Four fringe-worthy reviewers share their top picks at the 2019 Fundy FRINGE Festival.
The seventh annual Fundy FRINGE festival is now underway. We partnered with the festival this year to share a few reviews and recommendations from four of the city’s fringe festival fans.
Here are the top three picks from Douglas Fillmore, Andrea Kikuchi, Jennifer Bourque and Aaron Sousa in no particular order.
“There are quite a few choices of productions to view in this year’s Fundy Fringe Festival,” said Douglas Gilmore. “Magic, drama, comedy, musical theatre… and all quite good. So as usual, it’s a tough choice, but here are my top three of the bunch.
Athena High 96
“I like the tough, taut storyline that I gleaned from what I saw last night. Well done all around.” Learn more
Dani’s White Lie
“Nerdish strip battleship with reference to pop culture icons make this a very relatable play for many people. Funny, energetic, and playful. It drew me in.” Learn more
Mashup – The Musical
“Even when their music wasn’t cued up, this quartet of people were. Energetic and joyously funny, I like what I saw.” Learn more
Lungs
“These two actors have great chemistry, and their conversation is relatable, and it takes place in IKEA, making it even more realistic,” said Andrea Kikuchi. “This is a must see for those who are interested in the complexities of relationships and current events.” Learn more
House: A Stand Up Sit Down One-Man Comedy Nightmare
“Marvelous acting, incredibly funny though there is a dark undercurrent in his story.” Learn more
SLANG
“Superb delivery of a monologue with a powerful last line regarding a difficult escape room- the closet. He’s from my hometown, Hampton, which make this one even more of a must see.” Learn more
Athena High ´96
“The big tease for Athena High 96 left me wanting more,” said Jennifer Bourque. “As an avid reader I love stories that take real life events and bring them to the forefront of theatre, and Athena High 96 is definently that show! If you love thrillers, criminal dramas, and prison stories, Athena High 96 is a must see!”
I Forced A Bot To Watch 1000 Hours Of ….
“I am very excited to see more of I Forced A Bot To Watch 1000 Hours Of …. as it had the audience laughing in stitches. This show is guaranteed to make you laugh, all while wondering what you are actually watching. It offers a strange, weird, comical take on nerds complete with cat masks and mannerisms. If you love all things geeky and cats, this is definitely the show for you!” Learn more
Seeing is Believing
“The Magic Circle of Saint John: Seeing is Believing left the audience gasping for air! This act is a team of magical talent from right here in Saint John offering a wide variety of mind-bending and cringeworthty magic tricks that will keep you asking “how did they do that?”. If you love having your mind blown and sitting on the edge of your seat, be sure to catch one of their many shows during the Fringe Festival.” Learn more
Air-Heart
“Last night, audiences were greeted by a chipper reincarnation of Amelia Earhart, who spent time reading out their horoscopes, all with the answer to see Air-Heart at Fringe this week,” said Aaron Sousa. “Very cheery and I expect to hear a lot of good things from both the performer and the show.” Learn more
Athena High ’96
“The scene started with Daniel having a very standoffish, one-sided conversation with his therapist, Bernadette. Danny finally speaks up to deliver a compelling monologue about waking from a dream one morning and realizing he was no longer a boy, but a man. I can’t wait to see how the rest of the show plays out.”
Mashup: The Musical
“In Mashup: The Musical, four well known Saint John theatre vets plan to bring you songs from your favourite musicals – Guys & Cats, The Phantom of Oklahoma, and Mamma Mia on the Roof. After improvising their way around technical issues, the four ensemble members joyfully burst into song about how much their show “sucks” (a la Fugue for Tinhorns). I look forward to seeing this.
“To sum up the evening, with eight local acts, and nine works from across the province, the country, and internationally, this year’s festival is well rounded for a wide variety of genre seekers,” said Sousa.
The Fundy FRINGE Festival is on until August 24 in Saint John.
