Three Fringe review posts, and still more to come – there’s so much theatre to enjoy at the 2024 Saskatoon Fringe Festival.
Whether you’re into magic, comedy or watching people dress up like rats, the Fringe has shows for you!
(And highly-reviewed shows popping up left and right – have you seen all of the five-star performances?)
How To Lose Friends and Irritate People
What we loved: Hailing from Grande Prairie, Alberta, and based in Vancouver, Jessica Pigeau, nailed joke after joke on the main stage at the Broadway Theatre. The audience laughed, and so did Pigeau. Overall, the jokes were consistently funny.
Pausing only to check notes, Pigeau blended the personal and the observational, moving from topic to topic, tackling subjects like homophobia, transphobia, gender conformity, and mental health while poking fun at time zones and university debate clubs.
It was Pigeau’s storytelling about navigating the world as someone on the autism spectrum that was most compelling.
The note checking, by the way, fit with the show and helped as a transition between subjects at times.
What we didn’t love: There’s little to dislike. If anything, it’s that the billing doesn’t mention this is stand-up comedy.
A slightly more intimate setting in a slightly less cavernous would be a bonus, given the gulf of space around Pigeau on stage and between audience and stage.
Verdict: The hour was well-spent, and Pigeau can land a good punchline. Also, sweater vests are cool, even in early July. You’ll have to see the show to get it.
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩
– Thia James
***
Rat Academy
What we loved: “Rat Academy” is an impressive display of talent that transcends the art of clowning and physical comedy with its unique premise and engaging style. The show has a brilliant energy that flirts with the edge of its asserted “All Ages” content.
Both performers had great chemistry – with each other and the audience – keeping the momentum and laughter at a consistent high for its run time. The costumes, make-up, props and set pieces really contribute to the aesthetic and add so much to the humour and shenanigans of the whole show. It makes the most of a beautifully absurd premise and confidently goes all out to deliver a fun ride.
What we didn’t love: The audience’s comfort may be tested where participation is concerned. The prospect of being “voluntold” to participate in an undisclosed bit on stage did put this introverted reviewer a tad on edge (granted, that is a calculated risk of live theatre). Admittedly, when two human-sized sentient rodents scoured the crowd for volunteers, the middle school pressure of being picked at random did make me sweat a little.
When the show begins, you may need a moment of adjustment to fully comprehend and accept the bizarre situation they are in.
That being said, one just needs to relax, buckle up and embrace the idea that this is a master class in the art of being a rat.
The verdict: There’s so much to enjoy in this ramshackle romp of rodent reverie. If you are receptive to the raspy rambunctious ramblings of rat rhetoric and can revel in the rickety rap of rationed ramparts of rational and random RATtitudes – check this show out, it’s pretty rad!
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
– Andrew Linsley
***
El Diablo of the Cards
What we loved: Brazilian card connoisseur and clown Ewerton Martins has more than a few tricks up his sleeve as he delivers a magical set in “El Diablo of the Cards” at the Refinery.
The show begins as soon as you enter the theatre. Martins personally welcomes his guests taking a moment to interact and then invites a few “victims” to join him at his table. It’s an important welcome as he surrounds himself with those he can directly work his magic on. This sets the stage for a devilishly interactive hour of family friendly fun. The group who were part of his opening night performance were very supportive of Martins efforts, playing along with spontaneity, including a phone home moment with someone who unexpectedly became part of the show.
Martins is many things. First and foremost, as the show title suggests, he is a master at sleight of hand magic. Beyond the cards, he is a clown with a mischievous demeanor and a quick wit that was both humorous and engaging. Finally, he is a storyteller, weaving delightful anecdotes between his tricks and using words as cleverly as his cards.
What we didn’t love: If I have to nitpick, there was a running gag (literally) that I found to be a bit tiresome, but at the same time it’s part of his schtick and it works for the character.
The verdict: Card tricks can be repetitive and predictable but when done with a genuine love of performance and a storyteller’s heart, one can believe the magic is real. El Diablo of the Cards is a royal flush and a show all ages can look forward to.
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
– Lorna Batycki
***
Catch Me in the Kitchen Story Adventures
What we loved: Chantale Groulx and Stephen LaFrenie of the company Catch Me in the Kitchen at their best are charismatic and incredibly compelling storytellers, easily mixing together classic children’s stories and the realities of the modern world to bring to life enjoyable retellings of Goldilocks and the Three Bears and The Three Little Pigs.
The pair’s animated performances and energetic delivery make it easy to get pulled into the worlds they’re creating. The show at its peak is immersive and funny for both its target audience (younger kids) and their parents with plenty of “wink and nod” jokes to keep Mom and Dad chuckling through the show’s runtime.
What we didn’t love: Many of the pantomimes and narrative act-outs were allowed to drag on, throwing off the pacing of the show and distracting from Groulx and LaFrenie’s otherwise engaging storytelling. With just the two performers and their words to create and maintain the world, these jarring changes of pace unfortunately evaporate the momentum the pair have built up and shatters the story’s fragile immersion.
In a show primarily for the children in the audience these stumbles and awkward pauses left the two performers with plenty of extra work to do in order to recapture the attention of the easily distracted kids.
Verdict: While it’s clear that Groulx and LaFrenie are masterful storytellers, “Catch Me in the Kitchen Story Adventures” repeatedly fails to live up to the duo’s obvious potential.
For the parts of the performance where the duo’s excellent narration and conversational storytelling carry the show forward it is a truly wonderful experience. When those strengths are interrupted by overdrawn act outs, the show reminds you that you are sitting in a dark room waiting for the duo to get back to what they’re good at — telling the story. Unfortunately the latter happens far too often over the course of the performance’s runtime.
Rating: ★ ★ ✩ ✩ ✩
– Zachary Knuttila
***
Kicked in The End: A Magic Show
What we loved: Personal stories are built on truth which is often a most compelling subject matter for performers. A show can be a way to educate an audience or eradicate demons and Shawn DeSouza-Coelho’s “Kicked In The End: A Magic Show” is a bit of both.
DeSouza-Cohelho is a charismatic storyteller whose one-person performance is an anecdotal monologue about his experience with prejudice. He reveals his hand immediately, explaining how at a young age, he learned from his teachers, contemporaries and co-workers that negative connotations are connected to colour. Some moments are funny, while others are heartbreaking as we see the pain caused by systemic racism and the hope that perhaps with better understanding things will improve.
What we didn’t love: Without giving away the details, the end of the show was abrupt. The build up to the final moments was predictable and there were ripples of confusion around me as the show concluded. To be fair, because the ending involves audience participation, I’m sure it’s a little different with each show.
The verdict: If you are hoping for a show with lots of mysterious tricks and magical subterfuge then this isn’t the one for you. However, if you want to see how a strong storyteller works a crowd and understand his passion for an inclusive world, then getting Kicked In the End may be your best bet.
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩
– Lorna Batycki
***
16: The Musical
What we loved: Saskatoon playwright Elizabeth Foucault’s 16: The Musical takes the audience back to high school, along on the emotional roller-coaster — but with a catchy soundtrack and brilliantly choreographed dance numbers.
She takes the familiar, trapping the school’s most popular jock, the popular president of the student government, the edgy moody kid, the troublemaker, and the kid whose existence other students seem to overlook, and goes beyond that John Hughes movie.*
Though hijinks ensue, Foucault peels back the layers of each of the main characters in the ensemble, showing us Connor (Kai Batycki) the hockey player worries about disappointing his dad because he’s unlikely to be drafted to the NHL, or that Sol (Blu Azonobi) and his mother survived political unrest before coming to Canada. The main characters are rich, and Foucault imbues them with depth.
The performers hit it out of the park. Take Nyx (Siyam Hassan), the “troublemaker” who also happens to be in foster care. Though he enters the scene part of the way through, at first seeming to be the typical bad seed in a leather jacket for much of the show, when he sings his number “Moving On,” you can’t help but be reminded that underneath it all, he’s a kid who has been through a lot. And Hassan’s vocal performance is powerful, with broad range.
16: The Musical is perfectly cast, and it feels like each song is almost tailored to each performer, since not one note is missed. There isn’t a misfire in this show.
*Note: That John Hughes movie is The Breakfast Club.
What we didn’t love: With a show so well executed, what’s there to complain about? Maybe not a complaint, but a wish: one or two more songs which showcase the absolute talent of the performers (with lyrics by Paulina Salisbury, Simon Jasieniuk and Antony Salisbury) that capture being Sweet 16 and rollicking good backing rock/dance/pop compositions.
The writing is taut with no dangling threads, but it was so well done it deserved an extra 30 minutes. Oh, Fringe show time limits.
The verdict: This is was just a lot of fun. It even had a good dose of nostalgia. (They play with the parachute at one point — remember the parachute?)
The performances are so polished and the performers are so talented — as singers, dancers, actors — and is the kind of show that you recommend and watch again.
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩
– Thia James
***
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/.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this article listed the names of the performers in “Catch Me in the Kitchen Story Adventures” incorrectly. The names have now been corrected.
