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!
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