Fringe Notes
So if you've been wondering where I've been in the past few days, the answer, as it so often is at this time of year, is Fringing. Some notes on shows we've seen:
- Acné Japonaise: Like watching four Japanese psychological horror films in an hour. Good, but intense (and in French).
- Blastback Babyzap: Hilarious, as always.
- Busty Rhymes: Good songs, OK poetry, mediocre stand-up. The show was saved by some very-above-average audience participation, but it could have gone badly.
- Degrassi! The Musical: If you heard the title and said to yourself "OMG I must see it", then you must. The nostalgia factor is off the charts. Unfortunately the songs are mostly slow and dull, and the whole thing felt rather pointless.
- Dishpig: A well-performed show that's very engaging, but also felt a bit pointless at the end.
- Even Steven: Good performances, but what little comedy there was felt really out of place. This made the rest feel kind of tedious.
- Greed: A fairly strange tale, but I enjoyed it. I think the script was a lot better than the audience was giving it credit for.
- Identity Crisis: Unlike the inFlux Dance works of years past, this is only two people without as much of an overall theme. This means it's merely a good dance piece, instead of their standard super-amazing productions.
- Mating Rituals of the Urban Cougar: Charming and engaging performance poetry. The stories and such in between the poems were also very well done.
- Nile Séguin is Hondomania: Hilarious stand-up, like in his previous appearances. There were a few jokes I recognized from previous shows, but they were still well-placed and there's a lot of new material.
- Peg-Ass-Us: Enormous amounts of fun. But let's just say it's for mature audiences only.
- See Bob Run: Much darker than I was expecting, but I still liked it a lot. Very well acted.
- Teaching the Fringe: This is being hyped beyond description, mainly by The Gazette, it seems. It's still good, but just try to keep your expectations grounded.
- The Beekeepers: Dark and claustrophobic, in a good way. The tiny venue really helps here, though you'd be well advised to go on a cooler day or after sundown. You'd also be well advised to get tickets on the early side, as the tiny venue virtually guarantees sellouts.
- The Diaries of Adam and Eve: There were a few interesting scenes, but with absolutely nothing to tie them together, and no kind of overall point, the whole thing was very frustrating. The scenes also got longer and more boring as it wore on. Mercifully, it's only 60 minutes instead of the advertised 90, though all in all I'd prefer having spent 0 in there.