Entering the auditorium, we walk into a pleasant bloom of classical string music and settle in for what seems to be a formal college lecture - complete with podium and prepared slideshow. Our college lecturer - donning a beard, glasses and iconic elbow pads on his blazer - goes to his slideshow and takes us, his community college students, on a chuckle-worthy journey through the development and anthropological significance of a strange and hyper-specific human behaviour: panto-masturbation. 



This sendup of academia and performing arts manages to pack in a lot of wordplay. If you are a dirty and insatiable punster, you can anticipate an embarrassment of treasures here. There’s phallic nods and masturbation jokes hidden throughout, dropped covertly into the lesson like little easter eggs. I dare you to find them all. And while the content leans a bit racy, it doesn’t fall into complete vulgarity. I would still bring my grandmother who giggles at the odd naughty joke. 



At fringe (and in comedy in general), the setting of a comic TED Talk or classroom is framing territory well-trod. While the form isn’t necessarily groundbreaking, there still manages to be some unexpected surprises along the way that add some delightful twists and turns.

Patrons who might be nervous about attending a show with no fourth wall, be advised that there are some instances where the house lights are turned on and the audience is invited to share. The nature of the participation felt consensual though, and I didn’t feel like there was a searing hot spotlight on any one individual. For patrons with light sensitivities during daylight hours: please know that it may take a few seconds for your eyes to adjust when both entering and exiting the venue.