It’s one of my favourite times of the year. No, not just summer, but Fringe time and I am ready!
Every August Inglewood erupts in an amazing cacophony of theatrical chaos as the Calgary Fringe Festival takes over. In fact, this year their motto is Flood or Fair Weather – We Fringe On!
NEW THIS YEAR: Heading down to the Fringe? Make sure you check out The Garden Variety Show’s #GVSummer at the first Calgary International Street Theatre Festival. Running August 2 to 10 at 10th Street SE the show will change every day and feature some of the world’s best street performers including very funny knife thrower Jack Dagger, the Vaudeville style KamiKaze FireFlies, Doll from Down Under Dusty Summerfield, juggler extraordinaire David Ladderman and more. The show runs 6pm to midnight every night and will never be the same twice. Check the white board schedule on site for what’s going on when.
Photo by Amy Jo Espetveidt, Quadrophonic Image
Running from Friday, August 2 to Saturday, August 10, this year’s festival is playing host to over 32 local, national, and international theatre companies with shows so diverse you can pretty much find everything and anything – family shows, musicals, dance, monologues, slam poetry, dramas, comedies, improvisation and even the risqué.
“This is truly anything goes theatre,” says Michele Gallant, Festival Director and Producer of the Calgary Fringe, in a statement. “The acts are selected by lottery draw or first come, first serve, so there’s no limit to the imagination or types of acts you’ll see. The structure of the Fringe allows acts from all over the world to come in – we have our first francophone play coming in from Montreal, Quebec, and an artist from Japan with a non-verbal show. No matter where you’re from, what you’re into, or your age, there’ll be something you like. And that’s the beauty of Fringe – there’s something for everyone.”
Looking at the schedule there are certainly works that I am itching to see… like Radio :30 from the night kitchen and Til Death: The Six Wives of Henry VII from Monster Theatre.
But picking what to take in can be a daunting task, especially if you have limited time or funds. So to help you out I chatted with a whole bunch of Fringe artists about their shows – asking them all a few simple questions… and what did I learn? Simply put, nothing about this year’s line up is dull.
Fat Sex! – Steve Larkin’s body… of poems and songs!
City of Origin: Oxford, UK
Playwright, Director and Cast: Steve Larkin
Venue: Lolita’s Lounge (Venue Boutique)
Calgary is Awesome: Describe your show in two words.
Steve Larkin: Outrageously funny!
C.I.A: What makes your show unique and why should people come and see it?
S.L: It gets people giddy as a kipper! It’s the only show that can boast an audience member being inspired to strip in the final song at the Winnipeg Fringe!
It’s a one-man variety show that has something for everyone – original stand-up, well-crafted spoken word pieces and entertaining upbeat songs. Fat Sex guarantees to get audiences laughing, thinking, and dancing…possibly!
C.I.A: Is there anything you think the audience needs to know before heading in to your show?
S.L: Relax, sit at the front, I’m nice. I don’t pick on people. There’s some group audience participation but none of that embarrassing stuff that some performers do. Oh and I’m not actually a transvestite! The image and title refer to the title piece about women’s magazines.
C.I.A: What are you most looking forward to at the Calgary Fringe?
S.L: It’s all new to me, I guess I’m looking forward to seeing what the reaction to the more political bits might be… and to the possibility of someone flashing their tits again!
Video courtesy of Steve Larkin via YouTube
Photo by Richard Hanna
A Day in the Life of Miss Hiccup
City of Origin: Tokyo, Japan
Playwright, Director and Cast: Yanomi (Hiromi Yano)
Venue: Lantern Church Gym
Calgary is Awesome: Describe your show in two words.
Yanomi: Hilarious. Beautiful.
C.I.A: What makes your show unique and why should people come and see it?
Y: It’s a non-verbal physical comedy with music and sound effects; good for all ages and people always cannot describe what they saw even they loved it! And it’s the only show from Tokyo, Japan! One of the reviewers says, ‘Yanomi may be the clown, but you’d be a fool to miss this performance!’ -DC Theatre Scene
C.I.A: Is there anything you think the audience needs to know before heading in to your show?
Y: All they need to know is they’re going to see something they’ve never seen before!
C.I.A: What are you most looking forward to at the Calgary Fringe?
Y: I’ve been touring many Fringes across Canada and US and many touring artists told me great things about Calgary. This is my first Calgary Fringe! So I’m looking forward to seeing those people who love theatre and the late night Fringe cabaret show!
Radio :30
City of Origin: Toronto, Ontario
Playwright: Chris Earle
Director: Shari Hollett
Cast: Chris Earle, Trevor Leigh
Venue: Lantern Church Gym
Calgary is Awesome: Describe your show in two words.
Chris Earle: Funny, poignant.
C.I.A: What makes your show unique and why should people come and see it?
C.E: The way the show walks a knife’s edge between comedy and tragedy is pretty unique. For instance, it won a Canadian Comedy Award, but the New York Times called it a “finely wrought tragedy” and CBC Winnipeg named us Outstanding Drama.
C.I.A: Is there anything you think the audience needs to know before heading in to your show?
C.E: According to some of our previous audience, they should know that once the show starts, they won’t want it to end.
C.I.A: What are you most looking forward to at the Calgary Fringe?
C.E: Performing for Calgary audiences, seeing other shows, and finally meeting our other actor, Trevor Leigh, who we’ve only rehearsed with over Skype!
And of course having some real Alberta beef. Vegetarians we ain’t.
Video courtesy of Chris Earle via YouTube
Limbo
City of Origin: Victoria, British Columbia
Playwright and Cast: Andrew Bailey
Director: Britt Small
Venue: Artpoint Gallery
Calgary is Awesome: Describe your show in two words.
Andrew Bailey: Hilariously profound.
C.I.A: What makes your show unique and why should people come and see it?
A.B: I solve the meaning of life in the first minute (well I don’t actually use a stopwatch, but it happens quickly). Then it gets good.
C.I.A: Is there anything you think the audience needs to know before heading in to your show?
A.B: It is a storytelling show that deals with dark subject matter (including religious centered mental illness) but in a funny, lighthearted way (to the point that it’s been described as “crowd pleasing”).
C.I.A: What are you most looking forward to at the Calgary Fringe?
A.B: The city of Calgary itself. My mother was actually born and partially raised in Calgary, so I’ve always felt a connection to the city even though I haven’t visited since I was about ten (except on WestJet stopovers and such).
They Call Me Mister Fry
City of Origin: Los Angeles, California
Playwright and Cast: Jack Fry
Director: Jeff Michalski
Venue: Lantern Church Gym
Calgary is Awesome: Describe your show in two words.
Jack Fry: See it!
C.I.A: What makes your show unique and why should people come and see it?
J.F: The show has everything! It’s raucously funny, heartbreaking, true and it’s life changing. I’ve had people come up to me and have changed the course of their lives because of the show. It happened again in Winnipeg this year. A student came up to me and thanked me for opening his heart and said he was going to live his life differently after seeing this show. A teacher was about to retire, saw my show and said she’ll give it another year.
But the show has more than just educational themes that are ubiquitous all over the world. The universal themes that audiences lock into are transformation, redemption, the fragility of life, and what we think our purpose is.
C.I.A: Is there anything you think the audience needs to know before heading in to your show?
J.F: That this is a true story based on my first year as fifth grade teacher in the inner city. It’s a cross between To Sir With Love and Animal house. It will be an authentic theatrical experience for the audience as I bring them on this journey with me. It’s kid friendly, but not a kiddie show.
So after 244 performances, four festival wins, three months off-broadway, two command performances from the Department of Education in Washington, DC, if it’s still not good, I’ll give you your money back and a lap dance!
C.I.A: What are you most looking forward to at the Calgary Fringe?
J.F: Meeting all the patrons!
La cravate bleue
(This is the premiere of a francophone play in the Calgary Fringe Festival)
City of Origin: Montreal, Quebec
Playwright, Director, and Cast: Jean-François Plante-Tan
Venue: Lantern Church Sanctuary (Venue Boutique)
Calgary is Awesome: Describe your show in two words.
Jean-François Plante-Tan: Inspiring. Touching.
C.I.A: What makes your show unique and why should people come and see it?
J.F: Because it slaps you in the face. People who are wondering if they should take the leap or not should come and see this show. Hey you, why aren’t you living your dream yet? You’re scared? We all are! But what’s really holding you from reaching your goals? The fear of failure or the fear of success? This show is a portrait of people who struggle between living their dreams or dreaming their life. It’s never an easy decision, because it’s a life changing decision! Also, I tap dance.
C.I.A: Is there anything you think the audience needs to know before heading in to your show?
J.F: It’s in French and everybody should come pick up the challenge and try to understand the story. They will quickly see how music and words can have a different role in a musical. Also, they will see me in my underwear.
C.I.A: What are you most looking forward to at the Calgary Fringe?
J.F: Discovering a whole new side of Canadian culture and meeting amazing people!
C.I.A: Anything else?
J.F: Free tea and condom giveaway.
I’ll be giving away tea and condoms during the festival. The message? After a hard days work, [whether] you’re an office clerk or an artist who just finished a show, a lot of people want to shag and/or relax with the same or different person. It’s my way of sending out a simple message: There’s a time for work, and there’s a time for fun.
FRUITCAKE – Ten Commandments from the Psych Ward
City of Origin: Leicester, UK
Playwright and Cast: Rob Gee
Director: Tracy Cruickshank
Venue: Artpoint Gallery
Calgary is Awesome: Describe your show in two words.
Rob Gee: Defies description.
C.I.A: What makes your show unique and why should people come and see it?
R.G: I worked as a registered nurse in acute psychiatry for eleven years, and I’ve condensed all the psychiatry-fuelled opinions, theories, rants, stories and one-liners into an hour. It’s very funny, and it has moving bits. If you’ve ever had a psychiatric episode, you’ll relate to it; if you haven’t, it will dispel a few myths. Above all, it’s a rare chance to celebrate the collective insanity that makes us human. And I’ve represented God as an elderly Rastafarian lady. And I have a British accent.
C.I.A: Is there anything you think the audience needs to know before heading in to your show?
R.G: I genuinely think I’ve covered everything, but they should take a programme, just in case.
C.I.A: What are you most looking forward to at the Calgary Fringe?
R.G: I’ve heard great things about this fringe over the years, and I’m delighted to finally have the chance to come here. I’m keen to see other people’s shows and explore your city. I’m particularly looking forward to a proper steak.
Til Death: The Six Wives of Henry VIII
City of Origin: Vancouver, British Columbia
Playwright and Director: Ryan Gladstone
Cast: Tara Travis
Calgary is Awesome: Describe your show in two words.
Tara Travis: Totally insane.
C.I.A: What makes your show unique and why should people come and see it?
T.T: In Til Death, I play all 6 wives of Henry VIII, in a room together in purgatory, all in rapid-fire conversation with each other. It’s snap-quick shape-shifting, every character has her own voice, face and unique physicality. It gets particularly nuts when Henry shows up. Oh, and Anne Boleyn is just a head. So, there are some bizarre physical theatre tricks employed as well. The show has been called “A work of physical and vocal gymnastics.” That’s pretty true, I guess. It’s a good workout for me.
C.I.A: Is there anything you think the audience needs to know before heading in to your show?
T.T: It’s 75 minutes. Pee first.
C.I.A: What are you most looking forward to at the Calgary Fringe?
T.T: My husband and dog are meeting me there! I miss them so much! All of his family and many of our friends are in Calgary, so it always feels like a homecoming.
I also look forward to seeing a ton of amazing shows and bringing my family and friends so I can show off all my talented Fringe buddies.
Video courtesy of Monster Theatre via YouTube
Borderland
City of Origin: Victoria, British Columbia
Playwright and Cast: Izad Etemadi
Music and Lyrics: Peggy Hogan
Venue: Lantern Church Sanctuary (Venue Boutique)
Calgary is Awesome: Describe your show in two words.
Izad Etemadi: Original and raw.
C.I.A: What makes your show unique and why should people come and see it?
I.E: It’s a story that I can guarantee has not been presented yet. It’s about a different culture people only really know [about] from the media. Borderland gives the audience an opportunity to step inside the culture.
I play three characters – one is Leila, she is an audience favourite. It’s a story that everyone, I found, can relate to in regards of culture and background. It will make you laugh a lot. It will make you cry and it will make you think a lot.
C.I.A: Is there anything you think the audience needs to know before heading in to your show?
I.E: I was born in Germany and raised in Victoria. I’ve never been to Iran and I legally can’t go because I haven’t fulfilled their military service requirement. So this story is what my life could have been like if my family never left.
C.I.A: What are you most looking forward to coming to the Calgary Fringe?
I.E: I have performed in Calgary a few times now but it was always children’s theatre or puppet shows. I’m excited to do something personal.
Special note: This piece will be presented on Sunday, August 4 for a special performance for the Christian Reform congregation of the Lantern Community Church during their service – something Izad is very excited for.
So there you have it… wild, wacky and totally unique, now it’s up to you to choose. Also check out Nick Taylor’s behind-the-scenes look at Calgary’s own The Antarctic Show, another totally awesome show worth your time.
And don’t forget about some of the coolest special events happening at the Fest like the Inglewood SunFest on Saturday, August 3 from 11am to 5pm with vendors and performers taking over 9th Ave SE.
Other cool specials include the Alexandra Centre Youth Drama Camp Special Presentation at 1pm on Saturday, August 3 – all it will cost you is a toonie a head – and The Fringe Late Night Club at 11:30 pm each night of the Fest – hosted by The Improv Guild in the basement of the Lantern Church (1401 10 Ave SE) – that gives you a chance to hang with the artists, volunteers and Fringe lovers.
The entire 2013 Calgary Fringe Fest schedule can be found here or download the iPhone app here.
And make sure to head over to the On the Spot Information Booth (running during the Fringe) at the City of Calgary Parking Lot on the corner of 9 Ave and 12 St SE for more information and to get your Fringe Button. (All Fringe Buttons are $5 each and are mandatory when attending any Fringe theatre shows or events. It’s a Fringe tradition that helps cover the costs to run the festival allowing Fringe artists 100% of their artist set ticket price.)