Various Venues
August 27 to Sept 6
Victoria, BC
Requires Fringe Button ($6)
Tickets range from $9 to 11
Available through Ticket Rocket or at the door
I’m fairly certain that there’s more than a few staff members at the Victoria Fringe Festival who are nerds too. I’ve met one person who worked there who is an avid LEGO enthusiast and I’m sure that buried in the closet are a few NERF guns. When nobody is looking, it’ll be time to bust a move.
People not acquainted with what the Fringe is about will quickly discover that the shows are experimental in nature, and the stages used are small to accommodate an intimate performance. Anything can happen, and the idea of a festival is to give new up-and-coming talent a chance to earn their cred. There’s a few groups that have moved on to bigger shows. The Reduced Shakespeare Company got their start at Fringe and Tom Stoppard‘s play, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead was performed first at the Edinburgh Fringe. In a tiny way, Evil Dead: The Musical owes its debt somewhat to this method of putting on shows. It opened in a club before making it big. Musicals are just one part of what can be experienced at Fringe Festivals, and that’s what I tend to gravitate to when the Victoria Fringe Festival caps off the Summer.
Just how the shows are selected is through lottery. Performers apply, and if they’re lucky, some get a chance to return every year. I’m thrilled to find that a few fond favourites are coming back, namely Dirk Darrow, to sleuth around. His comic book style comedy act is worth noting and this comedian cites influences like Constantine, it’s nice to know that even the performers are nerds to.
In looking at what’s offered this year, here’s a selection of shows that even the most die-hard of geeks should flock to. Yes, one title screams Star Wars, but after chatting with Artistic Director Fairlith Harvey of Geekenders (who’ve put on Star Wars: A Nude Hope), she points out that Episode IV screams sexual innuendo all the way especially when concerning the shape of the Rebel Alliance’s X-Wing fighters attempting to penetrate the Death Star. With no further ado, herein likes a guide to what’s nerdy at the Victoria Fringe Festival this year.
Tim Motley
Australia
60 minutes • PG 14+: Coarse Language, Adult Themes • Comedy Magic Noir
Murder! Explosions! Hyperbole! Punctuation!!!!!! Australia’s favourite bumbling psychic detective is back. Comedy, magic, and crime. Think Boardwalk Empire meets Naked Gun meets Penn & Teller. Based on a Dashiell Hammett story.
LOCATION:
Victoria Event Centre
SHOWTIMES:
Thursday August 27, 2015 – 8:15 PM
Saturday August 29, 2015 – 8:15 PM
Wednesday September 2, 2015 – 6:15 PM
Friday September 4, 2015 – 10:00 PM
Saturday September 5, 2015 – 4:45 PM
Sunday September 6, 2015 – 6:30 PM
Adam Pateman
Vancouver, BC
60 minutes • All Ages: Coarse Language • Sketch Comedy
After being launched into space to find the meaning of existence, Adam Pateman is forced to do a sketch comedy and stand-up show to save the entire universe from being destroyed!
LOCATION:
The Roxy Theatre
SHOWTIMES:
Friday August 28, 2015 – 6:00 PM
Saturday August 29, 2015 – 5:30 PM
Tuesday September 1, 2015 – 7:45 PM
Friday September 4, 2015 – 6:00 PM
Saturday September 5, 2015 – 6:45 PM
Sunday September 6, 2015 – 2:30 PM
St. Michaels University School
Victoria, BC
Written / Created by: C.H. Greenblatt, Aaron Spring, Merriwether Williams 90 minutes • All Ages • Musical Comedy
Regular $11/ St & Sr $9
Faced with dwindling attendance and funds, a highschool’s beloved marching band is desperate. When a troubled athlete is relegated to their ranks, Elliott, the band captain and Laura, his best friend, must find a way to unite the band, embrace their inner geek, and save the day — perhaps Band Glee style!
LOCATION:
St. Michaels University School Copeland Theatre
SHOWTIMES:
Thursday September 3, 2015 – 7:00 PM
Friday September 4, 2015 – 7:00 PM
Saturday September 5, 2015 – 2:00 PM
Saturday September 5, 2015 – 7:00 PM
Outpost 31 Victoria
Victoria, BC
65 minutes • All Ages: Coarse Language, Adult Themes, Violence • Cold War Drama
Witness the world premiere of the first of Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels… “Agent 007 declares war on Le Chiffre, French Communist & paymaster of the Soviet murder organization: SMERSH… For incredible suspense, unexpected thrills, and extraordinary danger, nothing can beat James Bond in this, his inaugural adventure.” – (Good Reads synopsis of the original book).
LOCATION:
St Andrew’s Gymnasium
SHOWTIMES:
Thursday August 27, 2015 – 7:30 PM
Sunday August 30, 2015 – 1:30 PM
Monday August 31, 2015 – 7:45 PM
Wednesday September 2, 2015 – 5:45 PM
Saturday September 5, 2015 – 10:30 PM
Sunday September 6, 2015 – 3:00 PM
Windwhistle Theatre
Nevada City, CA
60 minutes • All Ages • Theatre, Comedy, Storytelling
Does the fate of the world depend upon a bottle of milk? Do intergalactic dinosaurs police the space-time continuum? A hilarious story of time travel and breakfast cereal, wumpires and aliens, written by Neil Gaiman. And ponies. Did we mention ponies?
LOCATION:
The Roxy Theatre
SHOWTIMES:
Saturday August 29, 2015 – 2:00 PM
Sunday August 30, 2015 – 5:30 PM
Tuesday September 1, 2015 – 6:00 PM
Friday September 4, 2015 – 9:30 PM
Saturday September 5, 2015 – 8:30 PM
Sunday September 6, 2015 – 7:15 PM
Random Samples Collective
Victoria, BC
60 minutes • Adults Only: Extremely Coarse Language, Adult Themes • Solo Comedy
Sperm Wars takes place in a brutal, futuristic, utterly absurd universe. As sperm and eggs collide in the battle for Uteran supremacy tales emerge of love, loss, betrayal, spaceships, sword fights, life, and death before birth. The result is gametocidal tragedy, sci-fi hilarity, and one surviving oddly placed robot.
LOCATION:
Victoria Event Centre
SHOWTIMES:
Thursday August 27, 2015 – 6:30 PM
Sunday August 30, 2015 – 4:45 PM
Monday August 31, 2015 – 7:00 PM
Friday September 4, 2015 – 8:15 PM
Saturday September 5, 2015 – 10:15 PM
Sunday September 6, 2015 – 1:00 PM
Chimera Theatre
Kamloops, BC
75 minutes • All Ages • Fairy Tale Comedy
The Grimm Brothers and their family perform for you five usually untold fairy tales in this fast-paced, zany comedy. This lovable play is filled with dance, song, masks, puppets and many memorable characters with everything from soldier to kings, bears to giants and witches to princesses.
LOCATION:
Metro Studio Theatre
SHOWTIMES:
Thursday August 27, 2015 – 7:45 PM
Saturday August 29, 2015 – 6:30 PM
Sunday August 30, 2015 – 3:45 PM
Thursday September 3, 2015 – 6:30 PM
Friday September 4, 2015 – 10:30 PM
Saturday September 5, 2015 – 2:00 PM