Sibling fringe performers have theatre in their blood

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This article was published 25/07/2013 (4827 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

SIBLING LOVE: With a theatre director as a mother and a poet as a father, Tom and Lucy Hill say they had little choice but to go into the arts. The siblings have separate shows at the fringe festival: Tom is part of Hip.Bang!, and Lucy acts in Business, as well as Dot & Mae: Delusions of Grandeur.

“We both just kind of grew up in the theatre, watching shows. If we called in sick to school, we’d be sitting in rehearsal for something,” Tom says.

Both of them got into improv and theatre through the Canadian Improv Games, a national high school competition. Though they both have that common experience, Lucy is more a dramatic actor, while Tom tends toward the comedic.

And while you may think that siblings shouldn’t get along, Lucy and Tom are an obvious counter-example.

“There couldn’t be much less,” Tom says when asked if the two have any competition between them as actors.

“The fringe can be a big, scary world; there’s so many groups. So I call upon his advice a lot,” Lucy says.

While their styles may be different, they two say they’ve thought about doing a show together.

“We do have a similar improv esthetic and style. It overlaps quite nicely,” Lucy says.

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As always, the final weekend of the fringe festival allows audiences an extra chance to see the most popular shows at venues 1-12 (and the Kids Venue). All tickets are available in advance as of 10 a.m. July 25 at www.winnipegfringe.com or at 174 Market St. Remaining tickets will be available at the door.

Here’s a list of Patrons’ Picks for July 27 and 28:

Kids Venue: School of Contemporary Dancers

July 28, 11 a.m. — African Folk Tales with Erik de Waal (YAP Theatre)

Venue 1: John Hirsch Mainstage

July 27, noon — Promise and Promiscuity (Yorkshire Pudding Productions)

July 28, noon — Grim & Fischer (Wonderheads)

Venue 2: MTC Up the Alley

July 27, noon — I Think My Heart Needs Glasses (Minion Productions)

July 28, 12:15pm — Dirk Darrow: NCSSI (Tim Motley)

Venue 3: The Playhouse Studio

July 27, noon — Adult Entertainment (The Almost Theatre Company)

July 28, noon — Aspergers; a Tale of a Social Misfit (Autistic Productions)

Venue 4: Alloway Hall (Manitoba Museum)

July 27, noon — Red Bastard (Red Bastard)

July 28, noon — Rope (The 28th Minute)

Venue 5: Son of Warehouse

July 27, noon — 2 for Tea (Superhero Boy Band Productions)

July 28, 12:15 p.m. — Assassinating Thomson (Monster Theatre)

Venue 6: Tom Hendry Warehouse

July 27, noon — God is a Scottish Drag Queen (Mike Delamont)

July 28, noon — Radio :30 (the night kitchen)

Venue 7: The Cinematheque

July 27, 12:15 p.m. — I Hate Bill Pats Too: Almost Homeless (Bessie-Jean Productions)

July 28, 12:30 p.m. — Threads (Tonya Jone Miller)

Venue 8: Rachel Browne Theatre

July 27, 12:15 p.m. — Dandyman (Dandyman)

July 28, 12:15pm — Timeless (Drive Dance)

Venue 9: Shaw Performing Arts Centre (MTYP)

July 27, noon– The Titanic (Grumpy Productions)

July 28, noon — The Broken Ballerina (Springs Creative)

Venue 10: Planetarium Auditorium

July 27, noon — I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change (New Grattitude Productions)

July 28, noon — Forget Me Not (Rob Gee)

Venue 11: Red River College

July 27, noon — Confessions of a Fairy’s Daughter (Dancingstorysinger)

July 28, noon — Never Own Anything You Have to Paint or Feed (Howard Petrick)

Venue 12: WAG/Muriel Richardson Auditorium

July 27, noon — The Pit (Concrete Drops)

July 28, noon — The Dark Fantastic (Martin Dockery)

oliver.sachgau@freepress.mb.ca