Tag Archives: Victoria Fringe Festival

08.27.15
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[Victoria Fringe Festival ’15] A Look at the Many Faces of Tim Motley, Dirk Darrow & Beyond

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LOCATION:
Victoria Event Centre
1415 Broad Street

SHOWTIMES::
Aug 27 | 8:15 pm
Aug 29 | 8:15 pm
Sept 2 | 6:15 pm
Sept 4 | 10:00 pm
Sept 5 | 4:45 pm
Sept 6 | 6:30 pm

DURATION: 60 minutes

Stage Magician and Comedian Tim Motley has more than just one character hiding up his sleeve. He can simply be himself, or appear as a character from long ago. In the past, he’s played the role of Arizona Jones, a character that’s a cousin of the famous archaeologist, Indiana, but these days, he’s Dirk Darrow, a sleuth with an eye on enchanting audiences with his slight-of-hand and wit. He appeared two years ago at Victoria’s Fringe Festival back as a Not Completely Serious Supernatural Investigator in Dirk Darrow: NCSSI, and this year he returns with 2 Ruby Knockers, 1 Jaded Dick. If there’s a sexual joke in there, theatre-goers will have to attend the show to find out. At other Fringe shows, this show has been reported as sold out.

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08.17.15
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Ed’s Victoria Fringe Festival Picks of 2015

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Various Venues
August 27 to Sept 6
Victoria, BC

Requires Fringe Button ($6)
Tickets range from $9 to 11
Available through Ticket Rocket or at the door

Just what kind of dreams may come from this year’s Victoria Fringe Festival? That’s just one of many themes I’ve noticed when flipping through the pages of the guide. When my passion in theatre is for the fantastic, that’s going to become the guiding force for some of the shows I plan on going to see. This year marks the 29th annual show, and I feel this year will be a hint of great things to come when the 30th rolls around next year. Okay, I’m thinking a year ahead, but I’m sure there’s some folks from Intrepid who’s already planning well in advance in how to make next year a big celebration. For this year’s fun, there’s a grand mix of style, and just what I’m looking for is varied.

Herein lies my picks for the 2015 year.

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08.29.14
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[Victoria Fringe Festival ’14] Young Frankenstein the Musical, A Review

YoungFrankensteinDirected by Cam Culham
Music Direction by Donna Williams

Continues playing at Copeland Theatre
at St. Michaels University School
3400 Richmond Rd

Fri, Aug 29 • 7:00pm
Sat, Aug 30 • 2:00pm
Sat, Aug 30 • 7:00pm

J: Oh what a difference a year makes when it comes to a production performed by the students of St. Michael’s Musical Theatre Intensive Program as part of the Victoria Fringe Theatre Festival. Compared to the clean version of Avenue Q from last year, the shackles were broken with Mel Brook’s Young Frankenstein. All the sexual innuendo was left in, just the way fans of Mel Brooks like it.

E: And one particular number got shuffled out of the narrative to become a finale for the night. I would’ve liked to see Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (Jasper Johnston) and the Monster (Ethan Ko) put on the Ritz and I fully understand to produce that number requires the students to either learn how to tap dance in a short amount of time or already have that skill. But in a seasonal program that is open to anyone that doesn’t ask for pre-requisite skills, that’s not possible.

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08.25.14
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[Victoria Fringe Festival ’14] The Rise of Basement Boy as a Hero? A Review

img_0068-1Presented by ShaneBob Productions
Directed by Shane Campbell and Markus Spodzieja

In homage to many a geek or nerd who can relate, a free slice of a cheese pizza is going to be offered at every performance of The Rise of Basement Boy. When two buddies are seen playing Dungeons and Dragons, a fantasy role-playing game, before even the show starts, some people may well wonder what will transpire in this comedy musical? If they read the synopsis, Archibald Clarkson (Markus Spodzieja) has to brave leaving the basement in order to be with his first true love or face losing her forever. When he spends most of his time sheltered away from reality along with Clarence, his Grandpa, (Francis Melling), who also struggles with his own demons, the only person they share a camaraderie with is with Bart (Jenson Kerr), a buddy who comes over to play with them.

But when Archie answers the door in order to receive their daily influx of pizza that’ll make the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles hungry, just who he meets is not their regular delivery person. Instead of the guy who has been ripping them off for years, he meets Candy (Hayley McCurdy), who happens to be the girl of his dreams. To see Clarkson flabbergasted is not without some chuckles and to witness Bart act jealous gets the plot in motion.

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08.25.14
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[Victoria Fringe Festival ’14] Finding Mask Over Matter, A Review

Presented by Lightning Theatre

Mask over Matter is one of those plays with a name that conjures forth visages of wonderment and intrigue. Instead, the show offers a mix of pantomime and improv where the performers are wearing a mask in order to play archetypical characters from many a narrative. In what they represent are not necessarily that of comedy and tragedy that Greek theatre made famous. The style hails from Italy where it’s more commonly known as Commedia dell’arte. Deception is used to create its humour, and it’s a different type of improv that many may not be familiar with, much less get.

At least for this young comedy group, they are certainly learning the ropes fast. With a few members of the cast schooled by the Dave Morris’ Improv Class, at least they are being trained by the best. Andrew Brimmell and Shahin Mohamadi are two such individuals. Together, with Daniel Belkin, Robin Valerie and Kevin Koch, they play a diverse cast of characters from various social standings. They are caricatures of various occupations and a night’s show can be a discourse in social studies. As with many a performance, Brighella (Shahin Mohamadi) Arlecchino (Kevin Koch) and Columbina (Robin Valerie) introduce what this type of comedy is about and audiences are essentially being taken for a ride of slapstick after a few audience members provide a few ideas and direction to help move the night’s performance along.

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08.25.14
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[Victoria Fringe Festival ’14] Shadows are Abound in Vasilisa, A Review

Presented by
Ouroboros Shadow Pictures

Props have to go to a very stylized theatrical presentation of Vasilisa the Beautiful, a Russian fairy tale that can easily fit right in a Disney Universe. However, this presentation is very dark and it has the feel of belonging in Fantasia more than as a light-hearted animated stand-alone product.

In this stage-version, shadow puppetry, sombre music and dance is used to tell the tale of a young girl tasked by a wicked step-mother to bring back fire from the witch, Baba Yaga. In her spiritual journey through the woods, she learns about courage as she faces the terror borne from the elements. Baba Yaga is the Russian version of the Wild Man of the Woods from Celtic tradition. The only reason to seek this type of “creature” out is to find wisdom.

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