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Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION
Vernus Says Surprise
Our Rating: 
Vernus, an elderly, pants-up-to-here gentleman, wants to buy a birthday gift for his granddaughter. Sounds simple, but it’s a feat of epic perseverance through the small cruelties of a world not built for seniors. Ottawa writer and performer Ken Godmere creates a riveting physical portrait of old age, and he does so almost wordlessly because no one — except, tellingly, his granddaughter — ever seems to let Vernus get a word in edgewise.
The one-man show is funny in parts, with sharp and evocative sound effects and pacing that falls just short of tedious — which makes sense, because the everyday act of going to the ATM becomes, for Vernus, a Sisyphean task. The toy store episode gets a little muddled, but overall, this is delightful and sad.
— Mary Agnes Welch
From the Fringe program:
In our busy, noisy, fast-paced world, sometimes it is the quietest characters who share the most.
Vernus is an 89-year-old man who never gets the chance to speak. Today, he is determined to find the perfect gift for his granddaughter — even if he has a little trouble getting there.
Fringetastic! presents Emanate Productions' Vernus Says SURPRISE, a comedy/drama/clown/mime adventure written and performed by Ken Godmere and directed by Tania Levy.
Recommended For: General Audience
Length: 60 min
Tickets: $10
History
Updated on Thursday, July 19, 2012 at 11:57 AM CDT:
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