This show is only half an hour long. It makes for a quick, light, and fun revitalization between your various Fringe activities.
Harken back on what you’ve been told about going on dates or interviews – when meeting someone for the first time, what do you say about yourself? And what do the things you don’t say, say about you? I’m talking about body language. Body language is just as important as (if not more important than) what you wear or what you say. This show takes body language as its medium and its message in the context of...
Charlatan: a person falsely claiming to have a special knowledge or skill; a fraud.
From the start, Travis Bernhardt claims this may or may not work: an admitted charlatan. But it does work, and well.
He invites us into his cult, asks us to lift our veil and be open to possibilities which is the very premise on which magic is based. If you are willing to play along, you will laugh and gasp and…take deep breaths? Travis Bernhardt, known for his sleight of hand, brings sleight of mind to this year’s Fringe show, where he reaches...
Jeff Newman has chops, that’s for sure. And he probably knows I think that about him. His show will amaze you as he peers into the minds of his subjects with his shockingly blue eyes and reads the very thoughts from them, thoughts he has no conceivable way of knowing other than clairvoyancy. His show was sprinkled with storytelling and humor which was a mix of cheesy and clever. His charisma is palpable and he truly is a master of his art.
As the show started, the tricks were relatively simple. The usual tell a joke, pick the right...
James Jordan: Vaudevillian is billed as family-friendly, and James Jordan delivers on that promise in spades! It’s a magical comedy show for more than just the kids—the adults in the audience were certainly having a fabulous time watching card tricks, trying to understand how sleight of hand is faster than the eye and being amazed by a man who is willing to let live mousetraps snap onto his fingers. His expressions alone are enough to make you laugh out loud!
We enter the theatre to see James Jordan vamping upbeat tunes at the piano. He welcomes us to the show,...
HUMANbeing is a sweet, poetic piece about a celestial being who decides to make the Earth its home.
Enchanting and great for kids, this simple story lacks pretension, weaving fart jokes, whimsy and wonder together into an innocent tapestry.
The opening images were the strongest. Live music in the dark and great use of practical lighting. I would have like to have seen even more of that creative atmosphere throughout the show.
Performers and co-creators Sarah Roa and Andrea Ashton's strength and full commitment carry the show. There were moments where Roa's heavy breathing and larger than life children's theatre voice felt a little pushed....
I have to admit, I was expecting a fair bit of cheesiness, but I was resolved to watch The Vaudevillian politely. I figured there would be kids and slapstick and corny jokes and maybe I’d crack a smile or two. Well, smack me upside the head with a rubber chicken! This show was delightful and not at all like the 4 year old’s birthday party I’d hoped it wouldn’t be.
For those who aren’t in the know, Vaudeville is a form of variety...
Confabulist Keith Brown warmly and gently engages his audience in very non-threatening ways to help him test his sleights of hand and challenge his learnable skills of memory. Even when his tricks look like they’re going to fail, they don’t. An audience member’s cell phone that he’d magically conjured to ring didn’t, to the embarrassment of the Rogers’ subscriber. But then it did ring—ten minutes after the trick was over. Or was that part of the trick?
When I saw Brian Anderson on stage as Arnie in Arnie the Carnie's House of Mystery, my hopes were high, as I had seen him several times performing with Vancouver TheatreSports League. My expectations were well-met with this informative, whimsical, and thoroughly enjoyable production.
Arnie leads us through the life and work of Simon Mackenzie, a mentalist. But is Mackenzie's life and fiery death itself real? A Google search afterwards brought up no leads. But just sit back and enjoy the story.
Simon's career trajectory follows a common arc for mentalists. Beginning with amateurish tricks, his illusions and techniques (demonstrated...
Many Fringe shows involve the performer breaking the fourth wall and addressing the audience or (gulp) moving into the audience and singling out people to engage. This show will have you shouting things out and throwing things on the stage and enjoying every minute of being lied to, deceived and tricked.
Travis Bernhardt’s performance actually prompted an audience member to exclaim, “I’m all sweaty now!” after his final card trick on Sunday afternoon. This was because after much anticipation…the trick did not actually work! This illusionist, luckily, is not only a great performer but is also charming and very funny. The trick was repeated with double the anticipation in the crowd as well as, seemingly, in Bernhardt himself. The audience was tense and the heat was rising in the air… to the climax of…yes! a successful and truly amazing peak to the show.
This magician exudes a quirky humour while filling...
