Marla Minshall

My second-last show of Fringe 2026 was 2-MAN NO-SHOW: Balls Out!, and it was an absolute riot.

My partner recommended this one after seeing the original 1-Man No Show a few years ago, and I'm very glad we listened. It takes the usual improv comedy format and gives it a wonderfully chaotic twist: the audience controls the show by throwing balls at the performers to change the scene.

Simple, right?

Well... not for us.

The performers committed to an Irish jig for what felt like seven straight minutes while the audience collectively wondered if this was just... the show now. Turns out we were supposed to throw the balls. The second we figured it out, absolute chaos ensued.

The concept is incredibly clever, and the performers deserve serious credit for staying completely committed while dodging (or not dodging) an endless barrage of flying projectiles. I did wince a few times when the balls connected with particularly sensitive areas. Occupational hazard, I suppose.

It's easy to see why this one earned a Patron's Pick. It's inventive, hilarious, and unlike anything else I saw this Fringe.

And because Fringe 2026 apparently has a running gag specifically for me... I got called out by the performers.

Again.

That's three shows this season.

At this point, I'm starting to think I'm less of an audience member and more of an unpaid cast member. Maybe I'm just meant to be on stage.

My third-last show on the final day of Fringe was Every Fringe Show You've Ever Seen All At Once, and I genuinely had no idea what to expect.

Whatever I thought this show was going to be... it completely exceeded it.

The pacing was spot on. It moved at lightning speed when it needed to, slowed down just enough to let the jokes and moments land, and never overstayed its welcome. It was organized chaos in the absolute best way.

And then there was... the penis monster.

I can honestly say I did not see that coming. Its first appearance absolutely broke both the audience and the cast. The laughter was so infectious that it became one of those magical Fringe moments where everyone in the room is trying to recover before the show can continue.

The whole production was clever, hilarious, and wonderfully self-aware. It perfectly captures the wonderfully bizarre experience that is Fringe theatre while still standing on its own as an incredibly funny show.

After seeing it, I completely understand why it earned a Patron's Pick. It's smart, ridiculous, endlessly entertaining, and one of those shows that reminds you exactly why Fringe is so much fun.

I caught The First Vampire, and I'll admit it... I completely forgot to read the show description beforehand. So I went in flying blind, and honestly? No regrets.

I really enjoyed this one. The duelling narratives kept me engaged from start to finish, gradually weaving together in a way that was both clever and satisfying. The performances were fantastic across the board, and the cast did an excellent job bringing the story to life.

The set was refreshingly simple, but it was used so effectively that it never felt sparse. It's a great reminder that you don't need elaborate scenery when you have strong storytelling and talented actors.

A thoroughly enjoyable show with great performances, smart staging, and an intriguing story. Definitely one worth sinking your teeth into.

Just came out of Potato Potato Save the World (?), and honestly... I'm still processing what I just watched.

I'm not entirely sure what I expected, but Canada's musical political sketch comedy troupe absolutely delivered. It was delightfully weird, wonderfully chaotic, and consistently hilarious. There were a couple of moments where the pacing dipped ever so slightly, but they found their rhythm again almost immediately.

I genuinely can't decide what was funnier: the Doug Ford "I Want to Be Mayor of Toronto" number, or the gloriously unhinged parody of "Seasons of Love" from Rent that somehow turned into a song about sex and ass. Neither should have worked as well as they did... and yet they absolutely did.

The whole show embraces absurdity with complete confidence, and that's what makes it so much fun. If you enjoy sharp political satire, musical comedy, and jokes that make you laugh while simultaneously wondering, "Did that really just happen?" this show is for you.

10/10. I'm absolutely looking them up on social media because I need more of whatever that was.

I caught Artificially Intelligent 2.0 starring Anesti Danielis, and what a clever concept.

The premise alone had me hooked: ask ChatGPT to write an entire show about you and see what happens when AI tries to interpret your life based only on the information it's given. The result is funny, insightful, and a great reminder that no matter how advanced AI gets, it's still trying to recreate you without actually being you.

Anesti is incredibly quick on his feet, and the audience interaction makes every performance feel unique. The improv gods were smiling on me yet again because, for the second time this Fringe, I got picked as the audience volunteer. This time, ChatGPT "wrote" a song about me using audience prompts. I don't know what the odds are, but apparently I'm destined to become part of the show.

It's smart, it's funny, it's surprisingly thoughtful, and it's the perfect way to spend a Friday afternoon. Whether you're an AI enthusiast, an improv fan, or just someone looking for a good laugh, this one delivers.

10/10. Would absolutely let AI roast me in song again.

I just caught You Choose: An Improvised Murder Mystery, and I absolutely loved the premise. Imagine Clue crossed with a Choose Your Own Adventure book, except it's happening live and nobody, including the cast, knows where the story is going.

The performers were delightfully unhinged in the best possible way. There were accents flying in every direction, wigs that had clearly given up on life, and a slightly violent imaginary owl that somehow became one of my favourite characters.

One of the absolute highlights was recruiting an audience member to act as the medium who could communicate with the victim's ghost. It was such a clever twist, and the cast milked every second of it for laughs.

The joy of improv is watching incredibly talented people commit 100 percent to absolute nonsense, and this cast did exactly that. The mystery was fun, the comedy landed, and the whole thing had the kind of infectious energy that makes you wish you could see it all over again.

Every performance is different, which is reason enough to come back. If I'd had more time, I would have happily bought another ticket and let a whole new mystery unfold.

I caught At Home with the Bards, and I think this is one of those rare cases where the show and I just weren't quite on the same wavelength.

That's not to say it was bad, far from it. It's a good, solid little play with a cast that delivers strong performances and keeps everything moving along nicely. The transitions ran a touch long here and there, but never enough to pull me out of the story or have me checking my watch.

Nothing really jumped out as a "wow" moment for me, but not every show needs a showstopper. Sometimes it's just a well-crafted production that quietly does what it sets out to do.

It may not end up on my personal "must-see-again" list, but I certainly don't regret spending an evening with it. If this is the kind of theatre that speaks to you, I think you'll have a perfectly lovely time.

Not the greatest show I've ever seen... but definitely not too shabby either. Sometimes "pretty good" is exactly what a night at the theatre needs.

Just got out of A Comedy Show at the End of the World, and I have to say... I had a good time surviving the apocalypse.

It's not a perfect show. There are a couple of moments where the momentum slows down, but when it's firing on all cylinders, it's genuinely funny and wonderfully unhinged.

Was it exactly my cup of tea? Not really.

Was it worth the price of admission? Absolutely.

The easiest way I can describe it is Fallout meets Mad Max meets your local Thursday night open mic. It's chaotic, a little scrappy, occasionally feels like it's one bad decision away from completely falling apart... and somehow that's part of its charm.

The one man cast (Doll doesn't count) commits wholeheartedly to the madness, which keeps the energy high even when the show wanders a bit. You never quite know what's coming next, and that's half the fun.

Would I rush back to see it again? Probably not. But am I glad I saw it once? Definitely. Sometimes you don't need a life-changing theatre experience, you just need 60 minutes of post-apocalyptic nonsense, a few solid laughs, and the satisfaction of thinking, "Well... that certainly happened."

I'd call that a successful end of the world.

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.

I finally got to see Galen's Grocer: The Musical last night! I missed its original (non-musical) run last year, so I'd been looking forward to this one for a while, and it absolutely lived up to the hype.

First of all, I am always here for a show that unexpectedly introduces puppets. If a production suddenly pulls out a puppet, my enjoyment immediately increases by at least 30%.

The cast was fantastic, energetic, engaging, and completely committed to the wonderfully absurd world they were creating. Every actor leaned into the chaos with the perfect balance of sincerity and ridiculousness.

The whole thing is delightfully weird... the kind of weird where you spend the entire show thinking, "What on earth am I watching?" while simultaneously never wanting it to end.

The easiest way I can describe it is that it's like the President's Choice version of Kim's Convenience... but with even more capitalism. Somehow that's both a compliment and an accurate plot summary.

I left the theatre with sore sides from laughing, a handful of songs hopelessly lodged in my brain, and one question that has refused to leave me:

Kiss?????

If you know, you know. If you don't... go see the show.