physical comedy

Two for Tea is an all-ages remount of one of the first shows that production company James and Jamesy brought to the Vancouver Fringe Festival. The company comprises the duo, Aaron Malkin and Alastair Knowles, and their director, David MacMurray Smith.

Before even entering the theatre it is obvious that James and Jamesy are a Fringe favourite. The ticket-holder line is all the way up the stairs out the building and down the stairs of the back porch, despite it being midday on a Sunday.

Slapstick comedy isn't my style, but the charm of these two eked a begrudging giggle (OK guffaw) out of...

Better known from past shows as Birdmann, Trent Baumann is back this year as himself in a cloudy, sky-blue suit. It’s hard to see this as a departure from past performances—Birdmann’s distinctive style of carefully choreographed foppishness and anti-humour mixed with self-reflection and true physical virtuosity is very much preserved (along with a couple of his gags). The new performance builds on this underlying formula with a standout new segment (which I won’t give away) and an aesthetic direction that aims to be a deeper and more sombre reflection on life, the universe, and everything.

At one point, Baumann shows...

Trent Baumann

The Middle of Everywhere is exquisitely choreographed and impeccably timed. This is theatre at its finest. And it’s even a family friendly show! Don’t miss out on The Middle of Everywhere, the epitome of the Fringe’s motto to “celebrate different!”

Before seeing the play, I had no previous knowledge of the production team’s characteristic style and iconic large fixed expression masks, or even much experience with physical theatre. I was overwhelmed at how believably the Wonderheads team brought two enormous, expressionless heads...

Uncouth. A two-syllable word. Kind of catches in your mouth as you utter it, a sensation emphasized in the show’s title by an extra capital letter: UnCouth. There’s that hard ‘c’ in the back of your throat, followed by an elongated vowel sound slowly traversing the length of your mouth to the tip of your tongue, finally ending when your tongue touches your teeth in that closing ‘t-h.’ The sensation of pronouncing the title is mirrored in the phenomenon of seeing this show; it grasps your attention and sticks with you long after you’ve left the venue. Granted, I have...