Shannon Macelli

Wade does it once again in “Silly Poems for Awesome Adults”. His commitment to honest and relatable storytelling shines through with this newest work. Through a series of humorous and nonsensical poems, well crafted stories, and mesmerizing songs - the audience is taken on a journey of what can only be described as a gallery-style tour inside Wade’s mind. Underneath the silliness is a hard look at the challenges of being creative and free spirited, while trying to fight off the pressure to conform to society’s more linear way of thinking and the need to fit into a pre shaped box. The deliberately slightly-scattered nature of this production lends itself well to further development and I look forward to peaking into more windows of his creative mind, while being reminded to take a look at my own mental state and what I value most.

Centred around the hard truths of finding the balance between staying loyal to an old friend, or just walking away, “Who Drinks Mocktails on the Beach” is a raw, funny, and honest look at the ebbs and flows of friendships, and the emotional toll they can have on us. Mayfield’s performance is exceptional, and - from beauty & class to awkward & embarrassed - she puts everything on the table for us to not only see, but experience right along with her. Her emotions, charisma, well executed tech, and simple (yet very effective) staging put the audience right there with her in every moment and scene she takes us on. As a veteran theatre artist and observer, I can honestly say this production is one of the best solo shows and Fringe productions I have ever seen. I can’t wait to see more of Mayfield’s work in the future.

Keith is a wonderful performer and story teller. From the first moment in line when he’s engaging the crowd, to the end of the show - he has no trouble holding an audience. His talent with card tricks and storytelling is boundless. What has me stuck between a 3 & 4 star rating though is that - while there were several segments that were outstanding - there were a couple (specifically the drawing bit) that left me bored and confused. Furthermore, the tech at the venue makes the show feel bigger than it is - it would have been nice to see the screens used for more than just one brief moment. I didn’t understand why there’s such elaborate rigging for a performance that remains at centre stage. What does earn Keith a special mention though is his outstanding ability to engage people of all ages. It was wonderful seeing the kids get called up on stage and participate! Overall, a great family friendly show that I would recommend. I would be curious to see another performance of his in the future.

Emo is a delight and a solid entertainer. Using humour to share his story that in itself is rich with struggles embues him with strength, courage, and relatability. You immediately trust him, respect him, and want to hear more. His stage presence is bold, yet friendly - I could have listened to him share stories for hours. He engages the audience, builds rapport, and covers a great range of topics - from family to politics - while keeping the jokes clean and hilarious. I would absolutely see him perform again if given the opportunity.

I truly appreciate the effort by the cast members, especially “Rose” for this production.. and for the bold leap that this community theatre did to take their work to the Fringe… but man, this was a painful 1 hour. Over the top acting (but not in a funny way..), absolutely no actual story line, desperate and failed attempts at character dynamics, and just all around bad choices. I got the impression that the cast realized it was awful but it was too late to do anything about it. It takes courage though and these three cast members had it. I hope that they will continue working their craft but in a show that has a shred of production value and story.