Today was one of my favourite days, not just of the 2019 Halifax Fringe so far, but also of all the days of Fringe that I can remember. I began my day with the best surprise, seeing Cathy Jones performing in Troy Ginter’s new play Great Kettle for the People at the Old Company House (2202 Gottingen Street).
The play concerns a potentially magical kettle, one that makes the best cup of tea in the world. Mel has died and left the kettle to her grandson, Frank, in her will. Mel’s longtime friend, Faye, is horrified to be suddenly without easy access to the kettle and makes it her mission to get it back. It’s my understanding that this is Ginter’s first play, and I’m so impressed by the uniqueness of his voice, how beautifully he captures the vernacular of his characters, how well the Absurdist elements work in the play to create a piece that is very funny, but also has poignant and poetic moments and, indeed, how strong all the dramaturgical elements are in this piece. It really is a gem of a play, and one that I think could and should be remounted to a full-scale production in the future.
The performances by the cast of five are all compelling, and while there were some moments were cast members had difficulty with their lines, even that felt like it was a part of the world of the play. It reminded me a bit of Mama’s Family from The Carol Burnett Show, especially watching Jones in the first scene with Rena Kossatz (as Syl) was really reminiscent of the times when Vicki Lawrence would cause Carol Burnett to break. There is one moment at the end of the play where Beatrice, Frank’s friend from school, makes an accusation and a confession, and I think it might be more effective to ground that moment in a bit more subtly and realism. All of Faye’s responses are big and dramatic, to great effect, and I think having Beatrice counter that with something no less intense, but more nuanced, might give the ending more texture. In all, though, Great Kettle for the People is one of the strongest productions of a new play by a playwright making their debut that I have ever seen at Halifax Fringe. Bravo all!
Great Kettle for the People plays just one more time at 2202 Gottingen Street. September 7th at 6:35pm. Tickets are PWYC and are available HERE.
Bob Bell’s The End of Politics isn’t so much a stand up comedy set as a somewhat scattered monologue from someone from New York who is deeply disturbed by the current state of his country. My guess is that most people who attend this show are likely to agree with Bell on most, if not all of his points: Trump has some abhorrent policies, the gun violence and overt xenophobia and racism on display in the US right now is horrifying, and the Republicans have wandered so far away from Jesus they wouldn’t know him if he literally walked up to them on water and handed them a fish. Bell spends a lot of unnecessary time giving us political context that I don’t think the majority of us need- I think it’s fair to assume that most of us know who Jeff Sessions is and we know all about Steve Bannon and Rudy Giuliani; Hell I even know who Don McGahn and Roger Stone are. My knowledge of American politics isn’t just thanks to Rachel Maddow, I supplement my news with a heavy intake of jokes from American comedians: Seth Meyers, Stephen Colbert, Samantha Bee, and John Oliver are my favourites. They’ve largely covered much of the material inherent to this dumpster-fire administration. But there is one joke about a politician that Bell tells that I think works really well, which references Bernard Kerik, a figure much less well known in Canada, and offers us an absurdly American fact about him. I think that it may be in these more obscure figures that Bell might be able to find some more unique and pointed material. The end of his set, a musing on alternative punishments for Osama Bin Laden, is also strong. Much of the comedy in The End of Politics seems to have gotten lost under the weight of the the subject matter and what is left is just frank disbelief.
The End of Politics plays at 2202 Gottingen Street (the former Company House) at the following times: Sunday, September 1st at 2:30 PM
Monday, September 2nd at 8:00 PM
Friday, September 6th at 7:00 PM
Saturday, September 7th at 7:50 PM. Tickets are $9.00-$12.00 and are available HERE.
NepTEEN Showcase:
I was treated to a beautiful series of performances from the teenagers involved in the 2019 YPCo Boot Camp, who performed scenes from four different plays Out West, Ooga Booga, Hare vs. Hedgehodge and The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek, all directed by Richie Wilcox. I was so impressed by these young actors and their strong attention to both character work and teamwork. They each gave nuanced performances, full of depth that captivated me and immediately hooked me into the stories they were telling. The play selections were fantastic, the scenes were all very unique and felt contemporary and relevant for this stage in the student’s theatrical education, and they gave the young actors some great comedic and dramatic opportunities to play with. All twenty students shone in this presentation; I look forward to seeing them onstage again soon! Bravo all!
You can find out more about YPCo and Neptune Theatre School HERE. You can also find them on Social Media: Facebook. Instagram (@neptunetheatreschool).
I was so happy to see that Atlantic Canada’s Legendary Drag Troupe Queens of the Glamazon have a show in Halifax Fringe this year! Their high energy, infectiously joyful and fabulously fun show was exactly what my Saturday Night at the Fringe both needed and wanted. Rouge Fatale, Eureka Love, and Farrah Moanz are exceptional lip sync performers and delightful hosts, and the space is made even more welcoming and accessible through the addition of an awesome ASL interpreter, Sandara Spears. If you love drag shows, I recommend you make sure to include this one on your Must-See Fringe list. If you have never seen a drag show before, I feel like this one would be a wonderful introduction. Seeing these performers interpret various pop songs, with dance, costumes and well thought out dramatic lip synced renditions of the song’s lyrics, creates a lovely communal feeling in the audience of empowerment, body positivity, and the triumph of creative self expression. There will be a different special guests at every Glamazon Show and tonight it was Mike Hunt, and they were also exceptional. It takes so much detail to be so precise with your lip syncing, especially while dancing at the same time and maintaining that level of connection with an audience, and Rouge, Eureka, Farrah and Mike make it look so easy. Queens of the Glamazon: Fierce at the Fringe is good for your heart, go and see it! I’m disappointed I won’t be able to see it twice.
Queens of the Glamazon: Fierce at the Fringe plays at the Neptune Theatre Scotiabank Studio (1589 Argyle Street) at the following times:
Monday, September 2nd at 9:30 PM
Saturday, September 7th at 5:15 PM
Sunday, September 8th at 1:15 PM, 9:05 PM.
Tickets are $10.00 and are available HERE. You can find the Queens of the Glamazon on Social Media: Facebook. Instagram (@queensoftheglamazon).
I finished up Day 3 by taking part in Garry Williams’ absolutely delightful Sing Along Show Tunez in the Neptune Studio Theatre lobby. Garry brings out a selection of Broadway fake books and takes requests for songs to play, which a small group of us sing along to- adding harmonies as we know them… helping one another with the lyrics. It’s a no-pressure, no-judgement, welcoming and joyful environment where folks bond over their shared love of musical theatre. I usually find singing in public anxiety-inducing, but I felt a lot more uninhibited tonight, a lot braver than I normally would be, and that I credit to Garry. If you ever get the opportunity to attend his Sing Along Show Tunez, grab your chance; you might end up getting to sing the role of your dreams!
The Halifax Fringe runs until September 8th, 2019. Schedules and tickets are available for all the shows HERE, at the venue of the show 30 minutes before it begins (cash or credit), or at the Fringe Hub at Neptune Theatre (1589 Argyle Street) from 10:00am-10:00pm daily during the festival.
Follow Halifax Fringe on Social Media: Facebook. Twitter. Instagram (@HalifaxFringe)
