7 must-see shows at Montreal’s 2016 Fringe Fest

Ah, when I think of summer in Montreal, I think of how the city comes alive, people love being outside, BBQing in the park with beers, dining & drinking on terrasses, the generally good nature of people you pass on the street as everyone wishes the current perfect weather could be like this all-year round. And then there’s the thing that gets patrons of the arts back into enclosed (and hopefully air-conditioned) & packed spaces, the city’s numerous festivals that pop up like the perennial lilacs we see everywhere.

If there’s one fest that gathers performing talent, local and outside, from every discipline, while returning all proceeds to their artists and rewarding volunteers and ticket holders with everything including free shows and dance parties, it’s the Montreal Fringe Festival.

No artistic direction, free reign, a preference for local acts, show selection by lottery, and tickets capped at $10. Did I mention all proceeds go back to the artists?

As a member of the audience, I’ll usually buy a few tickets for shows with the most buzz and even throw caution to the wind and be joyed at discovering something fun. So I decided to provide a “What to see” based on what I know and love, and that’s comedy with a sprinkling of a few evocative theatre productions. Here are my early picks (so far):

Star Trek: Discovery

Alright you trekkers, you’re gonna hate me, as I have a special spot in my heart for the original Star Trek series & movies. When Star Trek: The Next Generation was championed as being the best incarnation, I bypassed all that and jumped straight to the marginally liked Deep Space 9 & Voyager. My skrilla’s always gonna be on the underdog. Call me a Trekkie for not being a fully-committed fan. But when Black Box Montreal come to Chappelle Theatre to bring Star Trek: Discovery to the Fringe, hopefully trekkers & trekkies can set their evil eyes to ‘stun’. Marking the 50th anniversary of the franchise, Star Trek Discovery is the ultimate fan fic, hoping to hit all the marks that made Star Trek a classic: a lost colony is stumbled upon by the USS Discovery. Are they going to beam down a red shirt too? Cue the battle music and foam boulders. This is the world Premiere. Showtimes and tickets here.

The Kicker

After bringing Vance Gillis’s solo act, Everything is Normal, to Fringe last year, Oh Yeah No Kidding productions returns with a bigger cast & production crew to give us The Kicker.

The Kicker is an ensemble piece about the dirty male-dominated business of working for a failing TV sitcom in the 80s. An actor’s star can be easily extinguished by a more sensational one, friendships are tested in the face of inflated egos. Feelings are hurt. A comedy show about a comedy show behind the scenes. Other than being a solo performer, If you know Vance Gillis’ recent body of work, you’ll know he’s a master at creating homages to the greatest TV shows & movies of the 70s & 80s: Silver Ladies, Ski School, Camp Wanapoke (also playing at the Fringe), just to name a few. Showtimes and tickets here.

The Making of “Warm Mess” 

If the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavour Wavy Gravy were human, it’d be Hamhock Velvet. Always cheerful and possessing an uncanny wisdom that transcends the cosmos, join this stoner hippie rock n’ roller as he embarks on a journey through time that revisits the 50th anniversary of his quintessential album, Warm Mess. Get ready to hear the influential hits, to laugh hard, to suspend any predisposed beliefs you may come in with. Hamhock’s previous adventure, 2015’s Total Liquidation, was nominated for 2 Frankie Awards last February, being a favourite at last year’s Fringe and again at Theatre Ste Catherine earlier this year. Showtimes and tickets here.

ATM: The Musical

An instant hit last year at Theatre Ste Catherine, Alain Mercieca & his Nouveau International rag tag posse of super-talented players bring ATM: The Musical to the Fringe. If you’re into South Park style of satirical musical comedies, definitely do yourself a favour and come watch a modern day love story unfold between a financial big shot and a working girl barely scraping by, set amidst an economic crisis. Dialogue effortlessly alternates between English & French, while a Donald Trumpesque character gives us reason to side with the lower classes struggling to make it. This musical has it all; even the ATM’s got lines! Takeway sweet line that’ll teleport your butts to the show? “It’s time you deposited your tongue into the vault of my mouth.” Showtimes and tickets here.

Camp Wanapoke

You know those John Hughes movies that have high schoolers getting into trouble and questioning life and then ending off better than where they began? This one’s about wild & hormonal teenagers running a camp where they make a huge discovery about themselves and the world they previously took for granted, all the while testing the fragile bonds in their friendships. Find out why experiencing a great, themed improvised narrative unfold is akin to watching a compelling TV show or campy film. Featuring the same players who were in previous teen-centric romp Ski School, these hard working performers are already involved in various Fringe shows right now: DJ Mausner, Martha Graham, Emily Bilton, Taylor Ray, Seth Galina, Alex Brown, David Kaufman and Jamie Guy Métivier. Showtimes and tickets here.

Get Your Shuffle On

Laura Flynn is no stranger to Fringe; she’s also an active member in the improv, sketch, stand-up and storytelling scene. Wherever there’s a festival with a performance portion, you’re likely to see her name tied to a solo show or a joint production in the program.

An idea that’s been brewing in her imaginative head for several years now, Get Your Shuffle On is her first one-person offering to Fringe audiences. Inspired by her upbringing as an only child in her native Dundalk, Ireland, this Montreal transplant involves the crowd by getting them to pick from a deck of cards that will shape her characters & their adventure. There are definitely some Improv traits that help to play scenes along in a very unique way.

You won’t want to miss it, as she generated a lot of love & buzz performing a 2-minute excerpt of her show at the Fringe For All showcase a few days ago. You can also catch her battling for lip sync supremacy at Lip Schtick, and for her strumming acrobatics at Fringe’s Air Guitar 2016 Championships. Showtimes and tickets here.

Self-Exile

Nisha Coleman’s Self-Exile is a last-minute addition to the fringe. She is often a presence at storytelling events such as Yarn & Confabulation. This writer, performer, and master raconteur brings us her autobiographical one-person show, drawing from her infancy spent in the swamplands, all the way to her young adult life busking on the streets of Paris. Colourful and frank, she manages to find the humour in difficult situations. This is a compelling true tale about her trials & tribulations, her self-discovery through embodying many personas throughout her early life. Catch her performance before she takes Self-Exile to the Toronto Fringe Fest. Showtimes and tickets here.

So there you have it, my picks are but a tiny portion of what the multi-headed “variety pack” mega fest that Fringe has on offer. I’m on my way to discover many more acts throughout the fest. Apart from comedy, theatre, spoken word, and dance performances, leaf through the program to read up on musical sets from local bands, check out some Fringe art, hang out in the Fringe park with a few beers, find info on dance parties, karaoke/pinball soirees, slow dancing and many more extra-fringe activities!

For the complete Fringe schedule and tickets visit 2016.montrealfringe.ca.