Louise Sullivan

This was an adorable family friendly show and an extended memorial to an obviously well loved pet. I would think it would resonate particularly strongly with cat people but here are some universal themes there. The story is endearing and there were some strong performances, while others were less strong. One actor in particular delivered a wonderfully committed embodiment of a kitten named Mirra. I am not usually a fan of people playing animals but a few minutes into the show it just sort of settled into my brain. The only aspect of the show that drove me quite crazy was a 3 handed clock projected on an upstage screen with a pendulum cat tail and hands that moved back and forth with no apparent pattern or reason. Several times I found I had missed things happening on stage as I stared a the clock trying to spot the pattern or figure out what was making it go forward and back, and why?

Savannah Erasmus' show is part education, part storytelling and part stand up. I really enjoyed several aspects of the show. The first part talking about the contrast between being a fashion fan and growing up hunting in Treaty 6 territory rang so true to some many people I knew in the North. It also wove in some really good information about Indigenous fashion and the ways it has influenced things in the wider and settler contexts. On opening night the performer appeared to be struggling with their material somewhat in the first part but when they moved to the stand up part of the show they landed firmly on ground and delivered a very funny set. There was only one aspect of the show that fell flat for me. The performer asked if there were any straight men in the audience and a few brave souls raised their hands. They then said "so none then" and repeated this several times but did not really engage with it as comedy or commentary which just seemed odd to me. However, that is a small quibble, and I would still recommend the show for both some entertainment and some education.

A beautiful script, beautifully performed.

First the script, which is polished, well developed, and snappy. The script grapples with the effects of culture in relationship and it does so with a nuance and a heart that I appreciated. So often culture is seen as protocol, ritual, and action. This script moves past that to look at values, hopes, expectations, and ways of being in the world that all too often simply lurk outside the edges of our conscious thoughts.

Next the performances, which were solid, embodied, and brought a conviction and power to the characters that left me bouncing between hope, hopelessness, sympathy for one then the other, then for them both.

Lastly, my take home. I left the theatre reflecting on my own cultural heritages and how they have impacted my way of being in the world... and wanting to know some more about the ones I know least.

My favourite show so far this Fringe year.

MIA is an interesting treatment of the universal human desire for connection and one way that can play out in our digital lives. The performances were strong and the back and forth between connect and disconnect worked well. I found it somewhat confusing to stay on track that this is a digital/distance relationship with the actors sometimes appearing to be on phones or computers and others appearing to be speaking face to face and sharing space (for instance when they are both sitting on the bed of one character yet meant to not have met in person). Kudos to the team for taking on a really challenging issue and then taking on the challenge of integrating the tech with the on stage humans.

Maybe I am not the audience for this show. I clearly had a very different experience of this show then several other reviewers.

What I saw was an hour of only partially comprehensible dialogue between who lawyer who sat and talked over each other while exchanging veiled threats against each other, each looking to get an upper hand over the other. I had no sympathy for either of them. A great deal of time was given to arguments with a Siri-like light controller which appeared to prefer one of the characters as they either used the coloured led strips to communicate emotional states or effect emotional states, I was not sure which.

At the end of the show I left repeating the title over in my head, "What the hell was that?" I am not sure I have an answer but I am not sure that matters. This is a very over the top frantic comedy and not my usual style of show but somehow it still worked and I had a most enjoyable hour when I just sat back and let it the experience happen (this is not a bad thing, I feel the same way about Shakespeare). The musical talent was extraordinary, and the commentary on AI in music silly and funny and tragic all at the same time, I will watch for these folks future endeavors and be sure to see them.

An ambitious and partially realized show.

I come from a family of pragmatists who discuss last wishes and DNR's at the dinner table, so I figured this would be up my alley and it, partly, was.

The writer set themself an ambitious task in grappling with issues of mortality, immortality, and technology in a one hour Fringe show. I think they partially succeeded. I particularly liked the main characters journey back and forth around the issues of death and acceptance. I also liked the working in of "grief bots" and our increasingly complex personal relationships with anthropomorphized technology.

My main challenges in watching the show were structural. It took me a while to catch the timeline of what was happening, and the monologue at the end appeared to come a bit out of left field and not be referencing anything from earlier in the story. I can't say more on that without spoiling the ending so I will leave it at that. Lastly some of the material was hard to hear with either background soundtracks or the microphone system,

I LOVED this show. This show is a beautiful blend of humour and heartfelt observation. I am a hard sell for autobiographical shows. But this one nails it. The writer/performer does not just tell the audience her story. She gives insights from it and poses questions leaving rhe audience much to think about beyond the theatre. Since I left rhe theatre I have thought much if my own mother, baking and traditions. First action when I get home… bust out mom’s bread recipe.

Highly relatable stories told with heart and humour. Tight performances with a simple but solid design. I loved the relationship between the three female presenting characters created by the cast, and I really liked the simple set which was beautifully utilised.