Dicky Dicky: Dream Factory, What’s it building? The thing that everyone talks about in this show is the fact that the performers put literal pillow cases over the heads of the entire audience, after making them sign a waiver saying that they are participating voluntarily in the show, and are ineligible for a refund. I … Continue reading “Dicky Dicky Dream Factory;” What’s it Building?
Do you miss Fringe?
I had my first day off in 4 months after the Ottawa Fringe let out on June 18th. That day off was real nice. And now I’m supposed to wrap up the festival this year. I’ve been on the road doing theatre, both Fringe-y and not, since April, and I have no plans to really … Continue reading Do you miss Fringe?
Review: “Children Of God” at the National Arts Centre
A musical about Residential Schools. The beauty of works in the musical genre, from my perspective, is that they have the ability to transcend the bounds of the theatre in ways most other kinds of productions cannot to become cultural phenomena. They can bridge the gap between addressing things that remain unspoken in popular society, … Continue reading Review: “Children Of God” at the National Arts Centre
“Ethel” Two Years Later, Part Two
I first watched a brief version of Ethel at Fresh Meat 4, in 2015. Since then the piece has undergone immense reworking, and has become one of the most honest and touching personal explorations I’ve seen brought to any stage. Madeleine Hall has performed at the last two Fringes in a pair of (nearly) silent … Continue reading “Ethel” Two Years Later, Part Two
“Teaching Hamlet,” A Safe Play, Pass(es)
The Shakespeare authorship question. In this work, a companion piece to last year’s Shakespeare Crackpot, Creator/Performer Keir Cutler, playing an Oxfordian chapter Head stages a high-stakes video shoot with Brett Watson’s “renowned Shakespearean actor,” to strike a blow at the heart of the “Stratfordian” menace. If you’re unfamiliar with the idea of the debate around … Continue reading “Teaching Hamlet,” A Safe Play, Pass(es)
“A Better Play Than Hamlet” Isn’t
If you have any reverence for Shakespeare’s “greatest work,” you’re discouraged from attending this performance by it’s own show brief. Luckily, my reverence impulse leads inevitably to an irreverent impulse, because I believe irreverence can be one of the highest forms of praise. In any event, this show by turns mocks, in an explicit attempt … Continue reading “A Better Play Than Hamlet” Isn’t
Go: Fish Saw
This adorable little show, about a family who survives a tsunami in Japan, is weird-artsy as all get-out, and charming to boot. Co-Creator/Performer Sachie Mikawa weaves a magically-real tale about a young girl, resident in a rambling inter-generational noodle house by the sea, and her relationship with a denizen of the deep known as Mister … Continue reading Go: Fish Saw
Luna: Orbital Velocity Achieved
Vanessa Quesnelle (known to Ottawa Fringers from Moonlight After Midnight, and Love is a Battlefield) is producing her first solo work in 5 years at the festival. Quesnelle puts her considerable vocal chops, strong physicality, and sharp writing on display in a piece that weaves all three elements into a coming-of-age story that blends creation … Continue reading Luna: Orbital Velocity Achieved
DEB Talks: Preaches to the Choir
This piece is an outgrowth from a project that premiered at Fresh Meat in 2016, featuring a host of new segments to bring it’s running time up from 20 to just over 50 minutes. Creator/performer Deborah Ring plays a bevy of characters, each of whom possesses a uniquely bent worldview that they present in a … Continue reading DEB Talks: Preaches to the Choir
2 Shows 2 Years Later: The Sink and Hootenanny!
There are a number of remounts at this year’s Ottawa Fringe Festival, some of which I saw for the first time 2 years ago. I decided to take this opportunity to discuss the numerous changes that the respective works have undergone in the course of their development. Please follow these links for the original reviews … Continue reading 2 Shows 2 Years Later: The Sink and Hootenanny!
The New Ottawa Critics 