbits (and take better pictures for our newspaper columns and articles). And each seat was covered with a pile of promotional flyers, postcards and pocket-sized items (like chocolate loonies and cocktail umbrellas, and in some instances, gift bags and bags of party mix) from many of the highlighted shows that night, in order to help make our choices of what shows to catch. And also, our press kits included a  three-page list of all the acts in order of appearance, with an allotted space beside each entry to mark down our comments (it was almost like a Fringe Fest scorecard).  And I have to give a special mention to the people behind the production of "Maluron Malurette", a French-language musical set in the midst of the Great Depression of the 1930s. In order to promote their show to us media types, they handed out to us their promotional postcard attached to a mini jar of homemade raspberry preserves (how can I not see this show, I ask myself, as I spread a dollop of that tasty homemade jam on my toasted bagel?).


So, after cramming my press kit with all these promotional items/seat covers, and show order list and pen in hand, I was ready for the "Fringe-For-All" to assault my sense and sensibilities.  


What a showcase it was! A wild melange of practically every performing arts discipline was on display for us to consider and choose. There was comedy, dance, drama, fine arts, performance art, song, burlesque and even old time radio and roller derby that had me laughing, amazed, astounded, mystified and at times, scratching my head and wondering to myself "Huh?!?" (but the latter were few and far between).


Alright ... you maybe asking yourself, "did Stuart manage to survive those 93 acts in two-minute snippets each for a total of nearly four hours?" My answer, dear reader, is an unequivocal, undisputed YES. Thanks to the "Fringe-For'All", my choices have been more defined and have been narrowed down to seven shows so far (so I could leave some room to catch several international acts). And here are my top three choices of the local Fringe Fest shows that I will definitely be making my way to catch over the next couple of weeks:

*”Tough!”, a solo musical comedy show with a boxing theme to it, featuring Montreal comic/actress Kirsten Rasmussen.  It’s a face-to-face showdown between a troubled lounge singer and an up-and-coming boxer … all rolled into one person. I was deeply impressed with Ms. Rasmussen and her wide-eyed, kinetic energy not only as a stand-up, but also as one of the emcees of the “Fringe-For-All” (in the guise of her alter ego Kiki Razzle, who will also be assuming co-hosting duties at the late night L’Apres Fringe shows). Her ability to keep the audience entertained between each act (along with her fellow emcees) with a lot of humour and enthusiasm and never show any signs of slowing down was something that really stuck with me that evening. She could be my “discovery” of the festival; and if she carries off this show like she did as an emcee, Kirsten Rasmussen should be one of the brightest up-and-coming talents in the Montreal comedy scene.

*”The Little Prince as told by Machiavelli”. This is what happens when you cross one of the most allegorical, charming works of modern literature with one of the darkest, starkly realistic political books ever written.  Mixing whimsy with brutal pragmatism, Saint-Exupery’s story of the Little Prince is given a literal Machiavellian twist and the end result is a hilarious literary satire that is not to be missed.

*”Let’s Start A Country!”.  Did you ever go to a Fringe show and ended up building your own mythical country? Staged by the That’s Enough Drama company, “Let’s Start A Country!” is a comedic exercise in nation building and participatory democracy, as audience members help the group set up a new country by deciding everything from its laws, to its customs, to its currency. By the way (speaking of currency), if the members of the troupe/new nation citizens decide to throw copies of their new paper currency into the audience, I hope they don't attached lollipops to them. That's what they did at the "Fringe-For-All" and I got beaned by one of those flying candy-laden currency.

There you have it. My initiation to the Montreal St. Ambroise Fringe Festival is complete. Armed with my notebook, pen, camera, Fringe Fest program book and reusable Fringe Fest beer cup, I am ready to experience the offbeat, unconventional, and unusually entertaining shows and spectacles that they have to offer. To indirectly quote the adline that was used for the 1975 film version of The Who's rock opera "Tommy", my senses will never be the same.