PocBS: People of Colour Broadcasting Service

We truly have some awesome shows foregrounding artists of colour at the Fringe this year. It’s a small but mighty cohort that I can only hope will grow year by year.

I saw a much earlier iteration of this show as part of Common Ground Arts’ Riser program. Back then, I thought it was very charming and had great bones, even as a work-in-progress. I’m so happy to see its evolution here at the Fringe, years later.

Finally a political show where didacticism isn’t grating! A kids’ show puppet describing politics in the condescending yet charming way they would the alphabet to a child makes so much sense for the type of show this is while also being entertaining. It helps that the puppet is performed with a hilarious edge of hysteria and looks professionally-made. In fact, nothing in this show feels slapdash or cheap.

The lead actor gives a charismatic performance and is clever in their audience interactions. They carry a wacky plot solo even though this show could’ve easily been a simple cabaret/variety show.

I was lucky to see this with a very active crowd with plenty of poc in the audience, which felt like the right way to experience this. Race jokes have a way of making some audiences feel uncomfortable, so I was glad that wasn’t the case with this group of patrons.

My only complaint is that the pace slowed down with the “guest” artists. I would’ve liked to see those be a bit tighter. The host’s bits were so tight and rehearsed that it made them feel slower in comparison.

Overall, this was a really fun time. Both me, a hardcore Fringer, and my sister, a low-key Fringer who has maybe seen 10 shows ever, had an equally delightful time.

I loved the energy and unpredictability of this show! It was chaotic and maybe a little bit disjointed at times, but honestly with how funny and charismatic the performers were, I didn't really care. I was along for the ride for every minute! I hope to see these talented artists in more shows in the future!

A colorful splash of fun! See what I did there? It was funny, right? No? Okay, nevermind…

PocBS: People of Color Broadcasting Service graciously invites its audience into the world of a fictional broadcasting studio, blending sketch comedy with live music, puppetry, stand-up and the chaos of putting the show together in a political world. The result of this is a lively and human show that truly embraces the unpredictability of live performance.

Tokunbo Adegbuyi is commanding, charming and everything you need from a show host, his performance brings a tremendous amount of energy and presence to the show, and the audience clearly feeds off of his energy. Abegbuyi also has amazing audience anticipation, playing with the audience's reactions, making even the small interactions feel spontaneous and hilarious. His confidence and stage presence give the show an anchor and keeps the audience engaged as we move from segment to segment.

The less successful parts of the show resided within its exploration of its central concept. With PocBS marketing itself as a “People of Color Broadcast Service”, Instead of engaging with that idea much of the material felt more focused on political commentary than on the broader experience of creating a fictional broadcast service centered around people of colour. The political material certainly has a place within the show, but at points I wished the production had pushed further into the depth of its premise.

The performers who took over the in-between segments were also somewhat uneven. While the variety of performances kept the show moving, and their performances were genuinely great. Some of these transitions felt less polished than the sections led by Adegbuyi, interrupting rather than building on the momentum of the show.

In the end, PocBS: People of Color Broadcasting Service is a lively and playful variety show with a host who’s amazing at commanding rooms. Its strongest moments come from the interaction between Adegbuyi and the audience, where the spontaneity of live theatre really comes out.

I wasn’t really sure what form this show would take and didn’t really know what to expect (the beauty of Fringe!). The host is a presenter on a late-night show on the public broadcasting channel, and he’s fighting his producer over ads for big corporate sponsors. In between the host’s segments, there are two other performers, a musician and a comedian. I’m not sure the different performances were all that cohesive, but I enjoyed them all individually, and the last host segments with Little Toks are HILARIOUS. Don’t leave until you’ve watched all the credits.