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Seasons of Souls (A)

This beautiful dance piece is one of my favourite festival experiences so far. A stunning ensemble of dancers brings to life Sydney Keir’s bold, varied, and emotional choreography with thrilling athleticism. Through a variety of pieces ranging from solos to full group numbers, each dancer is given a moment to stand out. Particularly memorable are a powerful pas de trois and a solo set to a breaking down “Both Sides Now” as well as the climactic group number set to Max Richter’s stunning “Spring 1”. The thematic throughline isn’t the most detectable but it’s also somewhat unnecessary as, even completely abstract, this piece is far from lacking in impact.

 

Orbit (A-)

Something there aren’t usually very many of at the Fringe is well-executed straight plays. Complex in theme but simple in structure, this real-time two-hander is smartly constructed by writer/director Sarini Kumarasinghe to make a big impact without too many bells and whistles. A pair of projected backgrounds form the main set as two characters (a working immigrant lost in space on her commute home and the bored customer service agent she calls for help) connect over a phone call. Kumarasinghe’s script is funny, fast, sad, and topical without hitting you over the head with it and Ivy Miller and Will King’s performances are lived-in and well-paced. Though tech and line issues afflicted the performance I attended, they didn’t seem to be the sort that would affect future shows and I’d hardly want you to miss such a solid offering over a dying laptop.

 

2% of Condoms (B+)

The somewhat loose premise of ‘we both have absentee dads after accidental pregnancies’ leaves this two-hander with a bit of a ramshackle structure. It is, ultimately, however, not so much about Nikki Bon and Claire Cavalheiro’s daddy issues so much as about the ongoing work of keeping a friendship together between two very different people. The sad undertones baked into the premise and clear-eyed understanding of the compromise present in every relationship elevate this comedy and keep the audience invested even a little overtime as the pair navigate obstacles that would break a weaker love.

 

Potato Potato Saves the World? (B-)

I love a strong premise tying a sketch show together and politically driven sketch troupe Potato Potato have gone high concept here with a frame device that sees the earth under attack by aliens and somehow this little troupe needs to save the world with comedy. Potato Potato are better singers than most sketch comedians who insist on doing parody songs so their best work is when music meets their other strong suit- Doug Ford jokes. They try to little success to make their political criticism two-sided and Canadian-focused but Mark Carney’s just not a funny target and all his stuff falls flat. Doug, though, he’s the gift that keeps on giving as Callan Forrester’s solo about desperately just wanting to be the mayor of Toronto instead of the Premiere of Ontario slays, as does a group number based on “Cell Block Tango”. Not every sketch hits as hard and, to be honest, sometimes the political stuff can get a little lecture-y but Potato Potato is a solid group and this show is well thought out.

 

At Home with the Bards (C-)

This ho-hum comedy features way too many characters (nine!) and doesn’t lean nearly hard enough on style. It’s unclear what kind of comedy this was meant to be. There’s basically nothing in the way of real stakes so it’s not a dramedy. The cast mostly just stands or sits to deliver all their lines so it’s not physical comedy or farce. And there simply aren’t enough jokes to make it any other sort. It just kind of is. There seems to be an inkling of pun-loving dad-humour style but even that’s not seen through with any real commitment. For something like this that is more of a premise than a plot, the comedy has to go hard so this show really needs to decide what kind of comedy it wants to be.

 

Celine & Cher: Divine Divas (D)

This ramshackle solo show ostensibly about the life lessons we can learn from Celine and Cher has no real structure, failing tech, and a performer who can neither hit the notes nor remember the lyrics to the songs mentioned (but never informatively analyzed). Both thoughtless in construction and underprepared in execution, this kind of low-effort work that relies on known names to draw audiences is the most frustrating kind of Fringe show.