It’s that time of year again – the Saskatoon Fringe is back in action!
Check out PodSask during the week to see reviews of all 20 Saskatoon Fringe theatre shows from a team of talented reviewers. Here’s the first reviews of the year!
Passage, by David S. Raine
What we loved: It’s an exciting premise, and the show closes with so much more vigor than it begins – and if you had to choose a strong opening or a strong ending, the latter is better.
Eusebius Scribante and Matthew Letkeman make up the two-person team performing Passage, where we see a pair of brothers dealing with very different definitions of being stuck in life as Andy tries to get his brother Milo out of being pinned in a cave.
There’s great chemistry between our starring performers that shines through when the stakes rise. The back-and-forth between bros starts a little stilted, but they settle into an authentic banter that gets the audience chuckling through the serious moments.
And coming from someone who’s a little claustrophobic, the duo created an all-too-believable atmosphere of being physically trapped.
What we didn’t love: The show is weirdly paced. It’s unclear if there was a disconnect between the script and the interpretation by the performers, but there was such little tension in the early parts of the performance, even after the brothers made some rather dangerous realizations.
The last 10 minutes of the show feature some really strong moments, but it feels like it comes out of nowhere to hammer home – rather bluntly – the message of the play. It would have been nice for the audience to get more of an experience of Andy becoming increasingly uneasy as the show went on, instead of seemingly dialling it up to an 11 in the final scene.
Verdict: It’s always fun to see local performers rock a local stage. Scribante and Letkeman are eminently talented and mesh well together, even if the show clunks in places.
It’s a clever show that makes great use of the space. Scribante and Letkeman have put together a strong, memorable Saskatoon Fringe performance.
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩
– Matt Olson
***
Chase Padgett: Grab Bag Cabaret
What we loved: All the way from Florida, Chase Padgett’s new Fringe offering is billed as a random running order of songs, stories and sketches that don’t fit in any of his other shows. It means Saskatoon audiences get something new with every performance and if his opening show is any indication, we are in for a memorable run of music, stories and moments that effortlessly move between funny and heartfelt.
Starting with a pre-recorded intro customized for the Saskatoon Fringe that garnered several laughs and moving into a rocking one version of a song about having No Regrets, Padgett quickly connected with the crowd. After his opening, the show content was determined by audience members who drew cards to select what story or song Padgett would do next.
Without revealing content, it’s safe to say Padgett is truly a word weaver with the ability to share stories through song and recollection, as though he’s old friend and you are just “catching up”.
What we didn’t love: There was a bit of an opening night technical gremlin with Padgett’s microphone. It led to some uneven sound in his final story, but Padgett powered through keeping his focus on the audience.
The verdict: Padgett has been a mainstay of both Winnipeg and Edmonton Fringe Festivals and Saskatoon audiences are fortunate that he has decided to add our city to his tour agenda. Great music. Great stories. Great fun – All wrapped up in this very entertaining grab bag.
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
– Lorna Batycki
***
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What we loved: Well, their last show in Saskatoon was really good – it should be no surprise that Laura Piccinin has put together another fun one.
Piccinin’s brand of humour is almost impossibly infectious. She brings a level of zany physical comedy to their anecdotes from a long, 336 kilometer hike along the Newfoundland coast, and does a masterful job of combining quick action with a limited but well-selected group of props and set pieces.
We last saw Piccinin on the Saskatoon Fringe stage in 2022 with their show “Lesbihonest,” and some of the highlights of that production are the same here. It feels like a stand-up routine that has just been elevated into something more, well, theatrical than only a stand-up routine. It takes a little time to settle in, but Piccinin weaves a hilarious (and far too often relatable) adventure for the audience.
What we didn’t love: The show took a little time to find its footing, starting off at such a blistering pace that some of Piccinin’s punchlines didn’t land with as much punch as they could have.
It’s hard to call a Fringe show “too long,” but this one felt like it could have been a little tighter. Piccinin is a fantastic storyteller, and these stories meandered a bit.
But as the show settled down into more measured storytelling we see Piccinin’s talents shine – bringing back old jokes from earlier in the show, playing up dramatic pauses for perfect amounts of time, and just taking the whole audience on a journey with them.
Verdict: It’s charming, it’s silly, it’s honest and it’s a ton of fun – or is that just Piccinin themself?
Either way, this is an energizing show from a Fringe comedian who has refined their style into an art form all its own. It might not be to everyone’s tastes, but Piccinin is definitely going to make you laugh out loud.
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩
– Matt Olson
***
Catching Feelings: The Most Romantic Juggling Show in the World
What we loved: Jason Melnychuk is so talented, and he’ll make you fall in love with him as a performer – he’s just working on a tight timeframe.
This show was a late addition to the Saskatoon Fringe, and it’s an early world premiere (Melnychuk planned for it to premiere at the Fringe in Edmonton in a couple weeks). “Catching Feelings” is billed as a romantic juggling show, and kudos to Melnychuk for taking that theme and really running with it.
Roses, candlelight, love languages and heart-shaped juggling implements set the stage – and the mood – for a fun and well-performed series of street performer-style stunts.
Despite the early premiere, Melnychuk performed more than admirably. Also – he’s got a heck of a singing voice.
What we didn’t love: Stop telling your audience that the show is a work in progress!
The transitions between some of the stunts were slow and awkward – but that could have been written off as early-show jitters if Melnychuk didn’t keep reminding us that this was prepped on short notice.
Considering it’s billed as a “romantic juggling” show, it would have been fun to have a little more juggling in the production. It’s great to pull in audience interaction, and the participants in the first show were very gung-ho, but Melnychuk has to be more willing to pull away and transition to the next thing, or mix it up with an extra stunt. Shows that hinge on that street performance style can’t afford to slow down too much.
Verdict: This verdict is a bit of a projection. This show was the most fun of any I attended on the Fringe’s opening night, but it did seem a little messy. If Melnychuk embraces that instead of apologizing for it, this show will continue to be what it was at its premiere – impressive, fun, full of flying hearts. And no, that’s not all metaphor.
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩
– Matt Olson
The Saskatoon Fringe Festival runs through August 10. Information for all shows, tickets, and the full festival program can be found at https://25thstreettheatre.org/fringe-shows/.
