{"id":812684,"date":"2026-07-19T19:04:09","date_gmt":"2026-07-19T19:04:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/812684\/"},"modified":"2026-07-19T19:04:09","modified_gmt":"2026-07-19T19:04:09","slug":"fringe-reviews-13-achievement-unlocked-levelling-up-winnipeg-free-press","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/812684\/","title":{"rendered":"Fringe reviews #13: Achievement unlocked, levelling up \u2013 Winnipeg Free Press"},"content":{"rendered":"

BLACK FISH<\/p>\n

Raheno Art Company<\/p>\n

Theatre Cercle Molliere (Venue 3), to Friday<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udc7e\ud83d\udc7e\ud83d\udc7e\ud83d\udc7e<\/p>\n

This psychological drama begins with a border crossing officer (Ohad Winkler) needlessly bullying a young woman (Sima Sheibani) trying to enter an unnamed \u201cWestern\u201d country.<\/p>\n

All her documents are in order. But he challenges everything she says as if deliberately trying to deny her entry. She tries again. And again.<\/p>\n

Each exchange becomes more personal and surreal: He orders her to \u201cforget her mother tongue\u201d and asks her to tell a folktale from her birth country. He starts confusing her with characters from the folktale, or his dead girlfriend. The balance of power begins to shift\u2026<\/p>\n

Saskatoon\u2019s Raheno has given Winnipeg fringers a real challenge: this is no sit-back-and-relax show. You have to pay attention. It becomes hard to follow and almost exhausting at times. But if you can hang in there, the most moving moment of all is delivered by the actors directly to the audience, right at the end.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Janice Sawka<\/p>\n

EAST OF BERLIN<\/p>\n

Glitter & Sawdust<\/p>\n

Tom Hendry Warehouse (Venue 6), to Thursday<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udc7e\ud83d\udc7e\ud83d\udc7e\ud83d\udc7e<\/p>\n

Not your typical tale of Holocaust denialism, this 90-minute remount of Canadian playwright Hannah Moscovitch\u2019s drama transports audiences to the Paraguayan study of a retired physician who\u2019s accustomed to filling and filing atrocious orders in the names of medicine and Adolf Hitler.<\/p>\n

Rudi (a jittery Toby Hughes, playing the character as a teen and a young man) always knew his father was a particular kind of man: he keeps his fingernails immaculate, his desk organized and his lovemaking \u2014 16 thrusts, every time \u2014 as routine as clockwork. So when school chum Herman (a Bruno Antony-ish Paul Duncan) shares a hidden part of their shared immigration story, the fabric of Rudi\u2019s uniform existence begins to unravel.<\/p>\n

As Moscovitch\u2019s script twists, the naive Rudi is shepherded to the German archives, where his familiar attempts at redemption are given a human counterpoint by way of Sarah (Cora Matheson), who\u2019s visiting Europe to understand the splintered roots of a demolished family tree.<\/p>\n

Searing, discomfiting and painfully perverse \u2014 Rudi\u2019s fetishization of the Jewish Sarah swells when he asks her to sing the Mourner\u2019s Kaddish for him \u2014 East of Berlin offers a well-executed, if heavy-handed, examination of the banalities of evil and the profound fallacy of \u201csuperiority.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Ben Waldman<\/p>\n

THE GREEN GRAB<\/p>\n

All About Theatre Adults<\/p>\n

Tom Hendry Warehouse (Venue 6), to Saturday<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udc7e\ud83d\udc7e\ud83d\udc7e<\/p>\n

In L. Frank Baum\u2019s kid-lit classic, Kansas is a state of mind and security for Dorothy Gale, a teenage girl who gets carried away by a twister to a land called Oz. In this spirited spin, the flying monkeys are yes-men to a \u201clittle orange shoehorn\u201d who\u2019s been elevated to America\u2019s highest office.<\/p>\n

Cleverly ripped from the headlines to transport the Emerald City story to a suddenly besieged Greenland, this 50-minute musical treatment from Winnipeg\u2019s All About Theatre exists in a political environment defined by chest-puffing, ideological suppression and financial cutbacks: the Yellow Brick Road is down to its last ingot.<\/p>\n

Decked out in fringe-best costumes, this large, intergenerational cast gives it their all, blending dance, puppetry and impressions \u2014 the performer who dons Trump\u2019s wig will earn a place in your nightmares \u2014 to poke fun at the weakling in Washington. Unfortunately, the sum never reaches the heights of its better parts. However, The Green Grab still showcases a group of performers who clearly love what they do.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Ben Waldman<\/p>\n

THE NOT-SO-SECRET LIFE OF ROWENA RIDDLE<\/p>\n

Sherri Elle Theatre Projects<\/p>\n

MTYP Mainstage (Kids Venue), to Saturday<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udc7e\ud83d\udc7e\ud83d\udc7e<\/p>\n

Clunky superhero Rowena Riddle (Zoe Henderson) may be able to distract bank robbers and save people in burning buildings with her cache of riddles from the \u201cRiddleverse\u201d (at least she says so) \u2014 but she met her match in the vast space of the MTYP mainstage.<\/p>\n

Henderson\u2019s projection was insufficient to be heard beyond the first section of rows, and kids were noticeably restless (\u201cThis is silly!\u201d grumbled a little guy sitting near me.)<\/p>\n

Barefoot, dressed in pyjama leggings and goofy goggles, the character was amusing as she rummaged through her giant shopping bag for her supplies. At the end of the show, when she passed around riddles and invited kids onstage to help her tell them, the mood shot up \u2014 one little girl was positively glowing.<\/p>\n

This 45-minute act would be great in a smaller space or at birthday parties, where her rapport with children would flourish. But it falters at a distance. If you go, sit in the front rows.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Janice Sawka<\/p>\n

ON TIDY ENDINGS<\/p>\n

Pilgrims\u2019 Pieces<\/p>\n

The Rachel Browne Theatre (Venue 8), to July 26<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udc7e\ud83d\udc7e\ud83d\udc7e\ud83d\udc7e<\/p>\n

On Tidy Endings is part of American playwright Harvey Fierstein\u2019s 1980s trilogy Safe Sex. Written at the height of the AIDS epidemic, it presents a meeting between the ex-wife, Marion, and current husband, Arthur, of the man both loved intensely who has recently died of the disease.<\/p>\n

They \u201ctidy up\u201d his estate while showing us through their interaction the grief, fear and edgy despair of society at the time.<\/p>\n

At his best, Fierstein\u2019s plentiful wisecracks become aphorisms, while his on-the-edge sentimentality transforms into small but real tragedy.<\/p>\n

Any production of this 45-minute intimate drama must manage the volatile, knife-edged confrontation at the play\u2019s centre without tipping it into uncomfortable pathos. For the most part, the local group Pilgrims\u2019 Pieces avoids its pitfalls and admirably conveys the quiet beauty of the play, with strong performances from Kim Kay as Marion and especially Scott Pilgrim as Arthur.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Rory Runnells<\/p>\n

SAVING THE STATION<\/p>\n

Saving the Station<\/p>\n

School of Contemporary Dancers (Venue 7) to July 25<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udc7e\ud83d\udc7e\ud83d\udc7e<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"SUPPLIED
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSUPPLIED <\/p>\n

Saving the Station <\/p>\n

\u201cI loved radio as a child,\u201d says Jim Priebe. The sound was warm and so was the machine. \u201cThe tubes got hot \u2014 ouch.\u201d It wasn\u2019t the last time this host got burned by something he loved.<\/p>\n

Throughout this hour-long live broadcast, Priebe recounts the rise and supposed fall of a community radio station he helped start in Ontario\u2019s York Region that came to be known as WhiStle FM.<\/p>\n

The upswing of the station, which launched in 2005, was routinely called miraculous, and in Priebe\u2019s passionate telling, the community was eager to do what it could to help. But the radio couldn\u2019t glow without \u201cthe dull machinery underneath the dream.\u201d Things fell apart, paving the way for a boardroom mutiny: according to our narrator, hardly anyone was interested in doing the grunt work necessary to keep the station afloat.<\/p>\n

Saving the Station mostly becomes an occasion for the airing of grievances, rather than for meaningful insight into what Priebe might\u2019ve done differently. With a bit more introspection, the work would sound a lot better and ring a lot truer.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Ben Waldman<\/p>\n

THE TAMING OF THE SHREW<\/p>\n

Indifferently Reformed<\/p>\n

Dalnavert Museum (Venue 28), to July 26<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udc7e\ud83d\udc7e\ud83d\udc7e \u00bd<\/p>\n

Welcome to Padua U, home of the Fighting Shrew!<\/p>\n

Winnipeg\u2019s Indifferently Reformed troupe is having fun with Shakespeare again, setting the story in a loud \u2018n\u2019 lewd university setting. (Actors wear contemporary clothes but speak Elizabethan English.) They\u2019ve also transformed Shakespeare\u2019s classic Battle of the Sexes into a \u201cBattle of the Ages\u201d: Older spectators sat quietly, putting up with the segments of frat-boy humour, while those closer to the age of the actors lapped it up.<\/p>\n

All eight cast members had at least one shining moment apiece. But with this play, the focus is always on how to reconcile hellcat Kate\u2019s strong personality with her closing monologue urging women to be sweet and obedient.<\/p>\n

Here, Kate (Krista Austin) has found a way. Watch the unnatural smile\/smirk on her lips as she delivers the text. Methinks this Kate will not go gentle into yonder marriage bed after all.<\/p>\n

Final tip: Take heed, a overall merriment may depend on thine birthdate.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Janice Sawka<\/p>\n

TENDERLY: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF NAT KING COLE<\/p>\n

Duane Forrest Productions<\/p>\n

MTYP \u2014 Mainstage (Venue 21), to July 26<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udc7e\ud83d\udc7e\ud83d\udc7e\ud83d\udc7e\ud83d\udc7e<\/p>\n

Montreal-based actor\/musician\/playwright Duane Forrest, who electrified fringe audiences last year with his tribute to Bob Marley, returns, this time with an all-new, tender homage to American jazz icon Nat King Cole.<\/p>\n

The charismatic performer is a natural-born raconteur, charming us with his buttery-smooth vocals and easy guitar licks as he delivers such perennial Cole classics as Sweet Lorraine, Straighten Up and Fly Right and The Very Thought of You, seamlessly weaving them into his compelling narrative.<\/p>\n

The 75-minute musical also juxtaposes his own experiences of being racially profiled with those affecting Cole in 1950s America. His deeply felt performances of Strange Fruit, Smile and Nature Boy give true meaning to Unforgettable.<\/p>\n

More archival slide\/film projections would be welcome. A tiny vintage radio propped on a speaker feels weirdly superfluous. But these are mere quibbles for this otherwise arresting championing of dignity, grace, vision, and mostly, the power of resilience.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Holly Harris<\/p>\n

WHERE WE FLY FROM HOSPITAL BEDS<\/p>\n

Cy-Fi Studios<\/p>\n

Tom Hendry Warehouse (Venue 6), to July 26<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udc7e\ud83d\udc7e\ud83d\udc7e\ud83d\udc7e<\/p>\n

Two young Star Trek-obsessed sisters, Agnes and Margot, roleplay in the sci-fi world but all is not well. Agnes has cancer and the prognosis isn\u2019t encouraging. Considering their mother died of cancer, and their father is somewhat overwhelmed, the real future seems less optimistic than the show they love.<\/p>\n

Though it is only 45 minutes, local playwright Cyan Gargol\u2019s piece has more imagination and cool fluid style than what is offered in many longer plays dealing with how families deal with life and death.<\/p>\n

Gargol ingeniously weaves the inspiring appeal of the sisters\u2019 favourite show with how they come to terms with cancer. This works brilliantly when, during one part of their roleplaying, sock puppets appear as dangerous aliens only to become the cancer cells invading Agnes.<\/p>\n

The cast is variable but is able to deliver the key moments of the play with clarity and fervour. Gargol is a playwright to watch.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Rory Runnells<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"BLACK FISH Raheno Art Company Theatre Cercle Molliere (Venue 3), to Friday \ud83d\udc7e\ud83d\udc7e\ud83d\udc7e\ud83d\udc7e This psychological drama begins with…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":812685,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[194296],"tags":[49,48,22073],"class_list":["post-812684","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-winnipeg","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-winnipeg"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/812684","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=812684"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/812684\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/812685"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=812684"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=812684"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=812684"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}