PORK & BEANS: Attorneys At Law

Top Bunk Theatre once again brings nothing but the best absurdist joy to the Fringe stage.

If you’ve been to a Top Bunk production before, you know you can expect to laugh the entire time and this show is no exception. Taking place in a 70s courtroom, the action never slows down. The three-day court proceedings are interlaced with acid trips and revelational flashbacks (and catchy musical numbers) that tell both the story of the court case and the history of the two feuding titular lawyers.

The choreography was captivating and retro and the costumes were gorgeous. The script is a tapestry of small comedic bits woven together to keep you laughing the whole time. The fight scene came out of left field in the best possible way and was executed by the cast impeccably.

While I did get a little lost in the plot a couple of times, the show had me laughing out of my seat and I was still humming along days later. All in all the ensemble operated as one fantastic unit and every cast member committed to the ridiculousness so earnestly that you are drawn right in with them, hanging onto every moment.

Go see Pork & Beans to brighten your day!

Thank you for inventing gay people

"Pork & Beans: Attorneys at Law" is the newest musical offering from creative duo Ethan Lang and Sam Daly, following past productions including the loved "Sam's Clam and Oyster Bar' from Fringe 2025. Pork & Beans fits the usual modus operandi for the two creatives, it's fun, it's light, and it's lovably ridiculous.

Pork & Beans is a simple, but hilarious premise. Two estranged best friends/TV-commercial style lawyers, the title characters, are facing off against each other in the trial of the century, where a man has been accused of murdering his wife. If that sounds dark, it's not. The show is a complete comedy, with exaggerated characters and non-sensical plotlines to match.

To start, most of the comedy of the show lands. There's an insanely high joke to minute ratio, so they can't all hit, but the big ones do and the audience I was with were completely into it. It helps that the entire cast played the parody to the max, and got the most of out the script. In particular, Ben Healey as the Bailiff and Sam Daly as Pork stand out for their ability to keep their characters consistent while also being absolutely ridiculous. The show channels the comedic vibe of a bonkers injury law commercial, and it never seems to run out of comical steam.

For the more technical stuff, the plot did not always come through clearly, though you could easily enjoy the show without caring much about that. The show follows an epic break-up between once friends/partners Pork & Beans, but the audience doesn't quite get a satisfying break-up or reconciliation between the two lawyers. Their feud is a compelling reason for the events of the play, however the play could stand to do some more work detailing the feud and why it is the two lawyers separated. As well, the score and lyrics, while amusing and very catchy, could have been better integrated into plot points rather than re-detailing plot points which have already been addressed in the dialogue.

Lastly, the FOH PRO Stage is a frustrating venue. The sightlines are very limited (I was in the third row, dead centre, and was struggling to see) and the venue speakers are low quality. While much of this was not the fault of the production, I do wish the show had taken their venue limitations into consideration more. At points, crucial moments of the show played in the venue's blind spots, and the larger cast felt a bit cramped in ensemble numbers. Many BYOV's which are not traditional theatres will have some limitations, and that is just part of Fringe, but overall the show could have benefitted from being a little more cognizant of those limitations.

All in all, Pork & Beans was a very enjoyable, funny show. However, with the talent onstage and the writing talent, I believe it truly has the potential to be more than just funny. It has all the hallmarks of a Fringe show which could easily be a successful two act musical, and if that ever happens, I'll be the first to buy a ticket.

Andrea Noga, Alberta Youth Theatre Collective.

I have thoroughly enjoyed Top Bunk productions in the past and assumed that this production would at least come close to past levels of fun, humour, and quality, but I was left only somewhat amused and largely confused.

Technical elements and venue sightlines brought this down significantly. You would assume that because this is Top Bunk's third time at a venue with famously difficult sightlines that they would have learned to prioritize staging most moments downstage, but alas. As a result, I missed almost the entirety of Carly Petitt as the Judge, which was unfortunate because she sounded fantastic and hilarious. Furthermore, the microphones frequently cut in and out, were live backstage, or were selectively extremely loud. This, combined with the fact that for some reason the majority of the songs were group ensemble numbers, meant that a cast that I know are all strong individual singers sounded amateur.

In fact, the score did no one any favours; even the occasional solo musical moments seemed to sit far above or below the performer's comfortable vocal ranges making it extremely difficult to understand the lyrics. The (very loose) plot also came to a crashing halt every time a musical number came along, as no part of the action or lyrics contributed anything to the story. I have, admittedly, had the catchy refrain of "get your lawsuit on" running through my head since the show, possibly because it was seemingly the only lyric in the song. The most musically interesting moment was a sort of duet between the titular characters, but even this only served to establish that their friendship had ended. Why, exactly, has it ended? This is never explained fully, neither in the song nor in the show as a whole.

Furthermore, the writing of their female characters has fallen even farther since their previous shows. Historically, female characters in Top Bunk shows have been either completely insignificant to the plot, extremely over-sexualized, or animals, and apparently their idea of adding depth is to combine those three qualities into a femme-presenting sexy dog character (in a one-off attempt to make a hot dog joke that does not land). Even the lead female character, who has a lot of potential for her own storyline as a reporter covering the so-called "trial of the century", is only relevant to the plot in a cliche storyline where she is frustrated that her boyfriend, one of the male leads, works too much. Groundbreaking.

I really wanted this show to be good. This script has potential. This music has potential. The costumes are very fun and flattering for all the performers, which is rare for a fringe show. The choreography is fun. There are some extremely talented, fantastic, and smart performers doing their absolute best to make you laugh and have a good time in this show, and they do succeed. If you want to go to a show just to have fun and see something silly then this show will do just fine. But I know this show could easily have been a lot better, and I left kind of sad that it was not.

Every full Fringe experience should include appreciating local talent presenting original material. Pork n Beans is a fun, joke filled original musical. The cast is excited to share this story of friendship, hot dogs and tense courtroom drama. Let yourself wander from Harvard to Chicago and enjoy this quirky show.

Hot dog this was a great show! Completely underrated! Expected a two man show and a talented full cast appeared out of no where!

Wildly funny and unhinged! 10/10!! Would see again! This is what fringe is for!!

Pork & Beans mopping up the competition! - By: Krissy Berkholtz

Have you ever needed a lawyer that’ll stay by your side? Ever wanted to sue someone just because? Have you ever wanted a duo that mops up all the other competitors? Look no further! Pork & Beans: Attorneys At Law have got you covered. Pork & Beans is an incredibly fun roller coaster of a musical that takes you through the most riveting court case to hit the wild 1970’s justice system. Pork & Beans played by Ethan Lang and Sam Daly play the duo of the millennia as the comedic protagonists of this musical. This punny musical never ceases to miss a beat with its incredible ensemble who are just as wacky and unpredictable as our main characters. A standout performer is the court room's resident bailiff who is always SERVING and protecting, Ben Healey, providing the audience with his physical comedy that left the audience hollering. The stand out show number was “Law Suit On”. With its dynamic ensemble dance sequences and vocal performances, it was hard to sit still in your chair. Every line delivery and dance sequence was full of energy and character. You can never guess where the plot will take us next and you become grateful very quickly for the show's unique quirks. Pork & Beans is campy fun ready for everyone to enjoy. A tale of friendship in its trials and tribulations. What will happen next!? You will have a blast with this show and at the end of it all, it’ll leave you wanting a hot dog real bad!

Top Bunk's opening show was an absolute riot, from the catchy tunes to the hilarious young cast. From the music to the costumes, the puns to the stage-fighting, the hour-long show sped by in no time at all. "Pork" and "Beans", played by Sam Daly and Ethan Lang (the two guys who penned this show), feed off of each other with natural chemistry, and bring great energy to the stage throughout the show. They sing together and you know that this isn't their first rodeo sharing the stage. Their voices compliment each other in the best way possible. They deliver hilarious one-liners, and over-the-top bad puns, but they know not to take themselves too seriously. They are clearly having fun on stage. Ben Healey plays the creepily sexy bailiff who commands the stage with his hilarious accent and great physical comedy. Daly and Lang are rising stars in the local theatre world, and I am looking forward to seeing what they come up with next. You gotta go see this one!

It's a very fringey kind of show. Read my full review here:

https://lucyhainesca.wordpress.com/2026/08/15/review-pork-beans-attorneys-at-law/