Vancouver

Instant Life – Great fun despite technical difficulties

What do astronaut John Glenn, president Bill Clinton, and sea monkeys have in common? Before this play I had absolutely no idea. But then again, history isn’t one of my strengths. For that matter, politics, the news, and random fun facts aren’t either. Those of you for whom they are (or if, unlike me, you were born before the 1990s), you might already know that both American heroes were pretty big media sensations in 1998—Clinton for his infamous scandal with Monica Lewinsky, his friend Glenn for returning to space at 77 years of age. If you’re...

September 16th, 2015 · By Sonja Cvoric

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Peter and Chris: Here Lies Chris - Fringe Famous Comedians Riding Their Laurels

Peter and Chris: Here Lies Chris is a 60 minute sketch comedy show performed by the Fringe-famous Peter Carlone and Chris Wilson at Pacific Theatre.

I went into this show with very high expectations for these guys. They often feel like the flagship comedy show of the Vancouver Fringe Festival, and I’ve heard fans toot about how great they are. The amount of awards they have won is impressive.

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September 16th, 2015 · By Matthew Willis

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Faroe Islands + Ostrich: Tapas Before The Feast

I wish every Fringe venue were on Granville Island, even if it meant spaces like this. The fluorescent lights are terrible, though are apt for this double bill. The space needs theatre lighting or even just lamps. I hope Lind Hall, the Arts Umbrella dance hall, the Arts Club stage, the Improv Centre, and more are added again or utilized full time during the Fringe next year so that audience members can spend more time seeing shows and less time traveling across the city.

Faroe Islands + Ostrich take us on...

September 16th, 2015 · By Jim MacDonald

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A Story of O's - Bravely Intimate

Tonya Jone Miller is an award-winning performer from Portland, Oregon who tells the story based on her decade of experience as a professional phone sex operator. This show was awarded the Outstanding Individual Performance award at the 2015 London Fringe Festival.

Tonya is unique and talented monologist. She explores not only the needs, desires, and intentions of the individuals on the other end of the phone line, but also humanity, her own bodily anxieties, and acceptance of herself and others. She lays bare not only her body but her soul.

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September 16th, 2015 · By Natalia Krioutchkova

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Going On – A Humorous Personal Journey From Understudy To Buddhist

Have you ever been sitting in the audience waiting for a play to begin when you notice a small piece of paper in the program announcing that one of the characters will be played by the understudy? I have and was instantly disappointed. I mean, what if they were not as good as the original actor or what if their performance was not perfect? My thoughts at that moment were all about me as an audience member. My thoughts never ventured to the understudy who was about to take the stage. Is she excited, is...

September 16th, 2015 · By Jason T. Broadfoot

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Take Flight: An Adventure in Cirque

The show tells the story about Bumbels, whose plane has stalled on the tarmac. Clutching a one-way ticket to his dreams, with his heart (Kiki) and his mind (Fink) at odds, Bumbels must choose between clinging to the past or leaping into the unknown.

I would highly recommend joining the three adorable clownish characters Kiki, Fink, and Bumbles and embracing the exhilarating journey of taking flight through aerial acrobatics, cirque, physics, mythology, legends, poetic whimsy, and imagination. In 60 minutes you will have an amazing adventure and fall in love with...

September 16th, 2015 · By Natalia Krioutchkova

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Starstuff: Per Aspera Ad Astra

Starstuff: Per Aspera Ad Astra, written and directed by Derek Chan, tells the story of astronaut Thomas Malinsky and his perilous journey to a planet far away in a one-person spaceship.

The story is complex and multilayered. Although the story is philosophical and historical, it is overly repetitive and difficult to follow. It is challenging to determine what play the writer/director was aiming for. It seems like he tries to draw parallels between the birth of a child and space exploration. In spite of the fact that...

September 16th, 2015 · By Natalia Krioutchkova

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The Distance Between Newfoundland and Toronto - An Emotive Journey

Arts Umbrella—a perfectly intimate stage for this beautiful and tragic monologue that I think everyone with a family will relate to. A single airplane seat is perched at the front of the room/theatre, where sits writer and performer, Dolores Drake. She has nervously buckled herself in, ready to set out on her first plane trip to visit her granddaughter in Toronto. It’s been five years. Drake’s character is playfully chatty with the type of spice that we love.

Her portrayal of a hardworking and well-intentioned maritime matriarch is spot on. You will...

September 16th, 2015 · By Christopher Steffler

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Dating for Dumbheads - Hamburg Hilarious, Loveable Clown Character

East Vancouver storyteller, musician and clown Jim Sands takes us on a whimsical trip through a day in the life of a not so attractive plus-sized German man-boy, Hansel. He is on a quest to find a girlfriend in Vancouver. Having a companion means everything in Hansel’s shy life. Firstly it will help our simple and sensitive character set his parents back home in Hamburg at ease, but also to reassure himself that there is a soulmate for everyone.

This one-man play was written and directed by Gina Bastone, and in 60...

September 16th, 2015 · By Christopher Steffler

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For Body and Light Presents: Bear Dreams – A Dance Show with Poetry

At the start of the show we are welcomed by Ian Ferrier, the storyteller and musician in Bear Dreams. He tells us that this company is from Montreal and that on their tour they have sought out a member of the literary community in each city to join them and share their art at the start of the show. He introduced us to BC Poet Hillary Peach. Hillary shared her poem about snakes and took the audience on an enjoyable emotional ride, asking what you would do if you woke up with a rattlesnake on...