52 Stories

Dave is a master story teller with a really cool memory trick. We were spellbound throughout, shared laughter, giggles and tears. His stories are told with a rare depth, that touched me to the core. He related a story about his father, which describes my current reality.

This is MUST SEE show!!

If you want to be moved to tears between laughing and falling out of your chair, please see this show. A masterpiece of humanity, memories and family lore that EVERYONE can relate to. David is mesmerizing and gently invites you into his Memory Palace. Every performance is different as he memorizes a deck of cards in front of us.

It’s not a trick! We could all do it, if we wanted and he makes us believe we could!

Brilliant work! 👏👏👏🤭😢🤣🥰

This is a unique show. I have not watched anything like this before. It combines the wonder of magic with the power of storytelling. Dave shared heartwarming stories of life, friendship, family, and death. We enjoyed the show do much. Highly Recommended!

David tells such authentic heartfelt stories you will laugh and cry and be happy to meet his friends and family. A complete delight!

I came expecting to see a magic show, but found something even more spectacular. Dave - an incredibly charming, humble, and personable performer - frames a series of reflections on the people he loves with an honest-to-god demonstration of preternatural memory skill. The show is frequently touching, profound, and personal, but never veers into the territory of maudlin navel-gazing.

While the memory demonstration is impressive, Dave's real excellence lies in his storytelling and stagecraft. The show is well written and acted throughout, and incorporates a striking albeit minimal set to enhance its otherwise abstract premise. Dave's sense of humor is sharp but kind, and it provides the necessary relief from the occasionally melancholic motiffs of the show.

The mnemonic framing of the show also allows every performance to be be a distinct shuffling of Dave's deck of stories, so repeated viewings will reveal different relationships between the chapters in the oral text. I look forward to seeing the show again, and I recommend it highly to anyone looking to see good theater done well.

I’ve been thinking about this show ever since we left! Being able to memorize the order of a shuffled deck of cards is already impressive, but the stories that went along with them were sentimental, humorous at times, and touching. I would definitely see this again, and since the cards will always be shuffled into a different, order every show will be unique.

It’s been a couple of days since I saw 52 Stories, and I still can’t get it out of my head. It’s a show that both serves and presents purpose. It is powerful, charming, hilarious, and packed with so much heart. In a fast-paced world, it’s easy to overlook the meaningful moments life throws at us, but 52 Stories forces you to stop and appreciate how precious it all really is. Everyone needs to make time for this one. Truly an unforgettable experience and pure Fringe magic!

Master story telling at its finest. Such a beautifully human show. It left me feeling inspired to live my life, create art, and make memories that I’ll never want to forget!

THIS is what Fringe is all about! Sentimental, funny, and technically impressive, Dave Morris is a truly unique talent. He blends history, magic, and his own personal story into a truly “mnemorable” experience. Easily one of the best shows I’ve seen at Edmonton Fringe in many years!

Wow wow wow. Dave Morris is a masterful storyteller who weaves a heartfelt piece of theatre about memory and the stories that make us who we are. The memory recall is a delightful element that would make this show easy to see again again (as no two shows will ever be exactly the same), but the real treat is the way Dave can make stories about complete strangers feel so personable, welcoming, engaging, and relatable. If you have a sentimental streak, bring tissues!

First time I have seen this show. I was more than impressed. I laughed, I cried, and I was utterly amazed. This is one of the best shows I have seen in a while - and I've gotten really into the fringe usually doing about 5-10 a year. Its a one man act with lighting and a screen/projector. But I left feeling like I knew the man. Even before he dived in to the act - just the opener had my attention. His voice just drew me in. I 1000% recommend. I can see how each show would be a little different - I'd come back and see it next year for sure.

This is a phenomenal show that absolutely deserves to be seen by everyone at Fringe. Dave Morris is an incredible storyteller. The gimmick, such as it is, of memorizing the deck of cards is used as a wonderful framing device. I think my preference would have been on getting more of his stories and spending a little less time on the memorization element, but I have a feeling that balance was just a little off due to some gaffs that he apologized for. I suspect most nights would get one or two more stories before his time is up for the evening.

Regardless, by the end of the show he had me in tears, reflecting on recent events in my own life that echo his experience. A moving performance from a master storyteller that isn't to be missed!

52 stories was my favourite fringe treat last year when it first came to Edmonton and am so glad it's back - my favourite fringe shows have engaging performers but also an extra X factor that makes it fringe-y. For this piece, it's the fact that Dave Morris memorizes a full deck of cards in front of the audience, teaches us his ways, and weaves in personal stories that help him remember the card order. Highly recommend!

Dave Morris is a spectacular storyteller, full stop. The way he weaves his tales of family, friends, love, loss, and everything else through the underlying theme of memories and a deck of cards (the order changes every show) is so incredibly well done. I could have listened to him for much longer than the official run time of the show!

The final story of the evening triggered a personal memory for me (I won't spoil it, as he said he does tend to close with the same story every time, regardless of where that card falls in the deck), and I was desperately trying not to cry in the front row! The story deeply affects him as well, and you could see how emotional it made him to tell it to us.

Run, don't walk, to see this! Highly recommended.

In the one-man-hit, 52 Stories, award-winning storyteller Dave Morris turns a deck of playing cards into a remarkable map of memory. Using mnemonic devices to memorize all 52 cards, Morris has created a personal story for each one, transforming an ordinary deck into a collection of people, moments, relationships, and emotions.

What begins as an impressive feat of memory gradually becomes something much more meaningful. Each card acts as a doorway into a story, and Morris explores how memory is never simply about preserving fact, it is about the emotional meaning we attach to them. The structure of the deck gives the show a playful framework, but the stories themselves reveal something deeply human: the way our lives can be organized around moments we choose, or sometimes struggle, to remember.

Morris is a natural storyteller, drawing the audience into his world with warmth, humor, and vulnerability. I found myself laughing one moment and unexpectedly growing quiet and thoughtful the next. 52 Stories is ultimately a thoughtful celebration of memory, connection, and the stories that make us who we are. Definitely recommended.

-Sydney Koke, AYTC

Dave Morris' 52 Stories is a masterclass in memory and heartfelt storytelling. From the moment he begins revealing each card from a shuffled deck—flawlessly recalling their order—the audience is hooked. But the real magic unfolds as each card becomes a gateway into deeply personal and touching stories about his family. Morris weaves these tales with warmth, humour, and authenticity, keeping the crowd captivated from start to finish. The performance builds beautifully, and by the final story, the room erupts into a well-deserved standing ovation. 52 Stories isn’t just a show—it’s an experience. highly recommended.

Incredible technique for memorizing a deck of cards. Equally compelling stories about family and friends.

This works on so many levels. Morris does an astounding job memorizing a deck of cards, then shows us how it’s done, and wraps it in a beautiful tale about family and friends.

Highly recommended

52 Stories invites the audience into the memory palace of award-winning storyteller Dave Morris. Through tales of family, friends, love, loss, and memory itself, Morris weaves together moments that are both heartwarming and heartbreaking. I wasn’t expecting to have tears falling down, but they were sometimes from laughter, sometimes from sadness. His natural presence and gift for connection make each story feel intimate and alive. Thoughtful, moving, and beautifully told, this show is a gentle reminder of the power of stories to shape how we remember. Definitely recommend seeing this one!

We sat down and waited for the show to start. As the lights dimmed, we were pulled into Dave's amazing world of storytelling. His way of telling stories is definitely unique as he incorporates it with his tools for remembering things. This is not a play with 52 stories, but with the introduction of a deck of cards and the ability to remember the order of the audience shuffled deck is amazing...but it's not the star of the show. It's the storytelling. It's the heartfelt words that poured out of his mouth. His stories incited visual shows in my own mind. His memories of his friends and family encouraged my brain to remember ones that I wanted to remember and bring up over and over again.

This show has humour, fun, but the biggest thing it has is a huge heart.

Given that each show is likely different every time, I hope to have the chance to see it again with the deck of cards being in a different order.

Thank you, Dave, for a very entertaining one hour of your storytelling. I'm also rather grateful I didn't dream of Gandalf and a newspaper. That's an image I'll never get out of my mind though!

Phenomenal storytelling, equal parts laughter and tears.