Robyn C

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.

After being incredibly blown away by Old Man Sallow Who Lives on Crypt Rock last year, I knew this show made up of a similar cast/creative team would also be a show that I couldn't miss, and I was absolutely correct.

This production weaves comedy into absolutely devastating topics without ever detracting form the seriousness and depth of them, which is incredibly difficult to do. In particular, attempts at combining comedy with religious trauma can often come across as niche and overly specific to a particular religious group, but an incredible job has been done to keep the story accessible to audiences of all experiences while still throwing in specific references that are caught by those of us in the audience recovering from religion.

I would normally shout out particular standout performers, but each performer in this show holds their own in both comedic and dramatic moments, and additionally worked flawlessly together as an ensemble when needed.

My one critique would be that the ending, similarly to Old Man Sallow, feels like it needs a little bit of work. I can't put my finger on exactly what it is, possibly that it needs to end a little bit earlier, but I think one more look at what the audience needs and what they don't need at the end of this play would just kick it up one extra notch.

Do NOT miss this show. You will not regret it.

I have never, ever seen Robocop, and honestly never planned to. I have seen and/or listened to many Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, but while I love musical theatre there has never been an R&H show that ranked in my top 10 musicals. With all of that in mind, I left this show buzzing with laughter, excitement, and a very strange desire to watch both Robocop and South Pacific.

Not only is this production packed with strong vocalists, incredible dancers, and stellar acting (a lot of which comes from emerging, local talent in the Edmonton theatre scene), but it is also SMART. The musical theatre references are clear and recognizable enough that the audience is laughing even at the underscoring, and I can only assume the Robocop references are similarly seamlessly integrated. A massive credit to the writers, as this level of understanding indicates a strong respect and knowledge of both properties. The kicker was a HILARIOUS (to me) shot at The Pajama Game, a killer reference for any lovers of musical theatre history.

This cast is top notch and also clearly understand the classic musical theatre vocal style they have been tasked with reviving (considering the contemporary musical theatre vocal style that has taken over the stage in recent years). Stand-out vocal performances from Andrew Boyd, Sarah Kyle, and David Widder-Varhegyi, and a STELLAR blend of harmonies and vocal cameos from the entire ensemble.

Finally, I have to recognize and celebrate the DREAM BALLET. Never before has there been such an effective use of a dream ballet, and it was impeccably choreographed and performed in a way that fully justified a break from the normal pace of the plot but stayed oh-so-entertaining the entire time. I can't state enough how much I enjoyed it.

Ghost Quartet is a huge endeavor to take on for a Fringe show, and this talented cast has absolutely risen to the challenge. The score is incredibly vocally difficult, but the cast of four: Lisa Kotelniski, Ashlin Turcotte, Ethan Bintu-Watt, and Matthew Gregg, navigate it with incredible technique and power.

Having myself been a fan of Malloy's Ghost Quartet for years, the choices made in this production not only honour the original text but also bring an extraordinarily unique quality to the show. The smart staging and unique space of the Artshub Ortona elevates the production even further, and the audience is drawn into the show in such a way that ensures that even if you can't track the many, many simultaneous storylines, you can sit back and simply enjoy the view, the vibes, and the music. But if you're up for it, you can attempt to track the non-linear complex storylines that weave in and around and through the spectral score.

This show isn't for everyone, admittedly. But for those who can appreciate complexity, musical excellence, and the abstract, this production is one that will stay with you forever.

I scream-laughed through the whole thing. Michael Watt and Nicole Maloney's chemistry and comic timing are electric, and you are thrown into a whirlwind of plot twists and comedy that almost shouldn't work but does every time. Even when there is clearly not enough time for a scene or costume change, the actors stay fully engaged and keep the audience hooked (a terrible fishing pun, please forgive me). While not all the musical moments hit as hard as they maybe could, the two actors voices blend beautifully together and the score is utilized in an incredible way to elevate the already stellar comedic moments. This show is an absolute must see!

This show has a lot of potential and some really well-written dialogue and monologues, all about different aspects of love. I especially loved that so many aspects of love were represented, the platonic, the romantic, familial, etc. There were some strong performances, with the standout being Sam Daly. Some moments felt too fast, or the level of emotion did not match the stakes of the situation, but overall an enjoyable production to watch!

This is the absolute best Fringe show I have seen so far. An incredible use of an alternative venue, and the show I attended included extra humour in the form of confused Waffle Bird patrons and people on the street trying to figure out what exactly was going on.

This show is a very unique experience with some of the best performances and the tightest, funniest Fringe script you will find this season. I cannot recommend it enough, and get your tickets early as the venue is small and some shows are selling out!!

Every element of this production - from the performances, to the design, to the script - feels fully committed. Nothing is held back, and this leads to an incredible audience experience. Rain and Eli have wickedly in-sync chemistry and are giving outstanding performances both individually and in lock-step with the other's choices. The cryptic yet subtle set design and evocative lighting enhance the mood and guide you along as the twins immerse you into their terrifying and disturbingly realistic world.

The lack of a full 5 stars is due to several content warnings that were not included on the Fringe website that I strongly believe should have been included, as although I extremely enjoyed the show there were moments that I almost had to leave due to content I was not expecting. I will include the warnings below, but if you aren't concerned about the content and don't want spoilers please don't keep reading.

Content Warnings not included but should be: Cannibalism, Child Sexual Assault

A fantastic follow-up to the indescribable experience that was last year's Soup and Hogan's 16th Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest. While not quite as original or cohesive as last year, this show is truly hilarious and packed full of jokes, goofs, and gags that will leave you laughing no matter what. Ali Foster-Balloun's physical comedy and timing is a major stand-out in this show, worthy of its own shout-out. The music has also taken a big step up since last year and the cast sings it extremely well.

They are somewhat limited by their venue. The large cast seems cramped on such a small stage, and the sightlines aren't great unless you're in the very center of the front row.

Top Bunk is steadily rising in terms of comedy and musical theatre in Edmonton, and I'm extremely excited to see how they evolve

A very impressive show produced by emerging artists coming out of MacEwan's new Music Theatre Performance BFA program! The harmonies are absolutely breathtaking, the composition and musical direction are strong, and the choreography was well thought out and executed extremely well. Self producing an original musical at this scale is not easy and the level of work put into this production is incredible.

The ensemble are fully committed to their characters and blend into each other well while also standing out individually, and Kohen Foley and Katie Moran as the leads have excellent chemistry together. The costumes are beautiful, and the set is simple while still evoking the charm of a small town in Ireland.

That being said, there are a couple elements of the production that detract from the whole. Because I saw it on opening night, however, I feel some things will sort themselves out once the show settles in fully.

The live band breathes life into the score, but the lack of mics combined with the (admittedly impressive) Irish accents means that the band drowns out most of the intricacies of the lyrics. When the chorus sings at full strength and matches the band's volume it is perfect, but any solo lines are near impossible to hear with any clarity. If I saw it again, I would sit closer to the stage to try and catch more of Ethan Bintu-Watt's carefully crafted lyrics.

Additionally, this is the only Fringe show I have ever been to or heard of that has an intermission. A break in the story after only 30 minutes confused both myself and people around me. I also feel that the intermission also does a disservice to the story as it's self contained enough that the audience doesn't require a break; this could absolutely stand on its own as a one-act musical. Further development could warrant a break into two acts, but at this stage it doesn't need it.

This show has enormous potential, and I would absolutely recommend seeing the show again to see this fantastic group of artists explore and discover this beautiful story night after night.