By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)
Winterlab 2014 is a nearly week-long show in Victoria, BC that is in full swing, with plenty of fun for fans of live theatre. It takes place at the Intrepid Theatre Club, Metro Studio and even a “secret location” to make those cold nights seem warmer with the exercise going on. But to understand more about what this program is all about, all anyone has to do is to ask theatre-goers who are familiar with what Fringe theatre is.
In this case, The most innovative theatre artists from across the Great White North take over spaces both traditional and unconventional with work that will stretch the imaginations, engage the senses and spark conversations. Multi-disciplinary artists from Halifax, Vancouver, Whitehorse and Victoria converge on the city to share amazing live performances and inspire curious artists of all ages to create their own. Puppets, projections, popcorn, parties and spacesuits.
This year’s show includes Winterlab Fete, which is a party that will offer “a rocking speakeasy experience with two live performances that will involve, engage and inspire fans.” As long as the drinking doesn’t get out of hand, this show seems promising. (We) Are Here offers music, projection screen imagery and animation as two performers give augmented reality a new name. Instead of computers creating the motion, something else will come to play. Can We Talk, a STO Union Creation, is going to be an interactive and immersive performance art piece that will strike some theatre-goer’s fancy.
But the shows that are drawing attraction over at Otaku no Culture are Against Gravity, a part shadow puppet and part live musical performance, and Sci-Fi Double Feature. No, this latter product is not influenced by Rocky Horror. Instead, this performance by Ramshackle Theatre is said to be a “A magical collision of puppetry and film scored with an original soundtrack. This is a cardboard science fiction puppet show and a full-blown 1960’s action-adventure B-movie, fun for the whole family – come in Sci-Fi costume and get free popcorn!”
But there’s more. The Playground and Farewell Victoria round out the week-long show. Not all performances are scheduled for the evening. The Playground looks to be a free and fun event that we at Otaku no Culture will try to come out for. Proton Packs are most likely best asked to be left at home. An overactive imagination is all anyone needs here.
