Minimum

Hilarious, timely, highly specific political farce.

Great comedic timing from all 3 cast members who effectively established their archtypes from the get-go and made their characters feel consistent and "true" despite the broad strokes and comedic exaggerations.

Sharp and pointed writing with excellently set up jokes, some of which got fun and unexpected callbacks later in the play.

Some excellent humour done with the non-portrayed character of the PM who was developed via correspondence and socials.

Very fun for any political or news junkie, but enjoyable for anyone who likes a farce!

It’s a cruel summer for primer, it is a cruel summer, fall, winter and spring for many who live with minimum wage.

The original idea is so interesting and I got attracted by the post at first glance (well it’s made via AI though). The reasons why primer has to live with minimum are very convincing, with the power of social media, it needs to be done sometimes. Then minimum wage affects primer’s eating (the blue liquid is soooo hilarious) (no spoiler) , housing and commuting (the thing about GO train is sooo true), but I wonder why it doesn’t mention the clothes, which might make the whole thing more complete. And how these things affect primer can be more deep and various, though it is the core of the whole play and what makes audience laugh most (seeing a person with high-power become poor and experience what our normal people normally experience should be where the most comedic moments come from). The hidden true love between primer and his wife is touching but makes the play a little bit loose, but anyway, the whole play is very subtle and funny. Worth a ticket! (Btw, after curtain call, the primer got down the flag pole immediately , I thought it was a joke to reflect the play, till I saw other actresses starting moving props, I realise ahhh, it’s Fringe, they only have 15 mins!)

Small cast with a lot of heart. The dialogue between the actors is fast paced but not so fast you can't keep up. Very current and had me laughing out loud. Agreed with others that the transitions lasted a bit longer than usual, but they felt like part of the play at the same time. Interesting ending!

This show really needed to be tightened up. At 60 minutes I think I would've felt more positively about it than at 85.

This show takes place in a dystopian Canada where Doug Ford is Prime Minister. It pokes a lot of fun at his Conservative style politics, but seems like that's about all it does. The whole thing felt more like a gentle teasing of surface level things like Buck a Beer and swallowing a bee.

Where it felt confused to me was the main characters, obviously portrayed as Conservatives, both performed these same politics and yet opposed it because clearly the show was written as a critique of these politics. To me it felt like they couldn't decide whether to commit to making it a show about portraying right wing politics in a satirical way by making the characters unapologetic Conservatives contributing to the problem, like Succession, or making the characters openly condemn these types of politics.

You'll probably chuckle watching the show, but it's really not much deeper than that which is a shame given the show's description feels like it's setting you up for a show about late-stage capitalism and a member of the bourgeoise learning what it's like to survive as a proletariat.

Also, the twist was completely random and I really am not sure where it factors into any of the story.

I went into Minimum with absolutely no idea what I was about to see, which is sometimes the best way to experience theatre.

I'm happy to report I was pleasantly surprised.

The cast was excellent. They were engaging, believable, and kept me invested from start to finish. The story moved along at a solid pace, and I found myself genuinely enjoying the ride.

My only real critique was the transitions between scenes. They felt a little slower than they needed to be, which occasionally took me out of the moment. I'm not sure if that came down to the lighting cues or the fact that the three-person ensemble was also handling the scene changes (which, honestly, is an impressive juggling act in itself). Either way, it was noticeable but never enough to derail the show.

Overall, I had a great time. Minimum managed to exceed my expectations, and I walked out glad I'd taken a chance on something I knew almost nothing about. Sometimes the best theatre experiences are the ones you don't see coming.

this was fabulous! charcaters were really great and believeable... it gets a bit manic at the end but is totally justified. possibly too many black outs but blocking was awesome! and developement of story was brilliant, witty this hour has 22 minutes coudl not top this!

Alessandro Stracuzzi's NN review of Minimum for NEXT Magazine.

It made me laugh. It was a great political satire. I enjoyed the banter between the premiere and his employee and his wife. I enjoyed the idea about a rich politician having to live on minimum wage. Victoria Sullivan, has a hit on her hands.

Can the Premier of Ontario survive on minimum wage? Minimum is a comedy that explores that idea while sending up the current incumbent. It’s not deep, it’s not particularly nuanced but it is a pretty good send up of contemporary politics and internet celebrity culture.

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