And so it ends. Ten glorious days of theatrical chaos have finally come to a maddening conclusion. The awards were announced on Sunday night and the creme de la creme of shows were rounded up for the Pick of The Fringe. I will miss standing in line outside venues and being pitched for more shows by the performers themselves. Every show was unexpected. I got to experience genres and stories from all over the spectrum. My imagination and creative muscles got a good stretch and workout. The stories were innovative and pushed the Fringe boundaries in their own unique ways. Every trip I made to Granville island all of last week was a sensory rollercoaster. I tried to pack in as much as I could on the festival’s closing weekend while ignoring the sad end in sight.
Hip.Bang! Presents WHITE PANTS
Hip.Bang are two immensely funny guys from Vancouver who do improv comedy as part of the Vancouver TheatreSports League at Granville Island’s Improv Centre. The guys made us a winning pitch while we stood in line for “The Middle of Everywhere” the day before their show, (which is a brilliant idea by the way). It absolutely worked! Their dynamic personalities won me over and I felt encouraged to take the risk the following night. “White Pants” was an out and out improv show. There was however some plot structure that steered the show forward. Adorned in sparkling white pants, Hip.Bang performed a myriad of sketches. Some jokes were planned and others were completely spontaneous. The mix is what made the show work. Hip.Bang involved the audience for a healthy chunk of the show and gave them an opportunity to have fun without feeling uncomfortable. “White Pants” was a great intro to improv on Granville Island for me. These guys are really funny and I would highly recommend going to see them at their regular performances on the island when you can.
Alone In The Universe
Adam Pateman probably should get the award for “Best Impersonations” at the Fringe. My personal fave? Mom Who Walked Into the Kitchen But Forgot What She Came In There For. Pateman is a genius. He switches up his narrative techniques every so often to keep the audience engaged and never lets them get bored. He goes from a good 10 minutes of impersonations, to stand up, to having a regular theatrical plot that ties everything together. Pateman uses the intimate space of the Carousel Theatre to his advantage. The lights are a character in “Alone in the Universe”. Pateman’s jokes are insanely funny. They are straight out of real life. He also nerds out and links his jokes and stories, to deep philosophical questions about the meaning of life and the universe. He attempts to answer the question every artist before him has had, “Why are we here?”. This is what makes the show substantial and a cut above the rest. Pateman creates a heart-felt show that uses creative ways to get laughs. If he performs in the city again you better believe we will be there.
Love You, Miss You at the Fringe Bar
Evenings at the Fringe really came alive all last week when the booze flowed freely over at the Fringe Bar. Day after day the lineup boasted of extremely talented acts. I managed to catch “Love You, Miss You” to get a taste of the Fringe’s musical offerings. The band was phenomenal and their set exceeded my expectations. Rarely do you see a funk band on display in the city and you probably wouldn’t expect them to be any good if you did anyway. Thankfully “Love You, Miss You” proved both those theories wrong. Three guys lined up at the front to play the trumpet, the sax and one more similar instrument that I would have been able to name if I were musical enough. Two sets of drums, a guitar, some keyboards and a bass completed “Love You, Miss You”. They had the crowd dancing for a few, good hours. It was nothing short of a concerto. The musicians were reading music off of music stands. These guys were legit! We had the best time dancing to their melodic music. At one point a rapper got on stage and infused the music with a mainstream kind of energy. For the most part they let the music do the work. There were no lyrics for 90% of the show. “Love You, Miss You” are a Vancouver gem. Also, singing “Love You, Miss You” out loud with a crowd is so lovely and just warms the heart. Best band name ever.
Olsen and Johnson’s Cabaret of Bullshit
All the Fringe performers came together for this Cabaret of Bullshit to contribute a little something on stage, and to have a lot of fun together. This cabaret was not for the squeamish. There were off-colour jokes, nudity, penetration, profanity and glass eyeballs being removed. It was a “flashlight” event which meant it was performed in complete darkness while the audience shone their lights onto the performers. This by-donation event was mostly attended by the Fringe staff, performers and volunteers. Things got crazy and wild but you really got to see the community spirit of the Fringe family. These guys create theatre together and they also have a tonne of fun together. A night of cameos from all the beloved Fringe performers, along with music and tiny skits, made this cabaret the bullshittiest ever. The Fringe has no boundaries and that sentiment was wonderfully manifested in this fearless show.
The Inventor of All Things
Jem Rolls has been performing at the Fringe for a few years now and has garnered a loyal following. On the closing night of the festival, his fans showed up to listen to him tell the remarkable life story of Leo Szilard, a “Hungarian Jew who wrecked the Nazi Atomic Bomb”. Jem Rolls is an intriguing storyteller. He has a unique style of discourse that involves heavy enunciation and a strong spoken word element. He has chosen a fascinating subject for this show. Judging by the awed reactions of the audience upon leaving, I could tell that Rolls had more than delivered. He has done a lot of research on the enigma that was Leo Szilard and there was an amazing overload of information at Rolls’ disposal here. The older crowd especially loved the show. The younger attendees had the tendency to lose focus from time to time as the visuals did not change too much for most of the show. Rolls did break the show up a bit by positioning himself at different parts of the stage and using darkness to go from one “chapter” to the next, but I could see it being challenging for audiences who have been spoiled to expect fireworks and surprises from the Fringe at every 10 minutes. “The Inventor of All Things” is a wonderful portrait of a great historical figure. The show is more educational than leisurely. Definitely do not leave your brains at home for this one!
For more information for Pick Of The Fringe schedules and tickets visit the Fringe’s website.
-Prachi Kamble