Letters from Lithuania is a site-specific work so complete in the use of its environment, so capable of immersing the audience into a different time and space that you will practically walk out of the show speaking Lithuanian.
Allan Zinyk and Emma Slipp prepare to battle raccoons on the set of Letters from Lithuania. Photo by Tim Matheson.
Fringe shows are typically driven by a small number of people, with fairly small casts and fairly light technical demands. Some even attempt to make some form of statement. Lysistrata’s War has a cast of twenty-five and kept the venue technician very busy. As for the statement it tries to make, it’s basically a political allegory gone wrong.
Lysistrata's War. Who cares if they can sing, Mike? Check this out, they're against war
Amid the "Solo Character Monologue", the "Seri-comic Monologue", and the "Solo Comedic Monologue" (not to mention the "Solo Comedy Drama" and the "Solo Fiction") it's refreshing to see a Fringe show listed simply as “Standup Comedy" - but that's Nile Séguin for you, cutting through the BS and going right for the funny bone - via the jugular.
Nile Seguin is bigger in real life, anyone with evidence Plank will post the picture here
The Panel:
Alison Broverman is a playwright and arts reporter and a superhero in her mind.
M. John Kennedy is an actor, writer and teacher, often mistaken for his secret identity.
While I’ve always admire the talent and dedication that go into producing a large-scale musical, and I can respect the musical’s place as a mainstream art form, I must confess that it just isn’t my thing. I walked in to The Music Man a skeptic. But I came out a fan.
The Music Man, Christopher Van Hagen as Winthrop Paroo and members of the company; Photo: David Hou
I’ll get this out of the way first. I’m a big musical theatre nut. When I showed up at Wood Hall to catch the Victoria Fringe premiere of Les Ms., I knew I wasn’t alone in that. A good-sized number of fringe-goers were there to see this send-up of the Broadway/West End classic, performed by Nelson-based performers Robyn Lamb and Lisel Forst.
Jayson McDonald wowed audiences at last year’s Fringe with his hit Giant Invisible Robot. By the time I decided to go see it, the shows were sold out. This year, I made sure Boat Load was one of the first I checked out. I made a wise choice because he has another hit on his hands.
Boat Load, exciting and new, come aboard we're expecting you.
