Two entertaining shows in the air-conditioned splendor of The Neptune Studio kick off an evening that ended with a party at The Bus Stop. The social aspect of this year’s fringe makes for a great place to hear the buzz—-and people are certainly buzzing about Kingdom and Fatherland: Homeland Insecurity. (Review on that tomorrow)
Matthew Gorman could read the phone book and I’d listen, but fortunately he does something a little more interesting with his one-man show How Do You Feel. The piece starts with Gorman giving a little slide show about his early life with his professor dad. Family pictures are flashed on the screen—- baseball games, a family trip to Africa—- and the audience settles in for a sweet, gentle tale. The story takes a sharp turn when something very dramatic happens in The Gambia, and an even sharper turn when Gorman stops the show to inform the audience he’s been lying, attempting to make his life more interesting than it really is. From there, when he rambles off in another direction, you want to believe him, but can’t help but be wary. It’s a wonderful subversion of the typical, heartwarming life-journey fringe show.
I really can’t say enough about Rainer Hersch’s Victor Borge. This is the kind of beautifully crafted and performed show that you’d expect to pay top-dollar to see, yet it’s being offered here at Fringe prices. Hersch brings Danish comedian Victor Borge to life, complete with his distinct accent and staccato laugh, but he does so much more than an impersonation. This is a truly loving tribute from one funny man to another, a show that reveals a lot about Borge’s life and illuminates his comic genius. Hersch is a quick wit who peppers the show with spontaneous humour and references to Halifax. If you know Victor Borge’s work you’ll love this show, and if you don’t yet know it, you’re in for a real treat. Either way, how can you lose?
For shows times and locations visit www.atlanticfringe.ca
This article appears in Sep 1-7, 2011.