Alisha Richard

Arturo is a stand-up comedian with a very serious cautionary tale. We get Drawn in immediately with the serious nature of the subject matter. He’s also a magnificent storyteller with this magnetic personality. I’ve heard other stories of addiction and recovery but nothing ever like this. Arturo found the right spots to pull us away from the heaviness with some biting jokes, and he showed an Uncommon level of vulnerability, sharing some of the other trauma in his life. This is his first Fringe and he already has a great show. I can’t wait to see how this develops overtime but I know it Will get better with more repetitions. Go see the show!

I had no idea of what I was stepping into, and went in with an open mind. The show’s opening is a masterclass in how to engage and draw in an entire audience way beyond typical fringe interactions. The clowning is superb and the messages about white privilege and dominance range from subtle to hard-hitting. This show brought energy, made me laugh, and made me think. Highly recommend!

This was a beautiful piece of theater based on storytelling that was wonderfully acted, heartwarming and poignant. It subtly tackles the issues of aging and the dance of intergenerational relationships. I was engaged from the start and enjoyed every minute. Kudos for the playwright and director for creating a tight piece and not feeling the need to use the entire sixty minutes.

I’ve been trying to see as many shows that combine poetry with other forms at Edmonton Fringe as this is my own shows device. Ingrid Is a magnificent storyteller, has interludes with poetry, and sings with one of the finest voices I’ve heard in a long time. The show is captivating from the start, and accentuated by a gorgeous score with Katy James the composer playing live. I was moved by the story and inspired by the performance to look at my own creativity and level up. Go see this show. It should be selling out the Westbury because of the quality. Highest possible recommendation!

I arrived at the theatre expecting to see a good burlesque act and I came away feeling like I'd seen a great show. I had interacted with several of the performers on the Fringe grounds, and what intrigued me was this burlesque troop’s mission to be inclusive about who's on stage: performers with various body shapes/sizes and levels of experience. They also mentioned it was the first time they were doing a full scale theatrical show. I went in with an open mind and they far exceeded my expectations.

I loved the storyline that Amelia de Ville, the director, created. The dance numbers brought immediate energy to the stage and sustained it for 60 minutes, and the story arc allowed the individual performances to be threaded in a cohesive way. And if you’re showing up for some hot burlesque, you’ll get it! Several shows at this year’s Fringe have drawn me in for 45 to 50 minutes but lost me in the last 10. Not this show! Espresso burlesque, you’ve created something special. l highly recommend this show!

If you like storytelling, this show delivers two forms simultaneously. We get to learn about A black drag queen from the 1800s and her surprising story, but we also get to learn about the actors own story. He provides a jarring narrative of what it feels like to be a black man in the United States now and of course the interactions with law-enforcement in some ways, haven’t changed from the historical characters time. What I loved about this show was Masterful creation of two very different characters often in conversation with each other with completely different voices and mannerisms. It’s not often at Fringe that you get an SAG carrying actor on stage who delivers a performance that you’ll pay a lot more at a big name theater to see. This piece also leaves you called to action To open your eyes to the injustice that still exists in North America for BIPOC people.

Dwayne is a masterful wordsmith and storyteller. As a fellow spoken word artist I was wowed by The construction and delivery of this piece. The title says it all, and the poetry takes us on a journey from birth to the edge of death and brings up every range of emotions, including laughter as we get to middle-age life. A piece like this could feel disjointed, but I felt invited in for the entire flow. This is a show you want to see again because the words comment you were so rapidly and bring up so much emotion that You can’t possibly adjust everything and just one viewing. Don’t miss this one!

I’ve seen a lot of magic shows over the years and I love a magician who can make my jaw drop. Felice checks that box quickly, But the vessel of the show is what makes it endearing. She talks about her friends and creates them on stage and then makes them disappear and reappear. It’s a marvelous combination of storytelling, well-timed humor, and an introduction to a Felice, Who has an endearing shyness about her. I’m not surprised that her magic is brilliant. It’s truly how she connects with the audience. The type of close-up magic tricks that she has worked into the show were different than anything I’ve ever seen and that’s why I would love to see the show again!

Did Mae West really ever die. If you know nothing about the iconic actress, Wendy make sure that there are many connections to her in the modern entertainment scape. Icons like Cher and Madonna Have all lifted from her playbook of being Unapologetic Women who are not afraid of their sexuality. We get a delightful mix of humor and history, but we also get this amazing big personality that plays out better as the crowd Work builds throughout the show. If an audience member doesn’t deliver, what Mae is looking for, She reminds us “ We’re still taking meetings” And moves on to another audience member to fill the role. I feel like this show will never Feel the same with any two performances except for that big diva energy that Wendy delivers. Go see the show!

Diane Jorge Is a masterful improviser and knows how to read people. From the start you felt like you were in a Spanish Tele Novella but then the way she interviewed the volunteers to create subject matter, for the story was fun and endearing. She mined deeper than mere suggestions And then created a delightful storyline. The entire audience was in stitches Including the trio who she interviewed! Diane’s individual characterizations never let us doubt who was speaking and their energy evolved throughout the piece. Loved the idea that she had Her own tech who riffed with the storyline and punctuated the story with a soundscape that elevated the humor. I saw this at midnight and felt energized as I left!