Alberta Youth Theatre Collective

Join the Bix Mix Boys and their bluegrass jamboree!

A bluegrass concert with puns, baking pancakes, and a demonstration of which of their songs would match moments of life if it were a soundtrack. With a set pulled out of an 80s variety show and music that made you wish there was a dance floor in the room.

This was absolutely not your typical fringe show, as it is not an average play or musical, but that doesn’t matter, the fringe has something for everyone! Their voices were pleasant to listen to, and the skill with their instruments was amazing to see. The jokes were nice and simple, yet still funny, and great for all ages.

This show was a lot of fun, with their upbeat songs, nice harmonies, and effortless comedy, “The Bix Mix Boys Bluegrass Goodtime Hour” had the whole audience tapping their feet along.

"Bittergirl", originally produced in 1990's Toronto, is play which follows three women, all in different stages in their lives, who are coping with well... being dumped. From self-care, to violent thoughts, to rebounding, Bittergirl follows the up and downs of a breakup with a sharp script and excellent acting.

Bittergirl is one of a decent number of Fringe shows this year which license pre-existing work, in this case a 27 year old Canadian play (with some updated references). The choice of Bittergirl, written by Annabel Griffiths, Alisan Lawrence, and Mary Francis Moore, for Little Sis Co. is a natural decision. Having caught, and loved, Primadonna last year, the choice of female fronted work with a fast pace is very on-brand for the collective. The actors, all from Primadonna plus a new face in Jacob Gorr, take to Bittergirl with the same ferocity and chemistry as last Fringe. They work insanely well together, and nail their individual moments too. The characters are differentiated well from each other too in the performances, an impressive feat for a script where the characters tend to mesh together a bit.

The actual script itself is messy, not in a bad way, and quite relatable to a variety of relationship issues. It does have a tendency to work itself into circles, which can be understood as break-ups don't exactly go down easy, but could have been benefitted by a little more character development, even if just to give the sudden ending some more justification. As well, even as someone who adores fast pace shows, both the script and its execution could use some valleys to balance out the hills. It starts at 100 and stays there throughout, which leads to some impressive acting performances and quick lighting design that is very effective, but also makes individual scenes and monologues start to feel a little same-y. While, as mentioned, the actors do a good job differentiating their characters, the script and blocking occasionally begins to meld together. If a few scenes or even just moments had a bit of a slower pace, it would have made the overall show feel more realized and impacting. The directing (Abby Witte) as a whole is superb, and each inch of the stage is used, but that would have brought it to the next level.

If I have any critiques, it's mostly because Little Sis Co. is an incredibly talented company and I've already seen them create outstanding, top rate theatre. For this show, it is a very worthy addition to their canon and only makes me more excited to keep seeing what they do next.

Andrea Noga, Alberta Youth Theatre Collective.

"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.

Returning to the Edmonton Fringe Festival for their fifteenth year, Mike and Chantelle Delamont bring God to life in all her floral patterned glory. This stand up comedy spectacular is a Fringe staple for many people, as well it should be. It’s an act that cements itself in the viewer's brain, as God expresses her opinions on misinterpretations of the Bible, AI, politics, and any number of other relevant topics. Always, God’s acts are grounded in a desire to uplift the audience. You leave the theatre feeling happier than before, and often feeling better about yourself as well. One could say it’s a divine miracle - God unburdens you on the holy grounds of the Metro Cinema. Mike Delamont brings God to life with all the vigour of a true Scotsman, and Delamont does a remarkable job of making it easy to understand the Braveheart-esque accent. God is a Scottish Drag Queen is a real Edmonton Fringe classic, and it will undoubtedly leave you wanting more. Catch it while you can! God sells out a house fast.

A Concert That Makes You Question Music Itself

Is music storytelling, poetry, art, something in between? “what the hell was that?!”, a sonic spectacle by Laren Steppler, will have you questioning and redefining what music means to you. There is so much talent outpouring in this show; from Steppler’s operatic vocal range, to Yvonne Boon and Aaron Addorsissio’s wonderful instrumental performances. Additionally, our lead’s unusual charisma is enchanting, with their awkward pauses and cartoonishly goofy antics bringing smiles to their audience.

Two ex-cult members who band together in a religious revival — but will they and their relationship survive it? The Prophet is a two-person play about Jeremy, a man who can predict the future, and Katherine, a woman who believes Jeremy can help her become powerful.

In this show, Jayden Baldry (Jeremy) had some phenomenal acting moments, and it had some impressive set, lighting, and sound elements. However, the story of this show felt very confusing and incomplete. It seemed as though character motivation and backstory were missing, and the overall plot of the story was very confusing and unclear. There were some very funny moments throughout the show, but what exactly they were making fun of was not clear. Simply, by the end of the show, I was not sure what the message or point of the play was.

However, despite all of this, the acting and technical elements of the show really shone through! Baldry’s comedic acting had the audience frequently laughing, and the technical elements of the show were very impressive. Props such as hilariously oversized cigarettes added greatly to the comedy of the show, and the lighting and sound of the play were dramatic and effective. Despite the story’s shortcomings, it is clear that the actors, technicians, and crew have worked very hard on this show.

The Prophet had great acting, comedy, and tech! Though it was quite hard to follow in some parts, watching this show remained an enjoyable experience.

“The American Dream” - By: Krissy Berkholtz

If The Naked Gun, every Bond movie, and Mission Impossible had a baby together, it would be RIGHT PLACE, WRONG MAN: Another Grant Canyon Mystery. RIGHT PLACE, WRONG MAN follows the life of an Insurance Investigator who finds himself in a constant loop of dangerous situations that lead to tomfoolery, amazing one liners, and plot twists that’ll make you clutch your pearls. Ryan Gladstone plays the role of Grant Canyon, and takes on the incredible challenge of how to master a one man show. Every moment of comedic timing was performed perfectly and any moment of silence in the audience was quickly filled with laughter, gasps, or asking the question “what just happened?!” Grant Canyon comes with his own theme song and a splendid lighting design that accentuates all of the hilarious narrated moments in the show. The set was simplistic, but helped propel the story further by making Canyon the main focus as he combats his foes with his jaw dropping mime fight scenes in this late 70’s period piece. Every entrance into a joke was well timed and well met. There wasn’t a single dull moment in the entire show, and you could see how much Ryan enjoyed putting on this show and playing the beloved buffoon, Grant Canyon. If you’re looking for a knee-slapping level of a hilarious show, come see RIGHT PLACE, WRONG MAN: Another Grant Canyon Mystery and enjoy the ride of mischief and clownery!

"Stop Kiss", written by Diana Son, is a play from the late 90's which explores the events leading up to, and following, a violent hate crime which leaves one of the victims in a coma. It is an incredibly well-written play, which alternates between being sweet and being heartbreaking. The characters, and their relationships, are well developed and the dialogue flows with a natural pace.

Now, the production at Fringe is produced by Hollyhock Theatre Co, an indie theatre company here in Edmonton. The play is over at the Campus Saint-Jean Auditorium in the French Quarter, where the play takes full advantage of the larger space with a detailed, lived in set.

If you see the licensing details for this play, you'll see it's purported to run a total of 105 minutes. Hollyhock's Stop Kiss, on the Fringe website, runs a tight 90. At the performance I attended, it only went a minute or two over. As glad I am that this wonderful script is being shared, and by a company with a noticeable care for the meaning of the script, this tight runtime was noticeable in the performances and directing. Moments were occasionally rushed, and some of the heart of the show was missed as important moments weren't quite given the space they needed to breathe. While the cast was very likeable, and committed to their beats, the show could have benefitted from a slower pace.

While Fringe decrees 90mins as the maximum time, and the show is already running to that limit, there were moments that could have been cut down to allow more time for emotional scenes. The show did have a tendency to cut the momentum and tension with frequent, extended transitions, and allowing that time for the dialogue would have taken this production to the next level. Specifically, the show featured projection transitions and frequent costume changes. While both design elements were curated perfectly, and fit the mood of the show well, if they were cut down significantly it could have allowed more time for the scenes while keeping within the 90min limit.

The show has an important, still timely message which was delivered with care and precision by the cast and crew. It was a very detailed, especially technically, production for Fringe of a complex show. Shows like these make me wish Fringe had a little more space for longer shows, as if this show was allowed to run the normal runtime of 105 minutes, it would have been elevated substantially. As it is, it was still a strong production of a beautiful show.

Andrea Noga, Alberta Youth Theatre Collective.

For someone very familiar with Ingrid Garner's other work, "A Hollywood Horror Story" is a spectacular rejection of singularity, and establishes Garner not only as the wonderful performer Fringe audiences already know she is, but as an incredibly versatile performer too.

I was lucky to catch "Eleanor's Story: Life After War", Garner's more well known Fringe production about the life of her grandmother in the Second World War, at Fringe last year, and enjoyed it greatly. "A Hollywood Horror Story" is a very different conceit. Still a historical biography in a way, in this show, Garner details the life of "Vampira", famed horror presenter and actress, from humble beginnings, to international applause, to humble livings again.

Personally, I was already roughly aware of Vampira, as a horror fan myself. However, even those who recognize the name are unlikely to know about the icon to the depth that Garner does. Detailing her career, relationships, public persona, Garner (playwright, in addition to performer) treats Vampira's life and legacy with unholy care, resulting in a clear and full portrait of the life of a magnificent woman.

Already doing herself many favours with a sharp and well-written script, Garner brings it to life with sultry charisma, channeling Vampira as she takes on her persona to perform the show. During the show, she also takes on the voices of Elvis, James Dean, and other Hollywood legends whom Vampira encounters in her journey. She switches between voices seamlessly, and her physical storytelling changes effortlessly too. The show is well researched, but what truly brings it to life is how well performed it is. Squint, you'll believe Vampira is truly there in front of you, back from the dead to terrorize the living.

"A Hollywood Horror Story" is a new, and incredibly successful show from Fringe veteran Ingrid Garner. If you haven't seen it yet, I would run to the Spotlight Cabaret. If you have seen it, I would run back to see it again.

Andrea Noga, Alberta Youth Theatre Collective.

If you are looking for an absolutely fantastic musical improv show that will have you falling out of your seat laughing, this is the show for you! Offbook: The Improvised Musical is a musical that is completely improved — improvised lines, choreography, songs, and even live music.

Four incredibly talented actors, 2 fantastic musicians, and a phenomenal tech crew work together to create an entire hour-long story on the spot, based on a prompt from the audience at the start of the show.

This show genuinely had me crying laughing. Incredible singing, music, and truly unbelievable improvisation skills, this show was one of my highlights of this Fringe festival. Witnessing this show was truly impressive. The actors had the audience repeatedly roaring with laughter and the musicians never missed a beat crafting songs on the spot.

Full of music, silliness, and laughter, this show is an absolute must-see for any improv or comedy lover.