I saw not one, not two, not three, but four one person shows today. For those of you who have never done this (myself included until today), that is a LOT of monologuing in one day. If even one of the four shows had been subpar it might have been a really long day, but thankfully I had chosen a strong line-up, which delivered immense Fringe satisfaction.
VERBAL DIARY-AH &&& / &&&&&
First show of the day and a great way to start. A cute sort of coming of age story but told in a really interesting way. Andrea Stanford reads the diary entries of her teenage self and responds to them 15 years later.
Hearing someone make fun of her teenage self was not only relatable but quite hilarious. Andrea used her material well and combined her words with a hysterical slide show. I did find myself wishing that she committed more to what she was saying, and there were times were she seemed to trip over her words, but nevertheless, the script was well delivered and very funny. Anyone who has ever known or been a teenager (I hope that’s everyone) would relate to and enjoy this show.
ADOPT THIS! &&&.5 / &&&&&
Dan Bingham delivered a powerful, side-splitting script. Given the subject matter and the autobiographical nature of the piece, I sometimes felt weird laughing at what he was saying. But as Carol Burnett famously said, “Comedy is Tragedy plus time.” Dan told a great story, albeit a sad one, immersing the audience in the story of his upbringing. Despite a solid performance and an excellent script I still felt that there was something missing at the end of the piece, and I think the ending could have been a little bit stronger. I would still definitely recommend it.
AM I BLUE? &&&& / &&&&&
I knew very little about this show going into it, but I had heard really good things. Now I know why. Elizabeth Blue delivered one of my favorite performances I have seen at the Fringe this year. The story was nothing new: late twenties girl trying to find herself, her career, and a man. But the telling of it was spellbinding. From her very first line till the end of the play, she was committed and present in everything she did. When she spoke to someone who wasn’t actually there, I could see them in her eyes. Between excellent, funny writing and a very strong performance, she kept the audience in the palm of her hand the entire show. Great writing, compelling acting – go see this show.
JAP JAP &&&.5 / &&&&&
This was the perfect show to end a day of listening to people talk about themselves. I saw Una Aya Osato’s show last year and was utterly floored by it, so I was excited to see her one woman show this year. Let’s just say it was a little different. It was like watching someone argue with their own body and psyche all at the same time. Sometimes political, sometimes existential, and constantly interesting, I left the theatre thinking hard about what I had just seen. There were a few kinks that I’d say need to be worked out, but it was a riveting piece. Watching someone’s own body fight itself is hard to describe, so you should just go see for yourself.
Tomorrow is shaping up to be a fun day. First I’ll be seeing a show about pirates, Who is Aristippus? Then I’ll go see Kirsten Rasmussen’s Blink Blink Blink, and last but certainly not least, Peter ‘n Chris Save the World! Should be a fun day indeed. Go see some shows!
The Montreal Fringe Festival continues until June 19th, with shows happening at all hours of the day, all over the city. Check out the festival website for show and schedules, or hop on down to the beer tent for audience recommendations!
