Category Archives: Theatre

08.27.19
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[Victoria Fringe Festival 2019] Jon Bennett: Playing With Men & A Lot More, A Review

Location:
Victoria Event Centre
(Fringe Venue 1)
1415 Broad Street

Remaining Shows:
Aug 29 09:30 pm
Aug 30 07:00 pm
Aug 31 08:45 pm
Sep 01 06:45 pm

Disclaimer: Profanity, sexual themes and adult humour.

Jon Bennett is always amazed in how he never misses performing at any Fringe Festival from around the world. The Gods of Comedy must love him and influence the lottery selection so that this comedian will never miss a chance to share his story. I knew I should not miss his latest show, Playing with Men, and its themes is not for the conservative minded. This show looks at what being machismo is about and the fallacies associated with it. At the same time, he talks about the most aggressive sport on Earth, Aussie rules football, and how it relates to his life now. That means:

  • No holding the man
  • No holding the ball
  • Out of bounds
  • Boys don’t cry

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08.25.19
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[Victoria Fringe Festival 2019] The Robber Bridegroom, Brothers Grimm

Location:
Metro Studio Theatre
(Fringe Venue 3)
1411 Quadra Street

Remaining Shows:
Aug 26 07:45 pm
Aug 30 05:15 pm
Aug 31 03:45 pm
Sep 01 05:45 pm

Chimera Theatre‘s revisionist take on the Brothers Grimm fairytale The Robber Bridegroom is simply a masterpiece of German expressionism. Not only is this adaptation a love letter to this artistic movement but also a Shakespearean playwright was behind the reconstruction of the seminal tale. I have to tip my hat to Andrew G. Cooper for his use of turning the Sisters Grimm to a wicked new take of the Moirae as they are the narrators to an otherwise mimed show using various styles of puppetry to tell the story within the story. That is, to recount the seminal tale with sound, light and vision.

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08.25.19
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[Victoria Fringe Festival 2019] The Trophy Hunt Rolling Tour!

Location:
Fan Tan Alley
(Fringe Site D)
539 Fisgard Street

Remaining Shows:
Please check Intrepid Theatre’s show listings here. Three shows a night.

The scents of the nearby restaurants during a very DIY Fringe show, Trophy Hunt, certainly made me go on an expedition (for food) afterwards. In what’s unique about this performance is that it offers to local talents a chance to interpret Trina Davies dialogue and broadcast the ideas in new creative ways. This Vancouver, BC based playwright is best known for Shatter, Multi User Dungeon and The Bone Bridge.

Here, Parker (Geneviève Doyon), Jan (David Radford), and Soraya (Christina Patterson) talk about the thrill of the hunt and the reasons for why they embark on this ritual in a point of view that few understand. This show does not endorse these safaris. It does, however, delve into all those questions people ask to others who enjoy hunting. Is it really a crime? What makes being a predator so special? Is it some endorphin which gives the stalker some sense of perverted pleasure? Or is there something else?

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08.21.19
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Where to find Quick Bites during the Victoria Fringe Festival 2019 Edition

August 21 to Sept 1
Victoria, BC

Officially, Intrepid Theatre’s Fringe Festival has a deal with The Joint Pizzeria, Chocolats Favoris, Bao and 2% Jazz Coffee so active theatre goers can fuel up in between shows. By showing your button, a 10% discount is applied.

This list is updated to reflect upon a few new operations that have opened since, and is organized by proximity to the performance venues.

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08.07.19
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Victoria Fringe Festival 2019 and 12 Picks!

August 21 to Sept 1
Victoria, BC

The last days of Summer are almost here, and it’ll soon be time to do the Victoria Fringe Festival! This event has been defining the local arts scene for the past 34 or so years now with its unjuried selection of local and travelling acts. To see fond favourite performers return is always a joy.

However, to end the month, this party is one way to lounge around in the garden city (located on the tip of Vancouver Island). I try to grab a snack between shows and next up will be an updated list of where to get quick bites. On Labour Day—the busiest time of the 12 day event—the fuel runs are needed to keep anyone going. Some theatre-goers like to Fringe Binge.

Personally, I like to space my thrills out.

This year, my list of must see shows include (to buy tickets, please click on link): Continue reading →

10.26.18
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Paper Street Theatre’s Halloween Treats!

Runs Oct 24th-27th at the Intrepid Theatre
Address: 1609 Blanshard St, Victoria, BC V8W 2J5

Victoria, British Columbia’s Paper Street Theatre knows their pop culture. As an improv group, they enjoy getting audiences to laugh. Some might arrive already in giggles because they enjoy their shows far too much. Their performances take place throughout the year and are themed. That is, they are spiced with a little bit of every literary or oral tradition out there. This themed night had fog machines and ambient lighting room straight out of The Exorcist to get everyone into the mood for supernatural delights!

During this weekend leading up to Halloween, the team has supernatural campfire stories to tell. Some have the taste of urban legend spread all over it and others are truly creepy, Twilight Zone style. Ideas for story titles are taken from a community bucket, and the more bizarre they sound, the more challenging it is to put into a coherent narrative. With improv, the performers do not have time to consult with one another to decide on how the story can go, and everyone has to think quickly as they are under many peering eyes. Under the dimming light, not every glance will glow red.

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