Tag: Victoria Fringe Festival

Always A Tender Moment: Genki Bear, Baachan and the Matriachs Who Shape Us

Kizuna Theatre’s Genki Bear: Memoirs of a Granddaughter uses puppetry, Japanese Canadian memories and Studio Ghibli nods to honour the grandmothers who help shape us.

Genki Bear- Memoirs of a GranddaughterIf I had to describe Kizuna Theatre’s production of Genki Bear: Memoirs of a Granddaughter with one song, I’d choose Queen’s “These Are the Days of Our Lives.” It captures the show perfectly. This is a tender production about nostalgia, ageing and cherishing what has been, rather than crying into a tissue over the loss of someone who watched their granddaughter grow up.

For Misty Cozac, the material feels autobiographical. Yet, through videos of other Japanese Canadians explaining why they loved their baachan, or grandmother, the production becomes a broader reflection on the matriarchs who help shape every individual’s wellbeing. I have fond memories of my own po-po and ma-ma, and the show brought them back without forcing me to hide my tears.

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To Boldly Go Where No Man Has Gone Before: The Ice Keeps… But How Well?

The Ice Keeps reframes Shackleton’s Antarctic expedition with an all-female cast and a stronger focus on empathy and community. Its performances hold firm, but the survival drama still needs fuller scenic design to make the frozen environment come alive.

The Ice KeepsAlthough Josh Gates told the story better on Tales from the Explorers Club, the sheer melodrama and hell the crew of the Endurance faced while attempting the first land crossing of Antarctica are something to behold when retold on stage. Melissa Taylor’s adaptation, The Ice Keeps, offers a different take that generally works.

What’s presented during the Victoria Fringe Festival is clearly more of a work in progress than a finished show. Another producer and more funding could elevate the visual elements and make this interim version feel fuller. Taylor mentioned future plans, so her take may yet be explored further. I’ll gladly return to see the updated version, should it set sail, because I want to experience a full-on recreation of the environment rather than the drama alone.

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Sister Sophia Kicks the Habit While Keepin’ the Faith

Even Billy Joel sang about it and although his version focuses on memories, Sister Sophia Kicks the Habit shares some similar DNA

Sister Sophia Kicks The HabitLisa Randall, Writer and Performer
Kate Johnston, Director-Dramaturg
The Universe Over 60 | Toronto, ON

Lisa Randall has enough experience with music and theatre to know when a groaner deserves its moment. When I heard, “How do you make holy water?” followed by the punchline, “You boil the hell out of it!” I laughed out loud. And once she gets into character for her one-woman act, Sister Sophia Kicks the Habit, Randall offers plenty to think about. Whether you’re there to confess your sins or simply wonder why she wants to change, the message is clear. This show packs a lot of meaning into its 55-minute runtime and also makes you wonder whether God ever listens.

Randall trained as an actor at Vancouver’s Studio 58 and has performed in children’s theatre, play-development workshops and modern dance. She was also a singer and lyricist with Against the Grain and Freedom Rains, recording two albums. That range serves her well in this one-woman production, which mixes physical comedy, audience interaction and ragtime-era music with gospel and other styles.

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Diary of a Madman Unleashes Pure Rebellion at Victoria Fringe Festival 2026!

Clayton Jevne gives a mesmerizing performance in Diary of a Madman, but this minimalist adaptation expects audiences to know Gogol’s original story.

Diary of a Madman
Playing at the Victoria Fringe Festival 2026. Buy your tickets here.

Produced by Clayton Jevne

Despite the wild grey hair and unhinged grin, the promotional posters for Diary of a Madman at the Victoria Fringe Festival aren’t about Rasputin. Had the show been about him, I’d be deeply invested since this guy was more than an occultist. He was a seer. Well, that’s just my interpretation. Clayton Jevne plays Aksenty Ivanovich Poprishchin, the low-ranking clerk who tries to win Sophie’s favour and impress others above his station. But this lengthy one-man monologue requires some knowledge of Nikolai Gogol’s short story of the same name to fully appreciate the show.

Essentially, we’re watching this man go completely and utterly “mad.” What stands out is how quickly he becomes alienated from society, while nobody believes anything he says.

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Reclaimed! The Woodsical Finds Plenty of Good in Old Wood

At @IntrepidTheatre Reclaimed! The Woodsical turns familiar rock songs into a campy #environmental #comedy about #recycling and #sustainability and waking up to smell the #wood. #fringe #yyjfringe #review

Reclaimed! The Woodsical Produced by
Peter Worden & Hailey Christie-Hoyle

I’m hardly stumped by the purpose of Reclaimed! The Woodsical. This show mixes rock parody, environmental comedy and cartoonish hijinks into a meaningful show that suggests we must do more to save our environment. It’s happening, but and what’s presented suggests we can do more than hug a tree. My big question is simple: will it remain limited to the Victoria Fringe Festival, or will they take this act on the road?

Peter Worden, the playwright and mastermind behind this work, told me everyone involved wants to take it further. Until a few more things fall into place, those plans remain uncertain. I’ll soon publish a quick interview with him that goes behind the scenes.

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It’s a Celebration! Tymisha Harris’s Cabaret of Legends Wants to Party at Victoria Fringe

Tymisha Harris brings generations of musical history to life in Cabaret of Legends, a five-star Victoria Fringe performance celebrating influential Black women, their activism and their songs.

A Cabaret of LegendsTymisha Harris and Michael Marinaccio
Dynamite Lunchbox Entertainment | Orlando, FL

Tymisha Harris should be a legend in her own right. This year, she’s pulling out all the stops with Cabaret of Legends, a celebration of the Black women who helped shape the music industry. In the past, not only has she led many award-winning performances, including her fabulous tribute to Josephine Baker, but she must also be a D&D nerd. Fringin & Flagons is a show I have to see. I may have missed hearing about it the last time she was in town, but now that I know, awareness is half the battle.

The talents Harris celebrates refused to be confined to juke joints and church choirs. They were no one-hit wonders. They were trendsetters. It must have been tough to decide which songs to sing, but Harris manages to name-drop them all. It made me glad I took a History of Blues Music class years ago. From Bessie Smith to Etta James, these pioneers paved the way, with Koko Taylor being a personal favourite of mine. Let’s not forget Aretha Franklin or Dolly Parton, either. If the show had been longer, I’m sure Harris would have loved to sing them all.

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