Marina Shenouda

A Lesbian in a Kitchen - A Cosy Queer Baking Show is exactly that: a warm baking show filled with jokes and candid commentary.

Willow Rosenberg is the lead performer and left a lasting impression with her sharp humour and openness. The show's tone is relaxed and allows the audience to be fully engaged as Rosenberg talks honestly about the lessons she’s learned throughout her life. Notably the idea of being inspired by tradition rather than bound by it or modifying your life to live as enjoyably as you can. Rosenberg is grounded, calm, and addresses the audience with an air of kindness.

A Lesbian in a Kitchen- A Cosy Queer Baking Show is filled with heart. Pay it a visit and experience laughter, recipes, and life lessons.

Horsing And Clowning Around: The Dangers of High Horses is full of chuckles, chaos, colour and clowns and was a great time.

We follow clowns Oopsy Daisy, Robert, and Zip Zap Zop as they bring trans guest star Horse onto their TV show, Clowning Around, and attempt to tell the story of how he discovered his gender identity.

The show is wonderfully colourful with bright makeup and clothing. Props were dramatic and silly in a way that complemented the clownish tone. The dialogue in the show is very funny and littered with queer references that added to the show’s charm. Today, the issue of people sharing stories that do not belong to them is as relevant as ever, the script sheds light on the topic in a graceful and personal way that packs a punch. A person’s story is their own to tell or to hold onto.

Hilarious, relevant, campy, go see Horsing And Clowning Around: The Dangers of High Horses this Fringe.

Jeff and Grungled KNOW FRILLS is a clownish children’s-cartoon-esque show about two gender non-specific best friends exploring the bounds of masculinity. Yeah, it’s very fun.

The show's props and set are bright and animated, drawing attention before the action even begins. The two actors wear colourful clothes and bold painted on makeup making them pop off the stage. The performers' voices were animated and brought a lovely sense of goofiness to the two protagonists. The premise of the story leads to thoughtful questions that are executed in a silly way without disguising their importance.

Sign language interpreters translated the entire show so that all audience members could follow along. The show employed the use of audience interaction to help Jeff and Grungled define masculinity which was highly amusing. Their use of sound was creative and added to the animated atmosphere. The actors used the entire space to help tell their story which was hilarious and clever.

Jeff and Grungled KNOW FRILLS is a lighthearted and joyful piece of theatre.

One man memorizing the entirety of a nearly two-hour script known for its absurdity and supernatural interaction would be a daunting, improbable event-but not an impossible one.

In Ghostbusters One Man Show Sean Bedard does exactly that with a silly flair. All of Ghostbusters (1984) in under an hour.

Bedard brought barrels of fun to the classic film, distinguishing between each character in the way he spoke and moved across the stage, complete with exaggerated facial expressions. The props used in the show were film accurate and awesome, Proton Packs, ghosts, action figures, you name it. The lead actor encouraged the audience to aid him in telling the story, making the experience lively and all the more enjoyable. In addition to his natural knack for humour, Bedard’s commitment to the bit was very clear, using every bit of the space to paint the scene.

Bedard is a member of the Alberta Ghostbusters who raise money for charity through cosplay events. The money raised from this show will be donated to the Stollery Children’s Hospital.

Ghostbusters One Man Show is full of laughter, drive, and fun, don’t miss it this Fringe.

….Sean Bedard also gave me a Crunch Bar as a part of the show which deserves extra props.

Parenthood: It’s a Mutha is an incredibly charming one woman show about the emotional rollercoaster that is parenthood. The show works light humour into the shock that comes with children unknowingly dropping nuggets of wisdom, feeling big emotions, and growing up startlingly fast.

Michelle Todd, playwright and lead performer, is a grounded and vulnerable storyteller. There was such a strong sense of love for her children throughout both the lighthearted gibes and deep fear and heartbreak. Todd’s openness is the heart of the show. Her grief and joyousness was contagious. The lead performer navigated through difficult matters such as discrimination and police brutality with a gentle hand and the stark love of a mother.

Parenthood: It’s a Mutha is an honest show that is overflowing with care that would be a shame to miss this Fringe.

Everybody knows a couple that’s been together for ages. Evie and Alfie: A Very British Love Story takes a candid and humorous journey through time as an elderly (and British!) married couple reflects on their shared lives.

Alex Dallas (Evie) and Jimmy Hogg’s (Alfie) silly banter and stage chemistry made it easy for Evie and Alfie to come to life. Dallas and Hogg are both grounded performers with strong comedic timing bringing great fun and dimension to the story. The vocal choices in particular, both in dialect work and line delivery, were a barrel of fun and aided the narrative by making both characters very distinct and likeable. The script has a relentless and witty style of humour making for a fun and homey show. A sense of familiarity between the protagonists was worked into the lines giving a distinct impression of the typical line between fondness and pettiness that is constantly crossed in any marriage. Lights were cleverly used to show the time period with warm lights for the present day and cool for the past.

Evie and Alfie: A Very British Love Story tells a neat, warm, and amusing tale about sharing your life with someone else with an honest viewpoint on all that that entails.

The Game of Bluff is an autobiographical one woman show largely centered around the lead actor’s mother’s gambling addiction. Susan Jeremy gives a frank and comical look into her life and family tree.

The narrative is very engaging and keeps a steady pace as Jeremy compellingly uses time skips to explain each part of her family's history. With a minimal set, Jeremy was tasked with using primarily her own body to create a sense of time, place, and tone which she did beautifully. The actress used distinctive physicality to humorously and clearly differentiate between the different characters in the story. Jeremy’s character voices were fun and consistent. One would think that one performer tackling multiple characters might lead to confusion but the story telling was grounded and clear, without a dull moment. The Game of Bluff tells a compelling story with an overarching theme of remembering your roots.

Often in life, people are challenged to put themselves first. Cathexis Theatre’s original musical Side Effects asks the question: How far is too far to go when you’re looking out for yourself?

Side Effects is set in an absurd town in which people are entirely fixated with their pets. The main character, Haven, is tasked with participating in animal testing in order to find the cure to a disease that runs in her family.

The show is filled with a dark edged style of humor that supports the message of the story. Cast members were able to portray stereotypical satiric archetypes that had a layer of depth that provided complex perspectives on the ethical matters dissected. The design choices added to world building, actors wore colourful highlights in their hair emphasizing the vain attitudes of the characters while also speaking to the jarring reality of animal testing in the cosmetic industry. Side Effects’ score was fun and well sung and clearly communicated the story.

Cathexis Theatre’s Side Effects provides a strong commentary on the world of animal testing and gives audiences a good time and a resonant theme throughout.