Category: Theatre

Jon Bennett’s Ameri-can’t at Victoria Fringe 2024 Is Heartfelt Than Just A Rant

Whichever spelling people want to use to describe Jon Bennett’s Ameri-can’t or simply American’t, this show is about the can do attitude this comedian eventually decided to follow than not to be the success that he is!

American't Promo Card2Hoots Productions

When Jon Bennett‘s latest Fringe show, Ameri-can’t, hints at a performance about what the United States of America is incapable of getting back in control, that’s because what’s revealed isn’t too far from the truth. The reports he shows regarding gun control and limiting its use are spot on. And there are aspects he loves, namely the people and how lively the arts scene is here.

Even in 2024, there’s no denying the impact of the pandemic is still lingering around, and while some talents struggled to get by, he’s turned his experience into one rip-roaring, hilarious show that’s not without a message. Anyone who has experienced suicidal thoughts during this time should seek help, and his openness about it is truly eye-opening.

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When Fern Flowers Bloom Only One Day of the Year, It’s Not Just at the Victoria Fringe Festival!

In order to appreciate The Lighter Touch Art Collective’s play, When Fern Flowers Bloom, this primer will serve as a guide and be a review on what’s beautiful about this tragic tale of love, loss and life.

When Fern Flowers Bloom Publicity StillThe Lighter Touch Art Collective

Audiences wanting to see When Fern Flowers Bloom is best advised to know some aspects of Latvia folklore to fully appreciate every element this play offers. Otherwise, the symbolic elements may seem foreign. After seeing this show at the Victoria Fringe Festival, I want to dive even deeper into the lore because I suspect this tale also explores why the seasons change.

Just how this story begins had me vibing with “Here Comes The Sun,” by The Beatles but by the finale, I was thinking “Who’ll Stop the Rain?” by CCR. When the knowledge that Death is one of the characters, what’s presented addresses the traditions and rituals leading to Summer Solstice. Every culture celebrates it differently. Here, Jāņis (Erik Karklins) is a living incarnation of this season, and when this lady of the night can deliver more than a smile to his face every day, I fear for him!

Although Nāve’s (Sarah Ivanco) innocent side is that of a beautiful young woman in search of the rare Fern flower, there is more to her than meets the eye.

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At the Victoria Fringe Festival 2024, The Wasteland Preachers Shows How Life Doesn’t Have to Be Like A Castle of Glass

The hope here is that Wasteland Preachers can turn their live show Castle of Glass to a proper album for all to listen to!

Castle of Glass Publicity StillWhen a lonely young man is wailing over lost opportunities, including a failed marriage, just what else can he (Jeremy James Sinclair) do? Sing, of course! Here, the band Wasteland Preachers has a concept album that really needs to be put on CD or Streaming. Castle of Glass is an appropriate title about how fragile life can be.

What works the best is that the music will speak to you. These tunes are more than reflections on his journey, but also explosive revelations. It’s like hearing a different version of Pink Floyd’s The Wall, without the Mother figure and Girlfriend as key antagonists. Well, technically, there’s a reference to both, but they aren’t as in your face as Roger Waters makes them out to be. His concept album concerned a persona going through the paces, and this show didn’t have a huge spoken narrative component.

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[Interview] David Elendune on Welcome To Croglin at the 2024 Victoria Fringe

Writer/director David Elendune is pretty much a regular on the Victoria theatre scene since 2009 and with this latest being his 8th, he’s more than a veteran of this world!

Outpost 31 - Welcomed to Croglin
For advance tickets, please visit Intrepid Theatre’s website.

Coming to the 2024 Victoria Fringe Theatre Festival is Outpost 31’s Welcome To Croglin. This play written and directed by David Elendune concerns a lone, unnamed, struggling artist (Jared Gowen) desperately needing to find his muse.

It appears as the ghost of Katharine Hepburn (Christina Patterson), and what she says is thus: “Some days I’m Katharine Hepburn. Some days I’m Kate. Some days I’m Katharine Hepburn pretending to be Kate. Some days I’m Kate pretending to be Katharine Hepburn. For do not be mistaken, ours is very much an egocentric profession—perfect for stupid people who like to pretend they are not stupid. But alas, never quite knowing whether they are actually any good, or just plain lucky.”

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A Nerd’s Guide to the 2024 Victoria Fringe Festival

Going on for 38 years now, the Victoria Fringe Festival offers a bevy of delights to satisfy even geeks of all persuasions.

Victoria Fringe FestivalThe Victoria Fringe Festival is back in full form! A few acts from afar that didn’t make the lottery last year are here this year, and as for others, now that some acts of nature are behind us, fans of this type of entertainment can enjoy it in full force! In this guide, we offer a list of anything that classifies as “nerdy.”

From the Press Release:

Dance, comedy, drama, spoken word, kids programming, or late-night cabarets, try a bit of everything this summer at the Fringe! This event will feature local, national and international artists again this summer as the Fringe returns for 12 days of indie theatre at 5 traditional venues and 4 unconventional venues across the city. We are excited to be back with live events and shows, including the Fringe Eve Preview and FringeKids Fest and a nightly Fringe Club bringing post-show vibes, libations, and pop-up programming throughout the festival. We can’t wait for you to try out all Fringe has to offer and join us for our 38th year of Fringe fun.

Last year, we introduced a bunch of new and exciting elements to the Victoria Fringe, and we’re excited to continue them forward into this year’s festival. Unconventional Venue shows are once again featured at the 2024 Victoria Fringe: four off-site, site-specific venues provided by the artists, highlighting non-traditional theatre experiences involving walking/moving shows, outdoor shows, and even a familiar neighbourhood coffee shop.

The links go to Intrepid Theatre’s website so tickets can be gought in advance. Presented in no particular order are:

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When All You Need is “Yaga,” You Better Be Ready to Fight Instead of take Flight

Halloween season has begun! And to get your early scares on, The Belfry is bringing the cross country hit, Yaga, to Victoria, BC!

Kat Sandler's Yaga Title Card
Playing at The Belfry, Victoria, BC
From Sept 14th, 2023 to Oct 8, 2023.
Tickets are available here

Please check Playwrights Canada for other regional performances.

The formula for what Kat Sandler‘s play, simply titled Yaga, is about may well be like an episode of Twin Peaks for some attendees, but for myself, I’m thinking Murder, She Wrote. But instead of solving mysteries from the perspective of a best-selling author, the point of view is from an omniscient presence needing more than the usual sustenance. Baba Yaga is an infamous Slavic witch known to eat children, but these days, she’s not picky.

Ever since this show’s debut in 2019, various theatre houses have put this play on across Canada. To kickstart Victoria, BC’s The Belfry 2023/24 season and get attendees ready for Halloween, it seems the director Jani Lauzon added an indigenous touch on top. We’re in a birch house to listen to the very beginnings of life. It’s told by a woman shaman (Tracey Nepinak) in a set that I believe was designed to resemble a traditional First Nation longhouse.

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