Paul Constantino brings his considerable talents to the characterization of nine very different parts with his deft use of subtleties as in the way a woman will pluck facial hairs almost unconsciously. At the outset, we are encouraged to “Stop, look and listen” and in doing so we can transcend the noisiness to find quiet and peace. Which is easier said than done but Constantino holds our rapt attention.
Tawanda, a motherless child, mother to her four brothers and now pregnant with her second child is foul-mouthed and “direct”. She loves Joey, the father of her children and himself a...
John Grady begins his one man show with electronic music that suggests an ominous theme. He appears side stage, momentarily spotlighted and then the main stage lights come on and Grady is centre stage ready to share snippets of his life, stating at elementary school and ending in New York City in his 30's.
This beginning sets the stage for the concept that in telling his history he is trying to figure out how it defined him and how he had a part in its unfolding. Each segment has a common theme, that of bullying. The stories never...
Touring three shows in five cities (with Fat Sex at the Winnipeg, Calgary and Edmonton Fringes and Tes at the Victoria Fringe), Steve Larkin must be a bit of a self-punishing performer to bring the intense N.O.N.C.E. to Vancouver and pull it off so damn well on his first night.
Based on his real life experiences as Poet In Residence at a high security prison, Larkin narrates the story with his signature lyrical cadence, punctuated with emphatic physical gestures.
Intellectually challenging as it is entertaining with prisoners discussing ambiguity for ambiguity’s sake (which is to be avoided), this show...
Genre definition = Intense · Warm and Fuzzy · Poetic
Brought to you by Small Matters Productions is the clown-centric Fringe show Fools For Love. Best friends Rocket and Sheshells share an adjoining wall and hilarious adventures in this densely packed but sparsely decorated staging.
A couple of chairs take us from lonesome apartments to the cinema, then a flight to a marauded picnic and on a roller coaster at the carnival all with fluid and unexpected transitions. These clowns are a tight duo who can mix contemporary issues like body image problems and derelict mayors with all out snort laugh-inducing physical comedy.
Fuses are blown and ninjas are bravely...
Genre Description = Funny · Warm and Fuzzy · Tear-Jerker
Theatre artist and musician Chase Padgett has been traveling with the “6 Guitars” show for a long while. I saw it as a preview at Havana Theatre (its Fringe run is at The Cultch), but this was not a preview from the artist’s perspective.
Although it is called "6 Guitars", but it's really about musical philosophy, as viewed from the perspective of six archetypal American musicians in six genres (Blues, Jazz, Rock, Classical, Folk and Country). I enjoyed the musical philosophy, and the bits of music theory scattered throughout.
This is a theatre artist who loves music, who loves thinking...
Does the name Jean-Francois evoke a charming, graceful speaker of French who moves elegantly and lithely across the stage as he acts, sings, and dances? A stereotype, yes, but it is true here. This one-man musical gains an immense degree of its charm from its lead actor, playwright, and composer Jean-Francois Plante-Tan.
I was assigned to review La cravate bleue, and I was immediately hesitant. My understanding of French is quite limited. I love hearing Charles Aznavour, Edith Piaf, Fatoumata Diawara, and many other Francophone singers, but I don't understand their songs, at least the first time around....
Et voila! The first-ever Plank Magazine tweet-along of a Vancouver Fringe play! Welcome to a tweet-along of ca.Sandbar which is an outdoor show at the Creekside Courtyard near the Sandbar restaurant on Granville Island. Brought to you by Forest Crone Productions, it's part of the Fringe Onsite program in collaboration with the Only Animal. Look at the map if you can't find it (my ticket said 1398 Cartwright Street which is incorrect). Here we go!
Start of ca.Sandbar - it's BYOV E at this year's Fringe!
Many vollies and usher types are wearing golden soldier-type helmets. I want one
I left this musical theatre offering from Theatre Howl, Saskatoon, SK, with mixed feelings. [WARNING SPOILER: I won’t give away any details specifically, except to say that there are spoilers to give away].
Matchstick is the coming-of-age love story between a girl from an undesirable country and boy from the land of freedom and opportunity. The story is told with music, drama and a simple set made of projected ink drawings, instruments, photos and tin cans. The music is all the best parts of Canadian singer-songwriter folk. The melodies were lovely and the lyrics poetic...
On the long weekend I saw Hamlet and Man Of Steel. Bizarrely enough, the two were remarkably similar. Plots featuring a well-known hero, vile evildoers, innocent victims - all leading to lots of death and destruction. Each production had a strong creative team which offered stunning designs and visual images. Yet in each case, the resulting product was a mess. In trying to honour a wide variety of themes, the creators of both pieces let the work get away from them.
Directed by Kim Collier, Hamlet at Bard on the Beach features Jonathon Young in the ico...
Jonathon Young as Hamlet at Bard on the Beach 2013
