Theatre

"Small Town Hoser Spic" is written and performed by Pedro Chamale. Anything with the word Hoser in the title must have significant Canadian content, eh? The title Small Town Hoser Spicdescribes it all. Pedro is an immigrant from Honduras, but only knows one part of his identity: that of a small town in Northern B.C. [Editorial Correction: Pedro Chamale's parents are Guatemalan; he is...

Andrew Wade is an award winning playwright and graduate of the University of Victoria who claims to be The Most Honest Man in the World. His obsession with honesty has led him to create this unscripted show.

He has creatively crafted his own version of a lie detector which he explains to us in great detail and has his stage set with evidence from his life: notes, poetry, other assorted items from his past to enhance his storytelling. Wade utilizes cue cards to spark real memories and tells us stories...

          Kirsty Provans He Roars treads familiar territory with its portrayal of journalist Roses (Kirsty Provan) struggle as she pursues a relationship with her childhood friend Charlie (Sebastian Kroon) who is a soldier in the Canadian Armed Forces. The play charts their romance between Charlie...

What a great solo performance from writer and director, Christina Andreola. Over the past five years, she has documented all of the nitty-gritty details from her dating life. Oh yeah, and she has a spreadsheet. The Dudes of My Life is a tell-all tale about the awkwardness, passions, and crazies that are intertwined in the rat trap of dating life. That revolving door of Dicks and Divas that now has Apps. Swipe left, swipe right?

Throughout the play, Andreola dives back into her spreadsheet to...

Is this a parody or an adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s most gruesome plays? Well it is both I think. Shakespeare himself (Kazz Leskard) makes many flavoured directorial appearances throughout the show, trying his best to keep the vision of the play on a “happy” path. That’s a tall order, for this story has more abominations per act than any other of Shakespeare’s works. Not much love and joy to draw from. Director Andy Toth and the amazing cast knock this side-splitting musical out of the park. The singing, lyrics, dance choreography, and musical...

Ryan Gladstone of Monster Theatre is a Fringe favourite, and for good reason: solid creative writing, great performing, and timing. And for this show you get an important Canadian history lesson. Can you say #notboring. He's done a lot of research on Louis Riel and transformed the various versions of, “Who was the real Riel?” into a fun and informative show.

Adding to the excitement before he started the show, he held up his cell and said it could go off...

Based on the show’s picture and title alone, I thought this would be a gritty drama and almost missed it. Don’t make that mistake. It’s very funny.

Jon Bennett also created Pretending Things Are A Cock. If I had read that, I might have guessed.

Fire in the Meth Lab is about writer and performer Jon Bennett’s life, particularly his childhood and relationship with his older brother who ends up in jail. Bennett is a confident, affable, and...

Actors acting about being actors risks getting a little dry, but it beats writers writing about being writers. Lara (Lara Deglan) is sharp and funny and full of charm. She also has a lovely singing voice which she makes great use of. Peter (Peter Swayles) is also charming. He's decidedly English, and most of his humour is oddly anachronistic, with references to Princess Diana and the annex of Poland. Still, he generally carries it off, and his role as the love interest affords him a few adorable moments.

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A minimalist play with only one prop, A Quiet Place relies on its ability to create a sense of pacing through only the motion and dialogue of the two actors. Mark Manning and the delectable Tosh Sutherland are both well-practiced, with depth and charisma to spare. Together, they bring to life a harrowing and enticing performance.

Henry, played Tosh Sutherland, is the in-control one. He's been in the doorless room longer and has grown accustomed to it. He seems to...

Adapted and performed by stage veteran Clayton Jevne, fans of Shakespeare and history may enjoy this solo play. Jevne has adapted his script from Robert Nye’s acclaimed novel. I haven’t seen the character of Falstaff on stage before nor read about him. By reputation, I believed him to be the charismatic, jovial, and bawdy mentor of the future King Henry V. In this production, Falstaff seems ordinary and perhaps it is partly his advanced age that has sapped the legendary character’s irrepressible life force.

The...

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