Equal parts nature documentary and physical comedy, THE BIRDS at Edmonton Fringe honours both absurdity and insight. Anastasia Maywood and Krista Lin deliver a magpie duet that’s simultaneously awkward, amusing, and achingly relatable—flapping through birth, mating rituals, and mortality with nimble absurdity. Under Christine Lesiak’s direction, the production takes flight as a ‘flock-umentary’ that’s as much about survival and attraction as it is about feathers and flair. By the final scene, you’ll be guffawing—perhaps still pondering the peculiar beauty of evolution. It’s a hoot, indeed.