Zoe Salvin
Incredible blend of stand up, acting, singing, trivia, and hilarious chaos. Bertie and Tabby worked incredibly well together for people who only met last week, and the audience was super into it. We uncovered Bertie's tragic backstory through trivia, and I walked away with a prize! The energy and creativity here is absolutely magical, and I hope the show returns in some capacity so more people can experience it.
I want to start off by saying there are a lot of things to like about this production - the costumes are beautifully done, and the minimalist set works very well. The acting is commendable, with actors fully committing to their cat personas and a lot of cute stage business happening between the kittens throughout. Director Jilian Tolzmann made great use of the space with such a minimal set, and Cole Breckell is magnetic as our grieving, tortured cat protagonist. However, there are a few issues that I think are keeping this show from being truly great. To start with, the internal logic of the show's world is quite inconsistent. The cats seem to be in some kind of purgatory before birth/after death, but other cats describe having their TED talks after they're born and before they're adopted. I think if this show fully leaned into being a kid's show and tried less to explain how the world works, it would be a much simpler and stronger story. This has the bones of being a show for kids about how it's good to talk about things that make you sad, or that it's okay to grieve, or just... something. As it is, the show isn't really about anything. None of the characters grow or change, and the plot is just a structure to hang a therapeutic facade of a show onto.
The script feels like a first draft that wasn't quite ready for a full Fringe production. There's a fine line between shows being artistically personal and shows being uncomfortably personal. This was the latter. I very much felt like I was watching someone's private grieving process more than I was watching a polished show. A three minute slideshow with an original song ground the action to a halt right at the climax of the show, with the intensely personal choice to include a few photos of the real Lucky's urn and cremation certificate. Again - some things might be better off private.
The evening I watched, they had a few distracting production/tech issues. Audience members could see cast members peeking through the curtain pre-show, and not in character as their kittens. The confusing clock projection disappeared at one point to be replaced by their QLab file appearing briefly. The ticking of the clock was often louder than the actors themselves.
Overall, it was clear that this show was one person's baby, and it would have been vastly improved with some honest dramaturgy and few edits. It sold a lot of tickets because it was a palatable show that, as another reviewer said, didn't ask the audience to think too hard about anything. Bring your kids!
Not only are they hilarious improvisors, but Spontaneous Shakespeare understands that the story also needs to be good in order to be a good show. They manage to create a three act plot structure with themes and clear characters seamlessly off of just one audience member's prompt. The company clearly works very well together, and they have an innate sense of when a scene needs to end or when it can keep going. You are always in for an excellent show with these folks, and no two shows are the same!
I was quite confused by what this ended up being. I expected something akin to a sightseeing tour with false facts and made-up history, but it was essentially a meandering story about a woman falling in love with Expo Ernie told to us while we happened to be on a boat. There was nothing specific to our being on the boat - the same experience could have been had in any Fringe venue. Our captain was charming and a good storyteller, but he unfortunately ran out of story before we returned to port and had to vamp for the last ten or so minutes. A strange and confusing experience - maybe that was the point?
This show did, unfortunately, live up to its name. The concept was intriguing, but the two improvisors did not seem to be on the same page or feel that comfortable with each other. I think they could give it another try next year with some more experience and another performer or two to control the flow of the scenes better. Coming into the show with a more solid framework to build off of rather than purely audience generated prompts might also help.
With a different lineup of excellent comedians for every show, fml is worth a second watch! I caught the kid's lineup, and it was such a fun and joyful environment. Sarah Angelle has created a wonderful space for new and experienced comedians to show off their comedic chops, and Richie Bell was hilarious as the interviewer in a Q&A portion after each kid comedian. You can catch fml outside of Fringe too, and it's always a good time!
Absolutely hilarious show! Catchy music, incredible comedic timing, and twists that I will not spoil here. Seeing this show felt like being in a room of pure joy, and it was easily the most fun I've ever had at a Fringe show. Don't miss out!
an incredible, immersive experience that has an very real and raw story at the heart of it. the entire experience is goosebump-inducing, especially seen at night! the story begins before you even clamber into the van with your three fellow audience members, and it is gripping until the end. I felt almost voyeuristic - like I was listening a little too closely to a strangers' conversation that I couldn't tear myself away from. they make incredible use of the venue (a van), with the interior lights casting very dramatic shadows and the side mirrors allowing different views of the actors' faces. Jennifer Beveridge is hilarious and earnest, and Jessica Wong brings a beautiful vulnerability that is intensely relatable. the feeling of growing up and growing apart is one that anyone can relate to, and for a show about hiding a body, it leaves you feeling very warm and fuzzy at the end. sold out for this year, but put it on your list if it comes back next year!