Orphan Well
2025 Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival
Aug. 21, 2025, 8:04 a.m.
🤯
Mind Blown

Incredibly impressive what they were able to pull off so efficiently. The way the three actors flow between characters was perfect, with obvious tells as to who they were inhabiting in any given scene - and, in some ways, there weren't even really scenes. The entire story unfolds with naught a pause or fade-to-black in sight, with the actors and lighting seamlessly moving around the stage in real time, sometimes changing characters (including subtle costuming hints) between lines. And the use of some simple poles to paint scenes was far more effective than I would have thought possible. Really, truly, impressive. I've also never felt like I was so close to a bonified cult leader - that performance was eerily impressive.

If I have any complaints, it's only that some of the messaging was a bit on-the-nose, and some of the parts that were a bit more open to interpretation felt like that uncertainty didn't actually add anything to the narrative. If I'm going to have to bring my own interpretation to events, I'd prefer that the exercise of exploring those interpretations with my friends after the show would help illuminate the themes a bit more. Instead, we found ourselves slightly confused by certain scenes.

That being said, this also didn't take away from the show in any way, really. This is certainly a show to watch if you're interested in Fringe artists pushing the envelope with minimalist costuming and props!