The largest performing arts festival east of Montreal turns 33 this year. The Halifax Fringe Festival is back once again and is set to bring more than 40 shows to over half a dozen venues across the HRM. From Aug. 30 to Sept. 10, you’ll find a dizzying range of acts at this year’s Fringe, from the absurd (Actual Magic, The Eternal Ballroom, When Will You Be Well Again?) to the participatory (All Request Radio, meSSeS) to the family-friendly (A Monster’s Journey, Halifax Newcomer Choir Fringe Sing-Along). Let us walk you through every show that’s been announced so far—and where to get tickets.
Actual Magic: “Halifax magician and actual wizard Vincenzo Ravina returns with a new weird magic show for YOU, specifically and in particular. There might be: Divination! Puzzles! Unexpected friendships! Artworks! Playing cards! Murder! Actual Magic is funny, mystifying, absurd and experimental.” | Aug. 31, Sept. 2, 5, Neptune Theatre (Scotiabank Stage), $18.25 (tickets and showtimes)
Adam Believes in Himself (Now): “After a lifetime of downplaying his incredible talents, Adam has finally decided to believe in himself. The first stand-up comedy special by Halifax comedian Adam Myatt, ABIH(N) memorializes the moment a man plagued by anxiety and self doubt pulls himself together long enough to perform an unforgettable night of comedy and flamboyant outfits. Come for the laughs, stay for the looks!” | Sept. 7-8, Bus Stop Theatre (Main Stage), $18.25 (tickets and showtimes)
COAST PICK: All Request Radio: “The daily Top 10 Countdown of your favourite made-up songs, with a twist—neither the audience nor The Velvet Duke will know which audience song title or musical backing track will be created next! Each performance is a new, fully improvised jukebox musical curated by your imagination.” | Aug. 31-Sept. 3, 5-8, Neptune Theatre (Windsor Studio), $18.25 (tickets and showtimes)
The America Show!: “Want to improve your knowledge of United States culture, politics and customs? Want to protect yourself and your loved ones from the dangers of everyday Canadian life? Then join Jessica Kissinger, head cultural expert from the US Department of Manifest Destiny, at The America Show!: A new, immersive cultural seminar coming to a Fringe festival near you.” | Sept. 4-6, 8-10, Bus Stop Theatre (Community Room), $6.75-$18.25 (tickets and showtimes)
An Angel in India | Sept. 1-3, 5-6, Neptune Theatre (Imperial Room), $14.80 (tickets and showtimes)
A Monster’s Journey: “This monster’s journey begins when Monster Town has been taken over by fighting! Someone must take the magical potion to the Lowry’s well to save the day. Along the way, we’ll encounter creatures of all shapes and sizes, but Goober has been told to make sure no emotions get close to the potion. Created by Laura Stinson, Rachel Lloyd and Noella Murphy, featuring a host of puppets made by Laura Stinson and a set by Ian MacFarlane, this show is for monsters of all ages who want to have some fun while watching a Goober navigate all the emotions.” | Aug. 31-Sept. 4, Art Gallery of Nova Scotia Lecture Theatre, $6.75 (tickets and showtimes)
A Side of Rice: Nick Rice describes himself as a “nice Jewish kid from Winnipeg.” Growing up without a father, he says, he had to “work very hard to determine what it means to be a gentleman—both gentle and a man.” In A Side of Rice, the Fringe theatre veteran, teacher, father and cancer survivor tells stories from his life—“some stories are sad, many are funny, all are totally true,” Rice says. | Aug. 31-Sept. 4, 6, Bus Stop Theatre (Community Room), $18.25 (tickets and showtimes)
Bad Bad Boy: “Four-time theatre festival winner Steven Andrews tells a hilarious and vulnerable true story about looking for romance in all the wrong places. Featuring Sith lords, hair, chain-smoking gurus, 80’s pop music and intimidating huntresses, this one-man show will have you on the edge of your seat with laughter, dread and fascination.” | Aug. 31, Sept. 2-4, 6-7, 9, Art Gallery of Nova Scotia Lecture Theatre, $18.25 (tickets and showtimes)
Brown Wasp: Written by Meah Martin, Brown Wasp “pulls you into the funny, self-deprecating world of Sarah, a woman in the throes of an edgy inner journey through illness, healing and redemption. Sarah’s reflections on the horrors of disease and her ravaged body are both wickedly funny and beautifully evocative.” | Aug. 31-Sept. 2, 6-10, Neptune Theatre (Imperial Room), $12.50 (tickets and showtimes)
COAST PICK: Darling: “On the cusp of a big move, 40-year-old Gwendolyn feels uneasy about her life’s trajectory. One night—in a dreamlike state—she receives three visitors: Her younger self, her future being and a recent ex-boyfriend. They materialize to remind Gwendolyn what it means to have confidence and conviction. But, does this fall-down-the-rabbit-hole time warp create a sweet moment for clarity... or cause a major cosmic shift?” | Sept. 1-2, 6-7, Art Gallery of Nova Scotia Lecture Theatre, $12.50 (tickets and showtimes)
The Draft | Aug. 31-Sept. 6, 8-10, Bus Stop Theatre (Community Room)
Drawn Up: “Created by comedian Luba Magnus (NPR, Paste Magazine, SiriusXM), Drawn Up is a unique experience like no other: It’s live comedy, hosted by cartoons. Yes, that’s right. The Sun and the Moon are your hosts for the evening, presenting you with pre-animated sketches, as well as some of Luba’s best stand-up comedy. Having originated at Toronto’s Comedy Bar, previous cartoons from Drawn Up have appeared on Funny or Die, The Animation Blog and more. This show is silly, surreal and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.” | Sept. 3-5, Art Gallery of Nova Scotia Lecture Theatre, $12.50-$18.25 (tickets and showtimes)
The Eternal Ballroom: “Through dialogue, physicality and spatial narrative, the characters of The Eternal Ballroom go on a journey of existential discovery in an absurd realm that straddles fantasy and reality. This dark comedy takes audiences on a deep dive into the human experience that has moments of lighthearted discovery, absurd silliness and gentle provocation.” | Sept. 2-7, 9-10, Bus Stop Theatre (Main Stage), $15.95 (tickets and showtimes)
Faggotland: “You, Me and The Other One … navigate their relationships to one another and to themselves. Faggotland is about the peaks and valleys of being gay and transgender. It asks you to hold on, because there is so much to look forward to.” | Sept. 3, 8, 10, Bus Stop Theatre (Main Stage), $15.95 (tickets and showtimes)
Forest World: “What does Twelfth Night have to do with tree planting?” | Sept. 6-10, Point Pleasant Park (Cambridge Battery), $12.50 (tickets and showtimes)
The Generalist (I Don’t Wanna Die Yet!): “A musical stand-up comedy piece that explores the crisis of searching for one’s ultimate life objective—and questioning if there needs to be one in the first place. After all, it’s never too late to reclaim a little repressed angst. Using music, theatre and visual arts, The Generalist attempts to frantically force various personal expressions and interests into one blob of a show. It is a 25-minute existential crisis, engaging a battle between time and curiosity—with pit stops at esteem, love and safety on the way.” | Aug. 31, Sept. 2-3, 5, Neptune Theatre (Windsor Studio), $12.50 (tickets and showtimes)
Halifax Newcomer Choir Fringe Sing-Along: “All are welcome to join The Unnatural Disaster Theatre Co. & The Halifax Newcomer’s Choir to listen—or sing along—to some amazing choral music at the 2023 Halifax Fringe! This is a casual, community building, sing-along event open to all ages—if you are a newcomer, a local, or anywhere in between. Digital sheet music will be provided for those who would like it, but no music experience is required!” | Sept. 9, St. Andrew’s United Church, $5-$10 (tickets and showtimes)
Hello City Presents: Journey to the Citadel: “A fantastical improvised adventure full of daring doo-doo. An evil wizard has spread chaos magic across the realm of Hell-oc-itai, and an unlikely troupe of adventurers must band together to journey to the Wizard’s Citadel, defeat their army of terrifying monsters and save the realm!” | Aug. 31-Sept. 3, 6, 10, Neptune Theatre (Scotiabank Stage), $18.25 (tickets and showtimes)
The History of Stolen Art: “An artist who’s an advocate for originality in the industry tries to convey his love and passion for the arts while also spreading awareness to be vigilant of the ones who steal and call it their own.” | Aug. 31-Sept. 4, Art Gallery of Nova Scotia Lecture Theatre, $12.50 (tickets and showtimes)
“Is it Getting Hot in Here?”: “It’s the not too far future and Nova Scotians are really feeling the effects of global warming—some have a plan for survival, some do not, and some are still in deep denial while their homes are deep in the rising waters of the ocean. A sketch comedy revue about global warming.” | Aug. 31, Sept. 2-3, 5-6, 8-10, Neptune Theatre (Scotiabank Stage), $14.80 (tickets and showtimes)
Issued in Color: “Joseph and Carlo team up to create a comic book that could dictate the future of their careers in the industry forever. After hearing about [an] opportunity to submit … to one of the most famous publishers in the country, [the show begins] with them jumping at the opportunity. The two decide that their masterfully crafted heroes, Pandion and The Falconet, must work together to take down Toronto’s most diabolical villain: Doctor Discord. Under pressure of cultural differences, the lines begin to blur as friendships are tested. Will they prevail? Or forever end up divided?” | Sept. 5, 7, 9-10, Neptune Theatre (Imperial Room), $6.75 (tickets and showtimes)
Jimmy Hogg: The Potato King: Described as “hysterically tangential” by NOW Toronto and the “king of big laughs” by the Edmonton Journal, award-winning British comedian Jimmy Hogg brings his act to Halifax for the first time. | Sept. 4-10, Art Gallery of Nova Scotia Lecture Theatre, $18.25 (tickets and showtimes)
COAST PICK: Jo & Frankie: A Live Read: “A queer romantic comedy—think Go Fish (queer women) meets Before Sunrise (who talk a lot). A follow-up reading to the 2021 sellout Lakeview (soon to be a minor motion picture) by Tara Thorne, Jo & Frankie is about two women who meet and can’t deny their spark. Though both are happily married, Frankie’s relationship is open and Jo’s isn’t. But sometimes, a slow dance alters the trajectory of your life in a way you never saw coming.” | Sept. 1-2, Bus Stop Theatre (Main Stage), $14.80 (tickets and showtimes)
COAST PICK: Knight of the Bat 2: Act of the Assemblers: “The sequel this universe deserves: Playwright/playboy Will Shakespeare—AKA the courageous Knight of the Bat—is about to square off with his greatest foe to date, writing a sequel! Unsure of his place in the world, Shakespeare travels the Multi-Spheres, only to land in the Marvellous Theatrical Universe, one ruled by the Assemblers™: A mysterious team of superheroes dedicated to protecting the Realm and producing as much content as possible. Will the Knight of the Bat fit into a new franchise? Is there more to the Assemblers than meets the eye?? Can a sequel ever top the original??? Let's find out! (And if you missed the first one, don't worry!)” | Sept. 4-8, 10, Bus Stop Theatre (Main Stage), $12.50 (tickets and showtimes)
Last Light: “Ghosts! Shadows! Greek mythical figures! Some Freud, unfortunately, and… doors? Last Light takes you on a journey through the halls of the mind. Exploring memories, dreams, nightmares and hope.” | Sept. 9-10, Bus Stop Theatre (Main Stage), $6.75-$18.25 (tickets and showtimes)
Liminal idEntities: “A surrealist constellation of playlets! As a spirit in limbo, you’ll first be whisked off to hell by your devilish tour guide George, then visit trans man Mac in one of his multiple realities—like the one where he chats with the ghost of a former lover. Visit a possible future where oxygen is in short supply and suicide is not illegal or immoral. And join a ceremony that grieves the future and celebrates the now. Clear as mud? See you soon!” | Aug. 31-Sept. 3, 5-10, Neptune Theatre (Imperial Room), $12.50 (tickets and showtimes)
Man Crush Monday with Colin Sick: “This all-star, all-king cast boasts many of your favourite local drag superstars, emerging and established, as they each take the stage to prove that kings can rule just as hard as queens. Hosted by Colin Sick, Man Crush Monday is guaranteed to open your mind and rock your world.” | Sept. 1, Neptune Theatre (Scotiabank Stage), $6.75-$18.25 (tickets and showtimes)
meSSeS: Solo circuS: “Janoah The Jester juggles several tasks simultaneously: Performing and teaching! Part performance, part workshop, YOU learn to juggle as you watch this (optionally interactive) experience. Precarious unicycling, shimmering puppetry, jaw-dropping juggling… Janoah tosses together art forms to tell a tale of learning and labour. And (of course!) what circus would be complete without popcorn and banana peels?” | Sept. 6-10, Neptune Theatre (Windsor Studio), $18.25 (tickets and showtimes)
Millennius 2: Life Lessons from the 80s: “Every era has its leaders, its philosophers and its enlightened. No era was more filled with such scholarly thinkers as the glorious 1980s. Millennius 2 offers scholarly and artistic interpretations of the brilliance that was the music of Pepsi Generation. Audience members are eligible for their very own PhD from Bailey College.” | Sept. 1-3, 5-6, Neptune Theatre (Windsor Studio) $6.75 (tickets and showtimes)
MoeFlo’s Chaotic Improv: “Chaos comes in threes…” | Aug. 31-Sept. 4, Bus Stop Theatre (Main Stage), $10.20 (tickets and showtimes)
COAST PICK: My Queer Audacity: IKEA Furniture: “An exploration of the trans day-to-day experience through IKEA furniture, focusing on the fear and frustration around building and rebuilding oneself. A night of drag, fun, frustration and queer audacity.” | Aug. 31, Bus Stop Theatre (Main Stage), $18.25 (tickets and showtimes)
The Object at Trash Beach: “It’s the last day of the season at the shittiest beach around—but what happens when something inexplicable appears over the water? Garbage collectors, citizen scientists, lifeguards and snacks: This 20-minute comedy will have you questioning whether we can ever truly know if we are alone out there. We want to believe!” | Sept. 4-10, Point Pleasant Park (Cambridge Battery), $6.75 (tickets and showtimes)
The One Man Manny Dingo Show: “This show brings the character Manny Dingo and the person behind the character to life by telling about how Manny Dingo changed Joee’s life.” | Sept. 1-2, Bus Stop Theatre (Main Stage), $18.25 (tickets and showtimes)
ONE NIGHT ONLY: “Following a distressing call from the RCMP, one must dance, frolic and downward dog away the existential dread... at least until morning. Nicholas Eddie (two-time Dora award winner) brings to life a darkly comic cabaret following a forlorn protagonist as he duly asks the ultimate question: ‘What the fuck?’ ONE NIGHT ONLY is an electric exploration of happiness, how we get there and what it means to keep going.” | Sept. 3-7, 9-10, Bus Stop Theatre (Main Stage), $14.80 (tickets and showtimes)
Panopticonica: “A dance piece that explores the tension between our desire to connect with one another and the paralysis created by our state of perpetual internal surveillance. It examines the way in which the social judgments placed upon us can grow into a deeply felt sense of shame which ultimately causes us to become trapped within our own minds, too afraid to pursue the genuine closeness that we desperately want to feel. It investigates the self-surveillance that keeps us separated from one another, what this costs us, and the courageous process of forming community in spite of this.” | Sept. 1-2, 8-10, House of Eights Dance Studio, $18.25 (tickets and showtimes)
Paper Flowers | Sept. 8, Bus Stop Theatre (Main Stage), $12.50 (tickets and showtimes)
Rantings of a Radical: “Vicky Levac presents one tiny woman, one big wheel, one hour and 10 topics. What could go wrong?” | Aug. 31-Sept. 3, Neptune Theatre (Imperial Room), $6.75 (tickets and showtimes)
Shirley Knot the Siren: “This gal is from New York and is bringing you some of her New York antics in classic cabaret style, but with a slight operatic twist. Shirley finds herself “Washed Up” on the shores of Halifax all the way from New York and laments at the trials of middle age: Excess blubber, sea fog and seemingly becoming invisible. She’ll have you laughing out loud one minute and nodding your head in empathy the next as she takes you on a journey of songs and salty jokes.” | Sept. 1-6, 8-10, Bus Stop Theatre (Community Room), $18.25 (tickets and showtimes)
Speaking Vibrations: “A unique, contemporary and genre-defying performance work that explores four performers’ diasporic identities, stories and relationships with one another through sign language, percussive dance, movement and song. Sounds, songs and stories are experienced visually through ASL song/poetry, dynamic graphics and captions, aurally through vocals and percussive dance, and sensorially through feeling and vibration—select audience members will have access to vibrotactile devices which translate live sound into vibration.” | Sept. 1-3, Neptune Theatre (Scotiabank Stage), $12.50-$18.25 (tickets and showtimes)
Spine and Socket Kiss the World | Sept. 2-4, Bus Stop Theatre (Community Room), $12.50 (tickets and showtimes)
Spontaneity Improv Co. Presents: Spontaneity Super Slam!: “Our best improv battle yet! Watch as different improv teams get together and compete. The face, the heel and the evil producer will grace the stage in our wrestling-themed Fringe show. Our performers will wear wild costumes and smack talk each other until the best of the best enter the ring and win their battle. Improv prompts, short form games and comedic bits: It’s all wrapped up into one show that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat.” | Sept. 1-3, 5-7, Neptune Theatre (Scotiabank Stage), $12.50 (tickets and showtimes)
Thank U, Ex: “A coming-of-age story about a young girl’s journey through her love life. Bringing you ’90s nostalgia forms of heartbreak, loss, love and, of course, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles delicacy: Pizza.” | Aug. 31-Sept. 5, Bus Stop Theatre (Community Room), $18.25 (tickets and showtimes)
COAST PICK: Vampire Therapist The Musical: “Being an immortal undead creature of the night is not it’s all cracked up to be. Just like life, unlife has its ups, downs, goods, bads and just plain old miserable days, years and even centuries. Whether you’re from ancient times, miss your partying days from several last mid-centuries ago, or just feel like you don’t belong anywhere, Dr. Mallory Acula has a treatment plan for you. With a little musical twist, just how hard could therapy be?” | Sept. 5-10, Neptune Theatre (Windsor Studio), $12.50 (tickets and showtimes)
What should I caption this?: “We humans are social creatures, which makes social anxiety a bit of a predicament. A group of friends has been fractured and through the course of a pregame, the politics of social media are exposed and may make you reconsider your relationship with the ever-present, ever-debated metaphysical community.” | Sept. 7-10, Neptune Theatre (Imperial Room), $6.75 (tickets and showtimes)
When Will You Be Well Again (A Staged Reading): “Maya works in corporate marketing. June works in mental health advocacy. Both are chronically ill. To survive the medical and corporate worlds they inhabit, each takes a shift doing both their jobs at once, while the other rests. What happens when they want to be awake, together? This is a staged reading of an absurdist play that explores experiences of navigating the medical system as trans and diversely chronically ill people, as well as the nature of work, productivity, exhaustion and isolation.” | Sept. 2-3, Neptune Theatre (Imperial Room), $12.50 (tickets and showtimes)
