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For well over a decade, Alberta vocalist Melanie Gall has charmed fringe audiences with musical spins through the past. Now, she\u2019s bringing a remarkable piece of Canadian women\u2019s history into the light.<\/p>\n
In 1806, a young woman from the Orkney Islands disguised herself as a man, signed a contract with the Hudson\u2019s Bay Company, and became the first European woman to set foot in what was then called Rupert\u2019s Land. It\u2019s a fascinating tale, one more Canadians should know \u2014 but this may not be the right format to tell it.<\/p>\n
The 60-minute show unfolds almost entirely through 10 new songs. Gall has a gorgeous voice, pure as a bell. It\u2019s a pleasure to hear her sing, and there\u2019s an easy sweetness to her presence. Yet it doesn\u2019t feel as if we truly connect with the titular trailblazer until a short monologue near the end. Otherwise, the show never quite breaks the surface, and the melodic presentation of one suspected traumatic incident in Gunn\u2019s life is a touch uncomfortable.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Melissa Martin<\/p>\n
FISSION: THE DEATH OF DR. LOUIS SLOTIN<\/p>\n
MaxQ Productions<\/p>\n
Le Studio at Theatre Cercle Moliere (Venue 20), to July 26<\/p>\n
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\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Following the end of the Second World War, Winnipeg-born physicist Louis Slotin (Mark Hall) is exposed to radiation during an experiment, sending him and his colleague Al Graves to hospital. Graves grapples with telling Slotin\u2019s parents about their son\u2019s top-secret work as he reconciles his role in the accident.<\/p>\n This work by Winnipeg\u2019s Gilles Messier takes place across various cities and years; audience members unfamiliar with the Manhattan Project may find themselves playing catchup over the course of the 60-minute drama. The locally based eight-person cast does an admirable job condensing scientific experiments and significant historical moments, but moves on too quickly for the audience to connect with specific characters.<\/p>\n Just as history is often open to interpretation, it\u2019s not entirely clear how Slotin\u2019s death was remembered, prompting the crowd\u2019s need for additional reflection. Audiences with an interest in nuclear warfare and the Second World War will likely get the most of this performance.<\/p>\n \u2014 Nadya Pankiw<\/p>\n FLUNKED<\/p>\n Ashley Evans<\/p>\n PTE \u2014 Colin Jackson Studio (Venue 17), to Friday<\/p>\n \ud83d\udc7e\ud83d\udc7e\ud83d\udc7e 1\/2<\/p>\n Flunked does exactly what it says on the tin: it is a heartwarming dramedy \u2014 set to live piano melodies \u2014 about success, failure and the long walks in between.<\/p>\n This is a fringe debut for Orlando, Fla. -based improviser and musician Ashley Evans, who brings touching earnestness to her 50-minute solo act.<\/p>\n As both writer and director, Evans shows real chops. The narrative is neat and tidy, written to effortlessly breeze from lyrical to confessional and back again. The musical punctuation \u2014 Evans plays the keyboard off and on throughout \u2014 wonderfully solidifies the story\u2019s emotional beats. Evans is a musical director at Orlando\u2019s SAK Comedy Lab and uses that experience (plus her classical piano background) to great effect.<\/p>\n As performer, Evans has a big, warm presence and is at her best when she\u2019s engaged with the crowd. This is a musical monologue, and could benefit from a more tempered pace to leave more room for the jokes and emotional turns to land.<\/p>\n Overall, Flunked is a solid, sweet, well-presented debut.<\/p>\n \u2014 Julia-Simone Rutgers<\/p>\n FRINGE FAMILY FUN SHOW<\/p>\n Comedy Illusions of Greg Wood<\/p>\n John Hirsch Mainstage (Venue 1), to July 26<\/p>\n \ud83d\udc7e\ud83d\udc7e\ud83d\udc7e 1\/2<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Greg Wood apparently operates under the principle that the family that abracadabras together stays together. Hence, over the course of an hour, he makes his grandson levitate and he spins his granddaughter\u2019s head in a box without a word of complaint from his wife\/assistant Oonaugh.<\/p>\n Consistently family-friendly, Wood himself cracks dad jokes and puns between more surprising stunts, such as randomly pulling frozen popsicles out of his pocket.<\/p>\n The comedy bits in between keep the crowd engaged and laughing and he gives opportunities for both parents and kids to participate. It makes for an enjoyable experience and a fun night out at the fringe with the family.<\/p>\n \u2014Tiago Resko<\/p>\n ONE MORE TIME<\/p>\n HonourablyUnstable<\/p>\n School of Contemporary Dance (Venue 7), to Friday<\/p>\n \ud83d\udc7e\ud83d\udc7e\ud83d\udc7e<\/p>\n The premise of this raucous, 55-minute semi-improvised comedy is a game show set in hell, with Beelzebub as host. Points are awarded via segments such as a dating game in which the three hapless contestants try to woo Satan, and another in which the audience chooses which part of their internet search history the contestant must explain. The prize is that thing we crave above all else: attention.<\/p>\n There is no program to identify the five-member cast, but all have their individual charms. Jax is a lunkheaded gym rat who only cares about macros; Charlie is a know-it-all who loves books; Quinn put her dog on a diet so they can both be skinny queens and prizes her followers over all else. The actor playing the Devil is a delight.<\/p>\n For a goofy show, there\u2019s a good message about chasing likes, but momentum seriously flags partway through, and it\u2019s certainly best seen with a rowdy crowd who aren\u2019t afraid to heckle.<\/p>\n \u2014 Jill Wilson<\/p>\n RANDY AND ELIZABETH: A SAVAGE LOVE STORY<\/p>\n Macho Manitoban<\/p>\n Planetarium Auditorium (Venue 9), to July 26<\/p>\n \ud83d\udc7e\ud83d\udc7e\ud83d\udc7e\ud83d\udc7e 1\/2<\/p>\n
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