Every Fringe Show You've Ever Seen All At Once
Cup of Hemlock Theatre Podcast reviewed Every Fringe Show You've Ever Seen All At Once. in PART 1 of our 3-part post-festival Review Roundup.
Click link for YouTube, or search for the audio-only version wherever you get your podcasts. TIMESTAMP: 1:55:24
TL;DL: No prizes for pointing out that the title feels misleading, but I still had a really good time.
My third-last show on the final day of Fringe was Every Fringe Show You've Ever Seen All At Once, and I genuinely had no idea what to expect.
Whatever I thought this show was going to be... it completely exceeded it.
The pacing was spot on. It moved at lightning speed when it needed to, slowed down just enough to let the jokes and moments land, and never overstayed its welcome. It was organized chaos in the absolute best way.
And then there was... the penis monster.
I can honestly say I did not see that coming. Its first appearance absolutely broke both the audience and the cast. The laughter was so infectious that it became one of those magical Fringe moments where everyone in the room is trying to recover before the show can continue.
The whole production was clever, hilarious, and wonderfully self-aware. It perfectly captures the wonderfully bizarre experience that is Fringe theatre while still standing on its own as an incredibly funny show.
After seeing it, I completely understand why it earned a Patron's Pick. It's smart, ridiculous, endlessly entertaining, and one of those shows that reminds you exactly why Fringe is so much fun.
I agree with some reviewers that have said this isn't about fringe enough. Yes, I would have appreciated poking fun at this festival directly more. However, I still enjoyed the cast who truly committed to the sketches and some of the zany ideas.
Standouts included the beginning with the most fringe content, the dialogue of hockey fans, a strange fake id and a Victorian mansion.
There were some allusions to fringe productions like everything tying together like crazy in the end. Not all sketches worked for me though but that is a difficult task. All in all, this was well worth the ride even if it wasn't gut busting in the laughter department.
Sketch comedy at its best, from a cast that knows their stuff. I honestly didn’t think I was the type of person who could find everything so funny—especially the cruder moments. But the insightful skewering of so many Fringe tropes was thoroughly entertaining. I highly recommend this show, especially if you are a veteran Fringe-goer or fan of sketch comedy.
So funny! I don’t think you have to have been to Fringe before to enjoy this.
It’s hard to leave a review for comedic plays because it depends on what tickles your funny bone. The performers are fantastic. I found the sketches to be witty and absurdist. It worked for me!
Six local comedians try to jam every Fringe cliche they know into one hour. Definitely hits solo show & musical tropes (decent dance number, for comics!), & the sketch hit ratio isn't bad (I loved "Gollum as an average improviser").
“Every Fringe Show You Have Ever Seen All At Once” is peak cringe! (Positive) For all lovers of sketch comedy and "bad" art. See the full review below!
It does what it says on the tin: audiences will recognize many familiar Fringes tropes, premises, and devices in this mood-board-become-a-show. It features several recognizable stars from Fringe and venues around Toronto. With an emphasis on the zany and absurd, most of the sketches pay off. The risky attempt of improv with Middle-Earth's worst improviser is excellent, hampered a little by PA issues. The show is very self-aware and offers a meta commentary on our beloved Fringe. A joy for veteran Fringers and a great introduction for those new to the Fringe.
This hilarious comedy show is a mix of sketch, improv, scripted comedy and more, all blended into the ultimate Fringe show. Starring a troupe of talented comedians, you won’t want to miss Every Fringe Show You’ve Ever Seen All At Once.