The 37th edition of the 色色啦 Fringe Festival is now running through July 13 at venues across the city. This summer’s festival features more than 100 productions, including new musicals, clown comedies and family dramas.听
The Star will have comprehensive coverage of the 2025 Fringe, including reviews of roughly three dozen productions from Joshua Chong, Glenn Sumi and Alexa MacKie. In the spirit of the Fringe, the Star will not be awarding star ratings. Instead, recommended productions will be denoted with a 鈥淐ritic鈥檚 Pick鈥 designation.
Screamin’ in the Rain
Eli Pasic, the writer and star of “Screamin’ in the Rain.”听
Courtesy of Pasic ProductionsCritic’s Pick听
By Eli Pasic. Until July 13 at the Canadian Music Centre, 20 St. Joseph St.
How can a show so filthy also be so smart? That is what you’ll likely ask yourself after watching 鈥 no, experiencing 鈥 Eli Pasic’s ruthlessly hilarious one-man show, performed with nothing more than a microphone and concert piano. There’s not much of a narrative to “Screamin’ in the Rain.” Instead, what Pasic offers is an evening of song and storytelling. But this isn’t a show for those easily offended. Pasic goes to places you don’t expect 鈥 then drags you along five miles further. His opening song plunges you right into the deep end with a ditty about suicide. Another song about people who love their pets too much turns out to be laced with double entendres about bestiality. Pasic’s mostly original songs are always tuneful, with ragtime rhythms and jazzy melodies. Cheeky and unabashedly dirty, this not-to-be-missed show will leave you grinning from ear to ear. 鈥 Joshua Chong听
Jimmy Hogg: The Potato King
Jimmy Hogg鈥檚 rambunctious one-man performance takes centre stage in “The Potato King.”听
Courtesy of Alan ComptonCritic’s Pick听
By Jimmy Hogg, directed by Peter Stevens. Until July 13 at VideoCabaret, Deanne Taylor Theatre, 10 Busy St.听
Comedian and writer Jimmy Hogg is the only person onstage in “The Potato King.” But his rapid-fire delivery and constant fourth wall breaks make his performance feel less like a one-man show and more like a family celebration rife with laughter and inside jokes. Hogg details his life full of love, starting with how his parents met and his journey of cycling through different girlfriends. Flailing about with wild gestures and leaps toward the audience sitting along all four walls, Hogg is careful to ensure that none are left out. His jabs at VideoCabaret鈥檚 unconventional seating and how the first show started five minutes late make the play鈥檚 humour realistic and relatable, balancing his deeply personal, unusual stories of sex club endeavours and perfected potato recipes. The 12-time Best of Fringe show is sharp and expertly written and performed, thanks to Hogg鈥檚 rambunctious and heartfelt delivery. 鈥 Alexa MacKie听
Songs by a Wannabe
Barbara “Babz” Johnston adds a touch of Ginger to “Songs by a Wannabe.”听
Courtesy of ScreamsmediaCritic’s Pick听
By Barbara 鈥淏abz鈥 Johnston, directed by Mitchell Cushman. Until July 13 at Soulpepper Theatre鈥檚 Michael Young Theatre, 50 Tank House Lane.
Spice up your Fringe by taking in Barbara “Babz” Johnston鈥檚 entertaining and heartfelt solo show loosely inspired by her side gig as a member of a Spice Girls tribute act. After graduating from theatre school and being continually passed over at auditions, she joins some musician friends to begin performing as the British quintet. Small venues turn into bigger ones and a North American tour seems like a breakthrough until she hits a personal and professional roadblock, which contributes to the structure of the show. While the piece 鈥 part of the curated Next Stage Theatre Festival 鈥 could be finessed, Johnston is a likeable, grounded performer, belting out a half-dozen catchy original songs (written by her and Anika Johnson) with commitment, even when telling her story with Spice Girls dolls or traversing the stage in six-inch platform shoes. 鈥 Glenn Sumi
A Part of the Story
The company of “A Part of the Story.”
Courtesy of Olive Oil and Sketchy ToastBy Livvy Hayward and Alma Maltaric. Until July 12 at Soulpepper Theatre’s RBC Finance Studio, 50 Tank House Lane.听
This play has more integrity than the vast majority of the teenage dramas on our stages and airwaves these days. Why? Maybe because it’s actually written and performed by teenagers. Set entirely in a grungy high school washroom, Livvy Hayward and Alma Maltaric’s story centres on a group of teenage girls, all navigating their complicated relationships with each other. The story may be somewhat reminiscent of “Mean Girls,” but these characters feel far more rounded than Tina Fey’s stock figures, while the dialogue feels far more true to what you might overhear in a high school these days. Some of the play’s tonal shifts, especially when it veers into the supernatural, could be smoother.听There are also moments when “A Part of the Story” drags.听(The static staging and long scene transitions don’t help.) But it’s more than made up for by the talent of this young company and the refreshing honesty of their storytelling. 鈥 Joshua Chong听
Almost Ever After 鈥 A New Musical听
The cast delivers a beautiful vocal performance of Andrew Seok鈥檚 “Almost Ever After 鈥 A New Musical.”听
Courtesy of Andrew SeokWritten and directed by Andrew Seok. Until July 13 at Artists鈥 Play, 388 Carlaw Ave.
Strings of light bulbs overhead cast a golden glow upon the stage. It鈥檚 clean, simple and undeniably bright 鈥 much like Andrew Seok鈥檚 new musical, “Almost Ever After.” Seok is no stranger to Fringe, having penned “Unravelled,” “The Man with the Golden Heart” and “Rosamund.” His latest 90-minute musical effort blends pop and acoustic melodies following vignettes of six couples at various relationship milestones: the meet-cute, a pregnancy scare and an endangered marriage. The 12-person main cast brilliantly plays their characters鈥 ups and downs, tackling the score with powerful belts and feather-light harmonies. The show falters with slightly repetitive lyrics and songs that 鈥 though catchy and sweet 鈥 fail to advance the jam-packed plot of interconnected storylines (some of which are far more emotionally interesting than others). Ultimately, the songs of love and all the baggage that comes with it are rife with powerhouse vocals and optimism. It鈥檚 a warm and feel-good watch, despite its occasional lulls. 鈥 Alexa MacKie听
Something to Look Forward To
Joanne O’Sullivan has a great rapport with the audience in “Something to Look Forward To.”听
Courtesy of Ramy AridaBy Joanne O鈥橲ullivan, directed by Allana Harkin. Until July 12 at VideoCabaret Deanne Taylor Theatre听
Solo performer Joanne O鈥橲ullivan brings a refreshing openness and knowing sense of humour to her candid look at how, in the past several years, she grieved three enormous losses in her personal life. While the hour-long show suffers from a couple of false starts, including one about dealing with menopause, once she gets into her story proper she鈥檚 frequently mesmerizing. Director Allana Harkin helps heighten several moments 鈥 including the show鈥檚 central image of a childhood snowmobiling accident 鈥 with care. There鈥檚 especially good use of a trunk full of props to suggest people O鈥橲ullivan has lost. And while some sound and lighting effects could be subtler, the writer鈥檚 sense of detail and her questing spirit are moving and respectful. Above all, she has a great rapport with the audience. Since she performs in the round, there鈥檚 nowhere to hide 鈥 a fitting metaphor for the show鈥檚 honesty. 鈥 Glenn Sumi听
#1 Clown Comedy With Victor & Priscilla听
Eric Amaral as Miss Priscilla Luff and Julie Vanderlip as Mr. Victor Luff in ”#1 Clown Comedy With Victor & Priscilla.”听
Courtesy of #1 色色啦 Fringe Clown ComedyBy Aaliya Alibhai, Natalie Kaye and Nina Kaye, directed by Kyra Keith. Until July 13 at VideoCabaret, Deanne Taylor Theatre
This frisky, purposefully ahistorical new comedy, staged in-the-round at VideoCabaret, feels like “Oh, Mary!” but in reverse. Whereas the hit Broadway show follows a boozed up Mary Todd Lincoln looking to escape the clutches of her first ladyship and become a cabaret star, ”#1 Clown Comedy With Victor & Priscilla” follows a pair of poor, Victorian-era vaudeville performers who want to quit the stage and learn how to live as “upper-crust toffs” for the rest of their lives. The humour, much of it physical comedy, comes fast and furious in director Kyra Keith’s production. Julie Vanderlip and Eric Amaral, both performing in drag, are particularly hilarious as the show’s titular siblings, often breaking the fourth wall and interacting with the audience. But the play itself can’t quite maintain its fervid pacing through to its conclusion, which ends on somewhat of a whimper compared to the rest of the show. 鈥 Joshua Chong听
Quiz Icarus
By Nam Nguyen and Aaron Brown. Until July 13 at the Helen Gardiner Phelan Playhouse, 79 St. George St.听
色色啦nians Nam Nguyen and Aaron Brown recount their love of trivia and all the steps that led to them appearing, separately, on the U.S. game show “Jeopardy!” in this underdeveloped storytelling show that cries out for dramaturgy (no director is listed) and even a basic sense of design. Brown, who runs the trivia site , can be excused for his discomfort onstage (at the performance I saw he consulted a script). Nguyen, however, has several hit Fringe shows under his belt and has studied theatre, so his uninspired, rapid-fire delivery of his lines is more disappointing. Despite some intriguing facts and a few insights about self-confidence, the show ultimately scores low marks in all categories. However, the opportunity to compete against one of the actors at the end of the show should appeal to trivia buffs. — Glenn Sumi
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