Discover Top Posts Tagged with #hamiltonfringefestival

Review: B!tch Island: The Musical

Female sexploitation films are a fascinating genre and over the years, have achieved a cult status. I think of Faster Pussycat, Kill! Kill! and Caged Heat as two of my personal favourites. So, when the Narrator stepped onto the stage and warned audiences we would be shocked and offended, I knew exactly what I was in for. I had high expectations for this new musical and I was not disappointed.

The actors (all men) are walking set pieces, handling some of their own lighting and are often literal singing props. The energy on stage is electric. There are no small parts here on The Zoetic stage. The physicality is precise, and it was so refreshing to see polished choreography.

Our heroine Penny (like the coin), has committed no crime and yet, in the middle of the night, is whisked away to Bitch Island. A woman only institution where prisoners face the hardships of intensive workouts, terrible labour tasks, sexual tension and a fierce Matron who doesn’t take sh*t from anyone. It’s a hard knock life for our ladies in orange.

Thomas Putman is phenomenal as Penny, channeling Andrew Rannells (from Book of Mormon fame) with endearing charm and incredible vocal prowess. Another stand out character (and my favourite because I am a sucker for musical villains) was the Warden, played with sass beyond measure by Dave Comeau. He commands the stage in his dominatrix boots and his delivery is deliciously evil.

The cast, overall, are collectively wonderful with strong voices, consistently hilarious comedic timing and carry out the scenes as true professionals. The production team have created a show that both offends and teaches throughout. I know not everyone is going to enjoy this show, even with its warnings beforehand. It’s true what they say: you couldn’t make a Mel Brooks movie today. I believe that there’s more here than just shock value and the show is surprisingly hyper aware of itself as an homage to the past and a giant middle finger to the conservative and sensitive culture we live in today. Audiences rose in an ovation. This show deserved it.

I recommend this show if you enjoy musicals such as Book of Mormon, The Producers and Rocky Horror Show. It is fresh, ridiculous and full of incredibly talented individuals. Enjoy!

Fringe website: http://hamiltonfringe.ca/shows/bitch-island/

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Review: Heatwave

One of the hottest days of the year. It’s summer time and the living isn’t easy. A storm is brewing. Danny (Ashleigh Patterson) and Mia (Emily Schooley) live together and are very much in love, but Mia discovers something she never expected from Danny: that Danny is beginning a transition to their true self…but Mia is still a lesbian. What does that mean for their relationship?

Heatwave addresses questions and concerns like this (that aren’t often asked) with its muse-like chorus and follows through with making us all question the labels and boxes we try to fit ourselves into or escape from. We are captivated with both characters and their tension and passive-aggressiveness is palpable.

This confrontational behaviour and egging on isn’t just between the two leads though. Danny’s mother Birgit (Erika Ressor), a horribly un-PC woman, is an immigrant who mocks other immigrants and refuses to accept Danny for who they are. We can feel Danny’s frustration and Mia’s desperation to keep the peace. We learn through them both that labels “belong on soup cans” and that love is love. These are very important messages that playwright and director Erika Ressor brings to life with personal experience and flat out challenges us to unlearn society’s obsession with categorizing everything. I can’t help but wonder how much happier we’d all be without categories and labels. If we could only just be.

This was a stand-out show for me and one I had been intrigued by since their HamTen performance. It did not disappoint, and I recommend it highly to everyone. Challenge yourselves. Ask your questions. See this show. Enjoy!

Fringe Website: http://hamiltonfringe.ca/shows/heatwave/

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FRINGE REVIEW: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Fat

Two things I dislike about stand-up comedy: fat jokes and using fat jokes to make people laugh. As a plus-sized person, the cringe is real and if I am being honest, the premise of Doug Koning’s show about being fat and weight loss fads and failures made me very hesitant to attend. How relieved I was to discover that there is far more heart than there is mockery in this very personal and relatable story.

Koning was made aware that his health was in trouble a few times in his life. He talks about not being sporty (and we related) and he talks about the Pizza Hut buffet (and we relate) and he talks about using food as a comfort when grieving (and we relate). The jokes are funny but not cruel....well, not too cruel. What they are are honest reflections and self-deprecations of a human being striving to be well and get through life.

As the set continues, Koning details weight loss momentums and declines, the fear of dying and some harrowing stats about skin removal. It hit home. And we relate.

As part of the Fringe, it’s an unexpected comedy show with immense heart and sincerity. Go and cheer incredibly loud for this one.

Event Details

Price: $12

Genre: Storytelling/Solo Show, Theatre—Comedy

Duration: 60 mins

Warnings: Coarse Language

Age Suitability: Parental Guidance (ages 13+)

For tickets, please visit: https://hftco.ca/events/extremely-loud-and-incredibly-fat-2/

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FRINGE REVIEW: A CREATURE IS STIRRING

Yippie-ki-yay Hamilton...comedian and storyteller extraordinaire Justin Shaw returns to the Mosaic Bar on Barton Street East with his latest solo show: A Creature Is Stirring. Shaw challenges traditional holiday narratives with a painfully true Christm-ish tale about a rodent problem in his Hamilton apartment - revealing his innermost insecurities. It is full of side anecdotes about his childhood, classic holiday films (and whether or not they count - and they do, just saying) and meeting the one he would spend many a cold winter’s night with... Phoebe the dog.

Shaw excels at storytelling and is without a doubt, one of Hamilton’s best comedians. He has such a gift for weaving multi-layered tales into a cohesive narrative which is no small feat in this business of show. The stories are relatable for anyone who’s ever rented a slummy apartment (with photographic evidence to boot), suffered from an unwanted furry guest, worked retail during the holidays or flown Swoop. It took no time at all for the audience to be listening intensely to every segment of his Christmas time nightmares and how he and his partner overcame them. We identified. We laughed. We gasped and we were shown the true meaning of Christm-ish.

The show has tremendous heart and vulnerability too with an end message about believing that touched me deeply. How impressive that comedy like Shaw’s has this ability. To say more would spoil this brilliant Christmas in July holiday special. Head to the Mosaic and see what’s stirring at the Fringe. This show is an absolute must-see. Ho.Ho.Go.

Event Details

Price: $12

Genre: Storytelling/Solo Show, Theatre—Comedy

Duration: 60 mins

Warnings: Coarse Language

Age Suitability: Parental Guidance (ages 13+)

For tickets, please visit: https://hftco.ca/events/a-creature-is-stirring/

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FRINGE REVIEW: Bimbos in Space!

Director: Kit Simmons

Playwright: Claud Spadafora

Company: Femmepire

Performers: Kitoko Mai, Claud Spadafora, Severine Salvador, Tarah Ahmad, Catherine Allen, Mykola Paskaruk, Kristina Kuhnert (also stage manager)

Captain Shadowban and her rebel crew of degenerate space bimbos must save the galaxy from evil! Inspired by B movies and exploitation film of the 1960s, the audience straps on (in...I mean, in) board the SS Slutbucket and SS Virago and hyper-drive themselves to encounter space westerners, dommes, an immortal tampon deity and Elon Musk’s cryogenically frozen head to negotiate the true meaning of justice in an increasingly polarized galaxy.

As much as this show is about bimbos and what that looks like to different groups of people, it is truly a fascinating piece of absurdist, feminist theatre. The folks at Femmepire have neglected nothing in terms of set, props, digital media and some truly immersive sound and lighting design. The story (a true labour of love and justice by Claud Spadafora) seems a bit much at times. It crams in as many social and political references and internet slang/turns of phrase as it can but we can ultimately forgive the wordiness when you’re having that much fun watching the space saga unfold.

The characters are a mixed bag of hilarity. The domme who uses fear for good. The captain who is empty-headed...on purpose. The HR personnel who is all rules and regulations, horny for accountability. The delightfully queer communications officer who is a descendant of William Shakespeare. The technician who suffers from the sweetest struggle with low self-esteem and of course, our fearless leader who is no nonsense and may, quite literally, eat the rich. They are performed well, with only a few noticeable hiccups in line delivery due to sound cues overpowering them. There’s still some nervous energy too but it adds to the overall charm of the piece.

The audiences have been enormous since opening night, and thankfully the venue has released even more seats for our eager space cadet audience to see the bimbos fight for justice (and good hair). There was so much infectious laughter, cheering and hooting throughout that it’s easy to understand why this show is so popular and comes so highly recommended.

Bimbos in Space not going to be for everyone but those that love this show are going to love it intensely. There is so much to take in, I would suggest this company films a version of it to better capture the hilarious absurdity that this show has in spades. Also, let there be a sequel. I need more adventures with these bimbos. This is a very strong contender for one of the weirdest and wonderful shows this year at Fringe. Engage besties!

Event Details

Price: $12

Genre: Theatre—Comedy, Theatre—Drama

Duration: 60 mins

Warnings: Sexual Content, Coarse Language, Violence, Other

Age Suitability: Mature (ages 18+)

For tickets, please visit: https://hftco.ca/events/bimbos-in-space/

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FRINGE REVIEW: Civilized: A Live Podcast Experience

Company: Fable & Folly

Performers: Tyra Banda, Kristi Boulton, Michael Divinski, Sean Howard, Phil Johnston, Eli Hamada McIlveen + Guest Stars!

Improv in space, oh my! For the second year in a row the improv crew of Fable and Folly’s CIVILIZED return to The Staircase Theatre and the deep annals of space...and as we all know, in space everyone can hear you scream....with laughter. In an nearly sold out house, the audience is treated to a darkly comedic ride with this award-winning cast of improvisers as they battle the threats of deep space (or die trying)!

This performance featured guest star Nicole Passmore from Toronto’s Second City. Her ability to work with the absurd combination of audience suggestions for her characters never seemed to phase her. What a fantastic comedic talent who volleys with ease with the rest of this equally talented cast. There are incredibly strong team dynamics throughout. They instinctively know when a sketch is losing momentum and when to move on or end the scene. Unfortunately/fortunately, this only allows the audience to give brand new suggestions and see where it leads our fearless and funny troupe.

Recorded as a podcast, huge praise must also be given to the audio playfulness of Eli Hamada McIlveen and his extensive collection of sound effects for ANY occasion. Who knew there were whip cracks in space?!

Since every show recording is original, no matter what performance you see, you are guaranteed a good time. Go and support this phenomenally funny production. You will not be disappointed.

Event Details

Price: $12

Venue: The Staircase Studio Theatre, 27 Dundurn St N in Hamilton

Genre: Sketch Comedy/Improv, Theatre—Comedy

Duration: 60 mins

Warnings: Coarse Language

Age Suitability: Parental Guidance (ages 13+)

For tickets, please visit: https://hftco.ca/events/civilized-a-live-podcast-experience/

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FRINGE REVIEW: Unveiled

Director: David MacMurray Smith

Written and performed by: Ana Mozol

Additional Artists: Dramaturg: TJ Dawe

In this erotic, ethereal, fury-infused modern-day revisioning of the legend of Salomé, Ana Mozol powerfully stirs the depths of the female psyche, interweaving dreams with personal tales of love, loss, and truth.

Mozol shares two stories about her past which are curiously linked. The first is about her relationship with an extremely toxic man and the second is about her struggles performing the title role in Oscar Wilde’s play Salome (which is about a seductive and otherworldly woman who dances for King Herod and receives a gruesome reward in return). The connection is the dance mingled with the passion, rage and consequences of her decisions as a woman, lover and performer. It is, at the time of this review, the most personal story to hit the Fringe that I have seen.

There are few flaws with this performance and most of them stem from Mozol’s husky, sensual voice being drowned out during her most vulnerable moments by her music selections. We strain to hear and it frequently snaps us out of the dreamlike quality of her show. It is, thankfully, easy to get transfixed again but unfortunately, sound levels have been a consistent issue in this venue.

The other slightly jarring aspect of Unveiled is the sudden change of tone from Mozol’s dreamlike past to a series of harrowing statistics regarding domestic abuse and assault toward women. This is not to suggest these disturbing facts are not an important element of the overall story. I sat with these numbers and her experience as part of them for quite some time post-show.

It is a deeply resonating work and one that will leave you with plenty to reflect upon long after you leave the theatre. I highly recommend this. Don’t miss it as it only plays until July 28.

Event Details

Price: $12

Venue: The Staircase, Elaine Mae Theatre

Genre: Storytelling/Solo Show, Theatre—Drama

Duration: 60 mins

Warnings: Sexual Content, Coarse Language

Age Suitability: Mature (ages 18+)

For tickets, please visit: https://hftco.ca/events/unveiled/

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FRINGE REVIEW: GNOMES: A TRAUMATIC COMEDY

Director: David Faulkner-Rundle

Playwright: Liz Buchanan

Performers: Carissa Kaye, Gregory Cruikshank, Crystal Rose Haygarth

Additional Artists: Vanessa Rundle-Fotheringham (stage manager), The Gnome Puppet Players

Gnomes: A Traumatic Comedy is precisely what it sounds like. It’s a reflective comedy built around dealing with how people cope with a wide range of traumas, most of it stemming from dealing with our most recent COVID-19 pandemic. We are introduced to siblings Ellie and Sean. Sean (a sardonic but deeply committed Gregory Cruikshank) is a doctor working during an incredibly difficult time in the medical community, and Ellie (an eager yet notably vulnerable Carissa Kaye) is an artist struggling to find inspiration after her own past struggles. Ellie finds a modicum of success with creating art inspired by her love of puns and gnomes and an unexpected friendship with a divorced art teacher and gnome enthusiast (played with impressive resonance by Crystal Rose Haygarth). All three of these characters offer different perspectives on the hardships they face while living through lockdowns, conspiracy theorist rhetoric, abuse from partners and a drought of creative expression.

As tired as we might feel watching creative endeavours about the pandemic, Gnomes is different. The writing by Liz Buchanan is so personal and yet captures a very united human experience which most pandemic-centric work seems to lack. It shows us that healing is not linear and working through the isolating trauma of the pandemic isn’t either.

The direction and cast are equally strong, utilizing every moment on the stage. The energy on stage allows for plenty of laughs and empathic nods from those in the audience. To break up passages of time, there are some clever video clips of Ellie’s gnomes (now in puppet form) parodying popular films and even Shakespeare. It’s a very inventive, delightful part of this show and never detracts from the show’s core message of healing and hope.

Shows like this are what Fringe such a special place for us to gather together and connect. Our shared experience is cathartic and impactful just like this production. Gnombody should miss out on seeing this one. Gnombody.