“Know” Brunswick?! combines stand-up comedy, trivia and improv to create another unique Fredericton dining experience.
Matt Carter
There’s more dinner theatre headed to Maxwell’s this fall. Following the launch of a new dinner and a show series last month that began with Spearhead Theatre’s pandemic inspired Let’s Fall In Love, this week welcomes the first of three performances of “Know” Brunswick?! by local theatre company, Herbert the Cow. Blending elements of stand-up comedy, trivia and improv to create a socially distanced, audience interactive show, “Know” Brunswick?! promises to be a dinner experience like one other.
“I know ‘audience interactive’ can make some folks shy,” said the show’s creator Corenski Nowlan, “but this show is going to be just plain good fun. It’s a game show! Hosted by the electric, lovable, and sparkly Jerry Sequin our contestants – all actors – will be competing for a one way ticket out of New Brunswick!”
The show will provide audiences with the opportunity to help contestants answer trivia questions and reward points to their favourite contenders. And yes, you can set your audience participation anxiety to rest. No one will be put on the spot. As a guest, your involvement in the show is optional and can be as simple as raising a hand or calling out the answer to a trivia question. Easy. Easy, and fun.
“There is no forced interaction and of course under COVID restrictions, the audience cannot leave their seats, and in turn the actors cannot get close to them. The safety and comfort of the audience are our priority,” said Nowlan.
Each performance will involve different sets of New Brunswick trivia, with each question contributing in some way to the overall theme of the show.
“I am certain that any New Brunswicker would enjoy this show,” said Nowlan. “It’s a bit of a love letter to the province, while at the same time poking fun. It’s a good family friendly outing. Outlandish characters, with big on stage personalities and lots of laughs!”
HTC has been producing fringe theatre in Fredericton for several years, often blending unconventional approaches to storytelling with traditional theatre elements. As with most theatre companies, 2020 has had a major impact on the company’s work including the forced postponement of two planned productions.
“We thought that Herbert would be put out to pasture until at least spring or summer 2021. But then management at the Beaverbrook contacted us with this dinner theatre idea and assured us of the safety of their COVID action plan. It all sounded good,” said Nowlan.
“Doing something like dinner theatre is definitely new territory for us but we always like a challenge. And a challenge it was, because two months ago, the script for this show, let alone the idea, did not exist. So the entire process of writing, rehearsing and promoting was all done at lightning speed. A large portion of the show is improv, which was by design, considering our short window of time,” he said.
Nowlan credits his cast and collaborators for helping to get this idea off the ground and ready for an audience. Joining him for this show are Kat Hall, Jason McIntyre, Amanda Thorne and CHSR’s Mark Kilfoil who will be making is voice acting debut as part of “Know” Brunswick?!.
“Kat Hall and Jason McIntyre are some of Herbert’s most frequent collaborators in the last few years,” said Nowlan. Kat also works with Hot Garbage Comedy, and Jason with the Calithumpians, so both of them are improv, ad-libbing veterans. And Amanda Thorne is one of Fredericton’s best young actresses. This is her second show with us and she fits in so well. And finally Mark Kilfoil, I mean, c’mon, he just has one of the coolest voices ever.”
Catch a performances of “Know” Brunswick?! at Maxwell’s inside the Lord Beaverbrook Crowne Plaza October 21 and 28, and November 4. More info.
