Fringe reviews #11: Our princess is in another theatre

’80s COMMERCIALS

TJ Dawe

Planetarium (Venue 9), to July 25

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A misfire from Vancouver fringe legend TJ Dawe (The Slipknot), this shaggy dog of a show attempts to tie the monologist’s love for obscure’ 80s television ads to something meaningful, but the 60-minute production (not 75) struggles to weave the narrative strands about nostalgia into something that’s ready for prime time.

The half-baked premise is also undermined by inaccuracies and oversights. Dawe calls TV westerns a “cultural dead end” (trend that died out); Taylor Sheridan (Yellowstone, etc.) would like a word. He erroneously claims Dirty Dancing is set in the ’50s (it takes place in ‘63). He says “reach” is another word for café (as in Molly’s Reach), but it refers to an arm of the sea. He posits Art Linklater as a unique character famous only for being a TV host as if Ryan Seacrest weren’t right there.

The old ads are great fun to watch, but childhood memories are low-hanging fruit, and the tacked-on hopeful ending is out of step with the rest of the show. Honestly, it’s kind of a crock (not the Country kind).

— Jill Wilson

ALEXANDER MANTIA’S ZUCCHINI CLUB

Alexander Mantia Puppetry

Théâtre Cercle Molière (Venue 3), to July 26

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Pasquale Provolone is on a mission to protect his garden — and his prized Bella Zucchini — from local wildlife. Toronto-based Alexander Mantia pulls out all of the stops during this 55-minute puppet performance, creating a variety show extraordinaire.

The “Goombas” er, audience members, meet a cast of 10 unique puppets who perform endearing songs, slam poetry, standup comedy and dance spectacles. This laugh-out-loud act leans into the animals’ characteristics and tropes — including the Opossum, who is talented at impersonating death and muses about taking the show on the road — and is layered with brilliant wordplay.

Mantia’s puppeteering creates a joyous atmosphere. While the show is moderately reliant on audience participation, it’s called upon in a way that is highly inviting and extremely complementary to the tone of the production.

Playful and hilarious, it is filled with a whimsical cast one could only dream of encountering in one’s own garden.

— Nadya Pankiw

THE BALLAD OF ISOBEL GUNN

Possum Hollow Productions

PTE — Colin Jackson Studio (Venue 17), to July 26

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For well over a decade, Alberta vocalist Melanie Gall has charmed fringe audiences with musical spins through the past. Now, she’s bringing a remarkable piece of Canadian women’s history into the light.

In 1806, a young woman from the Orkney Islands disguised herself as a man, signed a contract with the Hudson’s Bay Company, and became the first European woman to set foot in what was then called Rupert’s Land. It’s a fascinating tale, one more Canadians should know — but this may not be the right format to tell it.

The 60-minute show unfolds almost entirely through 10 new songs. Gall has a gorgeous voice, pure as a bell. It’s a pleasure to hear her sing, and there’s an easy sweetness to her presence. Yet it doesn’t feel as if we truly connect with the titular trailblazer until a short monologue near the end. Otherwise, the show never quite breaks the surface, and the melodic presentation of one suspected traumatic incident in Gunn’s life is a touch uncomfortable.

— Melissa Martin

FISSION: THE DEATH OF DR. LOUIS SLOTIN

MaxQ Productions

Le Studio at Theatre Cercle Moliere (Venue 20), to July 26

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Following the end of the Second World War, Winnipeg-born physicist Louis Slotin (Mark Hall) is exposed to radiation during an experiment, sending him and his colleague Al Graves to hospital. Graves grapples with telling Slotin’s parents about their son’s top-secret work as he reconciles his role in the accident.

This work by Winnipeg’s Gilles Messier takes place across various cities and years; audience members unfamiliar with the Manhattan Project may find themselves playing catchup over the course of the 60-minute drama. The locally based eight-person cast does an admirable job condensing scientific experiments and significant historical moments, but moves on too quickly for the audience to connect with specific characters.

Just as history is often open to interpretation, it’s not entirely clear how Slotin’s death was remembered, prompting the crowd’s need for additional reflection. Audiences with an interest in nuclear warfare and the Second World War will likely get the most of this performance.

— Nadya Pankiw

FLUNKED

Ashley Evans

PTE — Colin Jackson Studio (Venue 17), to Friday

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Flunked does exactly what it says on the tin: it is a heartwarming dramedy — set to live piano melodies — about success, failure and the long walks in between.

This is a fringe debut for Orlando, Fla. -based improviser and musician Ashley Evans, who brings touching earnestness to her 50-minute solo act.

As both writer and director, Evans shows real chops. The narrative is neat and tidy, written to effortlessly breeze from lyrical to confessional and back again. The musical punctuation — Evans plays the keyboard off and on throughout — wonderfully solidifies the story’s emotional beats. Evans is a musical director at Orlando’s SAK Comedy Lab and uses that experience (plus her classical piano background) to great effect.

As performer, Evans has a big, warm presence and is at her best when she’s engaged with the crowd. This is a musical monologue, and could benefit from a more tempered pace to leave more room for the jokes and emotional turns to land.

Overall, Flunked is a solid, sweet, well-presented debut.

— Julia-Simone Rutgers

FRINGE FAMILY FUN SHOW

Comedy Illusions of Greg Wood

John Hirsch Mainstage (Venue 1), to July 26

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Greg Wood apparently operates under the principle that the family that abracadabras together stays together. Hence, over the course of an hour, he makes his grandson levitate and he spins his granddaughter’s head in a box without a word of complaint from his wife/assistant Oonaugh.

Consistently family-friendly, Wood himself cracks dad jokes and puns between more surprising stunts, such as randomly pulling frozen popsicles out of his pocket.

The comedy bits in between keep the crowd engaged and laughing and he gives opportunities for both parents and kids to participate. It makes for an enjoyable experience and a fun night out at the fringe with the family.

—Tiago Resko

ONE MORE TIME

HonourablyUnstable

School of Contemporary Dance (Venue 7), to Friday

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The premise of this raucous, 55-minute semi-improvised comedy is a game show set in hell, with Beelzebub as host. Points are awarded via segments such as a dating game in which the three hapless contestants try to woo Satan, and another in which the audience chooses which part of their internet search history the contestant must explain. The prize is that thing we crave above all else: attention.

There is no program to identify the five-member cast, but all have their individual charms. Jax is a lunkheaded gym rat who only cares about macros; Charlie is a know-it-all who loves books; Quinn put her dog on a diet so they can both be skinny queens and prizes her followers over all else. The actor playing the Devil is a delight.

For a goofy show, there’s a good message about chasing likes, but momentum seriously flags partway through, and it’s certainly best seen with a rowdy crowd who aren’t afraid to heckle.

— Jill Wilson

RANDY AND ELIZABETH: A SAVAGE LOVE STORY

Macho Manitoban

Planetarium Auditorium (Venue 9), to July 26

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The wrestling industry is its own form of theatre that, for all its steroid-laden melodrama (and perhaps because of it), has stolen the hearts and minds of fans for decades. That’s also why Geoff Hughes has pulled on his leotards and donned his championship belts again this year, with his brilliant homage to ’80s wrestling icon Randy (Macho Man) Savage.

It’s probably helpful to know a little about the wrestling industry and past stars to follow the plot, but you don’t need to be fully steeped in the lore to appreciate Hughes’ performance. The phenomenal character study of Savage is the real draw here — the look, the voice, and the portrayal of the wrestler’s quirks are all as good as it gets.

The play is billed as a love story between two WWF legends — Savage and his wife/manager Miss Elizabeth — but the real affection is between megafan Hughes and the wrestlers he grew up adoring.

— Matt Schaubroeck

STORY STORY LIE

Tits Up Productions

PTE Colin Jackson Studio (Venue 17), to July 26

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Story Story Lie is not to be confused with Winnipeg Is a Lie at Venue 13, another fringe game show that challenges audiences to hear stories from festival-plucked panelists and determine which one is true.

Hosted by burlesque queen DD Brassiere, the show’s setup is borrowed from the Brit game show Would I Lie to You? Fortunately, the fringe proves to be a rich environment for liars and truth-tellers: The Thursday afternoon performance included Chase Padgett (The Next Guy), Dave Morris (52 Cards) and Alli Perlov (A One Human Being Potentially Comedic Performance of Toy Story). They all spun stories that were sufficiently engaging that veracity didn’t really matter, except perhaps to your pride if you guess wrong. (I did.)

Audience members vote on the question via phone messages, which seems an invitation to technical glitches, and adds to an overall awkwardness in production. (Wouldn’t a show of hands suffice?) Still, it’s a terrific concept. It feels like a particularly good DVD extra that allows you access to bonus material from all your fringe favourites. You can check out the list of upcoming guests online.

— Randall King

THE (UN)OFFICIAL (UN)RESEARCHED HISTORY OF MANITOBA

VoLto

Asper Centre for Theatre and Film, (Venue 10), to July 25

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Waiting for this wildly inaccurate 60-minute history lecture to begin, you’re greeted with a PowerPoint of iconic local landmarks such as the stunning Oak Hammock Marsh, a summer’s day at Grand Beach … and the pothole puddles on Empress Street.

So begins an hour-long inside joke from Winnipeg’s VoLto and Sensible Chuckle theatres that features dinosaurs, Duff Roblin, strikes, socials and Slurpees.

The cast of this home-grown comedy — including directors Alex Coates and Christina Peabody — have great chemistry. It’s clear they’re having a blast bashing through the play’s outlandish, heritage-minute-inspired vignettes. The booming narration and goofy slide show backdrop are a highlight.

Some of the punchlines are clever and inspired; others are, in a word, stupid. A handful come off as tacky. Those who are in on the joke are likely to love this show. For those who aren’t, it may feel over-the-top.

Altogether, it’s so outrageous that it works.

— Julia-Simone Rutgers

UNRESOLVED

Cactus Theatre Co.

One88 (Venue 23), to July 25

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Winnipeg-based Cactus Theatre Co. presents the first play by local real estate investor and screenwriter Allan Turner.

Jack (Turner) and Melissa (Audrey D. Enns) are in mourning after the suicide of their teenage daughter, Jadyn (Krissadie Armstrong). Their grief strains their relationship; Jack avoids his feelings by burying himself in work and Melissa turns to drinking.

Melissa’s sister, Lydia (Katerina Liananis Dawson), and Lydia’s pastor, Brian (Devon J. Hemmett), try to help, but Jack and Melissa don’t have much patience for platitudes or Lydia’s fervent faith. When a shocking secret is revealed, it threatens to push familial bonds to a breaking point.

The script is sincere, the actors are committed and the lighting design is impactful. But this is a shallow exploration of heavy subjects with a pat ending. It’s not clear what Turner is getting at with his script, or what he wants the audience to be wrestling with as they leave the theatre. God has a plan? Suicide is bad? Time heals all wounds? Moving forward doesn’t mean we stop loving the people we’ve lost?

“Unresolved” is right.

— Aaron Epp