Bruce Ryan Costella: Spooky & Gay-ER

Bruce is one of the best storytellers out there! His show will have you feeling genuinely a little scared, to laughing until you cry, to sobbing over a heartwarming story from a fellow queer person. I think I'll be haunted by the phrase "policing my own capacity for hope" (in a good way) for a long time - this show is the perfect blend of silly and serious, with a beautiful message, all wrapped up in a one-person variety show. STRONGLY recommend!!

I was not expecting this to be as funny as it was. I also was not expecting it to make me ugly cry.

Really, what more could you ask for of a Fringe show, than to experience the full spectrum of human emotion over the course of an hour?

Bruce Ryan Costella is consistently one of my favourite performers. I can only lament that I missed his first go-round of Spooky and Gay if it was anything like what I saw here this year. I went in expecting some fun spooky stories that celebrated queer culture (which I got), but I left with tears streaming down my cheeks. The performance is so raw, so heartfelt - you have to experience it for yourself if you get the chance.

Bruce is one of my favourite Fringe artists touring today. This show is raw, riveting, funny, and touching – with a family dinner scene worth the ticket alone. The self-controlled lighting design is visually stunning and unique. Don’t miss this one.

I have seen Bruce Ryan Costella's shows a few times before so I was eager to check out his work this time. I loved his use of a dark room and various forms of lighting. It was startling and often haunting. There was comedy but also heartbreaking storytelling. There were also songs. He offers a beautifully happy/sad look at humanity.

Spooky, Gay, and Unforgettable

Spooky or gay? Bruce Ryan Costella offers BOTH! Through a combination of scary stories, improvisation, songs, and standup, “Bruce Ryan Costella: Spooky & Gay-ER” is a show that will stay with the audience, even after the curtain falls.

With a small stage, simple lights, and simple sound effects, Bruce Ryan Costella uses it to his advantage. Throughout the show, he uses desk lights at certain angles and intensities for each segment. For example, when telling a horror story, he holds a small light beneath his chin, heightening the eerie atmosphere. He adds to this effect with his stage presence, embodying the exact emotion of the scene, even when narrating from a third-person perspective. Adding on to how incredible a performer he is, he also caters to what his audience could be interested in, making funny references to artists like Edgar Allen Poe. Toward the end, he makes the performance more personal, deepening the connection with the audience, yet still finishes off on a powerful and memorable note.

The utilization of simple technical elements and powerful performance makes for a captivating experience that pulls the audience. Bruce Ryan Costella’s show is a gift to remember for a lifetime.

This show was a real treat to my soul. It is all heart. With the effective choices in its lighting design, this show seems like an endoscopy to Brcue’s heart. You see all the things that you see, and then some more. Until it gets too dark, and then all you hear are beats and ticks. Perfect Fringe show. Very spooky, very gay, very queer.

The original show is one of my favourite Fringe shows ever (queerness and horror is so in my wheelhouse it's embarrassing), so it's pretty much impossible to reach those heights again, but this comes pretty dang close. Great engaging storytelling, fun lighting, and lovely moves from spooky to funny to heartbreaking.

I almost never say this about plays, but I actually wish this were longer? I wanted more spooky tales because that is always my favourite part of Bruce's work. The end absolutely kicked my butt (emotionally) and I had to drive away while weeping.

I love queer people. I love our monstrousness.