Author: Wes Babcock

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

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)

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

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

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

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!