Breaking the Cycle Films Ltd. 
Belen, USA 
Playwright: James Walter Charleston 
redemption.one 

Empowering her own abuse with purpose, a therapist confronts toxic masculinity with compassion in an attempt to find the root causes and bring an end to rape culture. 

“A veteran of multiple Fringe festivals, touring artist Jim Sea stuns audiences with his one-man show.” —Tina Farmer, KDHX Radio (St. Louis) 

The performance on September 6 is half-price!

Intense / Intimate / 45 minutes / 18+ / Coarse Language / Sexual Content

Rob Gee 
Leicester, UK 
Playwright: Rob Gee 
robgee.co.uk 

From comic, slam poet, and psych nurse Rob Gee.

Jim’s wife, a patient on a dementia ward, has died from what appears to be natural causes. Jim is a retired police detective and he smells a rat. He’s determined to solve one last murder. The problem is he also has dementia. It’s a case worthy of the greatest detective mind, but his will have to do. 

***** “Smart, witty, and razor-sharp.” —CBC
***** “Hilarious and heartbreaking.” —Times Colonist (Victoria)
***** “This one-man triumph.” —Winnipeg Free Press
***** “Compelling.” —Saskatoon StarPhoenix
****½ “Remarkable.” —Edmonton Journal 

Funny / Tear-Jerker / Poetic / 60 minutes / 14+

David Rodwin 
San Francisco, USA 
Playwright: David Rodwin 
f-tinder.com 

Comedic storytelling crack from The Moth champion, David Rodwin, who gets held up at gunpoint the night his girlfriend breaks up with him, moves to San Francisco, and becomes addicted to dating apps. He goes out with 120 women in two years, in search of love, but finds everything else... until there’s a twist and things get weird. 

“A phenomenal writer.” —Stage and Cinema
“A master storyteller.” —Theatre Eddys
“Masters of the form like Spalding Gray and Eric Bogosian ... David Rodwin does deserve to be mentioned in such company.” —Better Lemons

The performance on September 6 is half-price!

Funny / Naughty / Shocking / 75 minutes / 18+ / Coarse Language / Sexual Content

Blindfool Productions 
Monterey, USA 
Playwright: Amo Gulinello 
blindfool.com 

A quick-paced show full of skills and intensity. Silly and sincere. A James Bond-style love story complete with ‘80s references.

A phone ringing in the middle of the night. However, this telephone turns out to be a formidable adversary. The call leads to an encounter (chicken!), which in turn demands an important mission. Careful of the pigeon. 
“A well-paced, 45 minute comedy that does indeed find ‘adventure in the mundane,’ by mixing ridiculous circumstance, excellent physical comedy, and some great actor-made sound effects.” —Mooney On Theatre 

The performance on September 6 is half-price!

Funny / Intense / Intimate / 45 minutes / 14+ / Sexual Content /

Palabra Flamenco 
Victoria, Canada 
Playwrights: Denise Yeo & Garth Martens 
denisejy.wixsite.com/palabraflamenco 

In this amalgam of poetry and flamenco, dancer Denise Yeo, poet Garth Martens, guitarist Gareth Owen, and singer Veronica Maguire plunge mythological depths and excavate human shadow. With joy, mockery, humour, sunlight, these conscious and celebrated tools to reclaim ourselves whole and human, they go where “the word in time” soaks its way to dark corners.

On Garth Martens’ Prologue for the Age of Consequence (House of Anansi Press, 2014): “Not merely good, but important.” —Arc Poetry Magazine

The performance on September 6 is half-price!

Intense / Musical / Poetic / 60 minutes / All Ages

Urthona 
Vancouver, Canada 
Playwright: William Rubel  

Two brothers return to the island cabin where their father, a struggling novelist, met a tragic end. It takes an old actor, the spirit of William Blake, and love and anger across three centuries to help them perceive the infinite in the midst of loss. Written by a Blake scholar, and author of several ritual poetic dramas, including Sonnets to Orpheus (Paper Trails new play prize), the story draws on Blake’s letters, his marriage, his three years in a cottage at Felpham, and his basic myth of the division of Urizen (reason) into Spectre (thought) and Emanation (feeling). Several of Blake’s poems weave in and out of the action, in the form of an original, live musical score. Come share an hour in eternity.

The performance on September 6 is half-price!
 
Intense / Musical / Poetic / 75 minutes / 14+

Underrepresented artist: Written and produced by a neurodiverse playwright. 

Jennifer Pielak & Peter Abando 
Vancouver, Canada
Playwrights: Jennifer Pielak, Peter Abando & Alison Chisholm 
jenniferpielak.com 

Veteran musical improvisers Jennifer Pielak and Peter Abando use the present-moment, their incredible chemistry, and their storytelling skills to let inner voices out to play. This duo will make you wonder how they got inside your head in this silly, honest, and introspective musical that celebrates vulnerability and how weirdly the same we are.  

The performance on September 6 is half-price!

Funny / Weird / Intimate / 60 minutes / 14+ / Coarse Language / Sexual Content 

Roevaan Entertainment 
Vancouver, Canada 
Playwright: Rachelle Lachland  

A spontaneous improvised radio play that combines recognizable Film Noir tropes with a dash of Science Fiction. Listen as a curious new mystery-adventure unfolds every show, inspired by audience suggestions.

You’ll get shady villains, red herrings, and hilarious reversals of gender stereotypes. A little bit of everything with something for everyone.

The performance on September 6 is half-price!

Funny / Silly / 45 minutes / 14+ / Gunshots

Standing Room Only Theatre 
Vancouver, Canada 
Playwright: Keara Barnes 
kearabarnes.com 

A storytelling show featuring six true tales from across the globe, from the mountains of Malaysia to the Medinas in Morocco.

Tales of tigers. Of romance. Of ghosts. Of dangerous drives, fairies, and family.

A solo show with 15+ characters!

From the creator/performer of last year’s sold out Almost a Stepmom.

Are you ready for an adventure?

“Keara Barnes has a stage presence like none I have ever seen.” —The Marble (Victoria)
“A terrifically engaging storyteller.” —JoLedingham.ca
“A born storyteller.” —Calgary Herald
“An exceptional actor.” —Winnipeg Fringe Review 

Funny / Poetic / Intimate / 60 minutes / 14+ / Coarse Language / Sexual Content 

Theatre Terrific 
Vancouver, Canada  
Playwright: Susanna Uchatius in collaboration with an inclusive cast
theatreterrific.ca

LOVE!
A huge tiny four letter word!
Roy & Janet tackles love, person to person, tribe to tribe, human to nature.
Shakespeare, Ovid, The Twin Sisters (The Lions of Vancouver)... it’s all connected!
Give us your hand, we’ll take you there!
Theatre Terrific’s 14th Vancouver Fringe Festival production. Join us!

“If you have not previously heard of Theatre Terrific, you are missing out ... This company supports artists of diverse abilities to develop their performance skills, and collaborate in the production of provocative theatrical works.” —The Vandellous

Weird / Musical / Poetic / Multicultural / LGBTQ+ / 40 minutes / All Ages

Underrepresented artist: Theatre Terrific is an all inclusive theatre company that works with artists of all abilities, cultures and genders. This includes artists who may or may not identify as living with physical, cognitive, mental health, gender or cultural differences. Our productions are always wheelchair accessible.

Paco Erhard 
Berlin, Germany 
Playwright: Paco Erhard 
pacoerhard.com

Wanna be German? Of course you do. And now you can, as award-winning German comedian Paco Erhard teaches you how. Sold out at Vancouver Fringe 2017 and a Fringe World Best Comedy Nominee, it’s the first ever stand-up show to hold a mirror up to real modern Germany, Canada, and the rest of the world. You will laugh. If you want. Zis is not an order. 

***** “Stand-up genius.” —Edinburgh Guide
**** “Keeps the room in stitches whether you’re German or not.” —Vue Weekly
***** “Insightful and hysterical.” —Broadway Baby
**** “Articulate and thoughtful ... the comedy world is a better place for it.” —Herald Sun 

Funny / Multicultural / 75 minutes / 18+ / Coarse Language

That’s Enough Drama 
Montreal, Canada
Playwright: Gerard Harris 
gerardharrisdotcomistaken.com

The British secret agent comedian and storyteller returns (after 2014’s Verbal Diarrhea: “Very funny and smart.” —the Georgia Straight) with this iNSAne, unMI5sable true story of his exploits in cybersecurity, border security, job insecurity, and getting tangled up in a dark web of espionage, fake nations, and improvised murder (assuming he’s not been detained).

“Hugely talented, a cut above most storytellers.” —CBC
“Engaging, hyperkinetic, intelligent ... a riveting entertainer.” —Cult MTL
“Great show, audience ate it up, the hour flew. Highly recommended.” —Montreal Rampage
“A masterful storyteller.” —Stage Whispers (Australia)

The performance on September 9 at 1:00 PM is half-price!

Funny / Intense / Intellectual / 55 minutes / 14+ / Coarse Language

Spired Theatre 
Vancouver, Canada
Playwright: Andrew Wade
andrewwade.ca 

The story of an imaginary friend who refuses to be forgotten. Hullaboo has been Mikaila’s sidekick for as long as he can remember, going on adventures and fighting The Evil Scowl. But now Mikaila the Magnificent is growing up, and a new monster is hunting for Hullaboo. What can an imaginary friend do to survive? 

****1/2 “Fringe theatre at its finest ... It’s smart, it’s fun, it tugs at the heartstrings—if you ever wanted to see a Pixar movie at the Fringe, this is it.” —Saskatoon StarPhoenix

The performance on September 7 is half-price!

Silly / Warm and Fuzzy / Tear-Jerker / 55 minutes / All Ages

District 13 Presents 
Langley, Canada 
Playwright: Mark Vandenberg  

Nakatomi Plaza. Christmas Eve. 1988. John McClane is on a mission to save his wife from German terrorists led by the debonair Hans Gruber... while singing parodies of hit songs from the ‘80s. District 13 Presents (Hunger Games Musical Trilogy) is back with an all new action-packed musical ready to blow your mind. Yippee-Ki-Yay, Mister Falcon! 

Funny / Silly / Musical / 75 minutes / 14+ / Coarse Language

Squirrel Suit Productions 
Hamilton, Canada
Playwright: Carlyn Rhamey 
squirrelsuit.ca 

Award-winning storyteller Carlyn Rhamey (SAOR) shares the trials and triumphs of growing up a little bit “special” and embracing what makes us different. The ADHD Project is a hilariously honest journey exploring ADHD and celebrating neurodiversity. Enter Carlyn’s world of chaos, creativity, and combat with her mind. 

2017 Ottawa Fringe Emerging Artist Award
**** “A gifted and charismatic storyteller, endearing, captivating, and tremendously abuzz with charming energy.” —On Stage Ottawa
“Rhamey takes it to a higher level.” —Arts  Ally Hamilton 

Funny / Silly / Warm and Fuzzy / 60 minutes / All Ages 

Underrepresented artist: The ADHD Project was written/performed/produced and directed all by neurodiverse artists.

The Electronic Gospel 
Lockport, Canada 
Playwright: Christopher VanHeyst
electronicgospel.ca 

Electronic music is the driving force that creates The Electronic Gospel. Throne Life is an internal dialogue between God and man. The main character finds his life in a state of complete destruction and seeks wisdom from the throne of God. The answer unfolds an explosive revelation. In order to become wise you must first become a fool. 

Intense / In Your Face / Intellectual / 45 minutes / 14+ / Strobe Lights / Smoke/Fog

Shawn O’Hara
Victoria, Canada
Playwright: Shawn O’Hara  

From Producer Mike Delamont comes Shawn O’Hara’s Field Zoology 101! From the untamed wilds of the Delta Landfill, to the loading bay behind Duffin’s Donuts, Brad Gooseberry has seen it all. In this introductory course he shares a lifetime of “knowledge” and “experience,” teaching you to survive in the harrowing and hilarious world of field zoology. 

“Hilarious!” —the Georgia Straight
“Raucously funny!” —Showbill.ca
Winner of Favourite Comedy, Victoria Fringe Festival 2016 

The performance on September 6 is half-price!

Funny / Silly / Weird / 60 minutes / 14+ / Coarse Language

Robbie T 
Subiaco, Australia 
Playwright: Robbie T 
robbiet.com.au/weirdo 

One man’s transformative journey, from socially awkward to utterly inept. Yes, Robbie is a magician! And despite what you see on TV, magicians are generally uncool. Through a mix of storytelling, magic, and hilarious overshares, Robbie reveals his inner weirdo, and encourages you to embrace your own.

“I’ve never heard of you.” —David Copperfield 

The performance on September 6 is half-price!

Funny / Weird / Poetic / 55 minutes / 14+

Frolicking Divas 
Burnaby, Canada 
Playwright: David Lindsay-Abaire 
instagram.com/frolickingdivastheatre
Becca and Howie Corbett have everything a family could want, until a life-shattering accident turns their world upside-down and leaves the couple drifting perilously apart. Rabbit Hole charts their bittersweet search for comfort in the darkest of places and for a path that will lead them back into the light of day. 

Winner of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize.
“David Lindsay-Abaire has crafted a drama that’s not just a departure but a revelation—an intensely emotional examination of grief, laced with wit, insightfulness, compassion, and searing honesty.” —Variety

The performance on September 10 is half-price!

Tear-Jerker / Intimate / 95 minutes / 14+

The Elegant Ladies Collective 
Vancouver, Canada 
Playwrights: The Elegant Ladies Collective 
elegantladiescollective.weebly.com 

The Elegant Ladies are back with another interactive, site-specific, interdisciplinary theatrical adventure. Located in Railspur Alley, we will take an intimate journey through addiction: what makes us want a “fix,” what are our fixes rooted in, and how can we begin to fix this? A compassionate, heartbreaking and beautiful look at what ails us. 

Reviews from past shows:
On Embryonic: “What these people do is a special kind of magic.” —Two Cents & Two Pence
On Peripetiea: “Go see it!” —Plank Magazine
On ESUM: “They share freely of their creativity and compassion.” —Plank Magazine
On Eidola: “It sure was something special.” —Plank Magazine

The performance on September 10 is half-price!

Intense / Poetic / Intimate / Multicultural / LGBTQ+ / 55 minutes / 14+

Underrepresented artist: Collaboratively created and performed primarily by female and non-binary artists who may identify as physically, mentally, cognitively, gender and culturally diverse. The show addresses themes of addiction and most performers have experienced addiction themselves or within their immediate family.

Maniac Productions 
Vancouver, Canada 
Playwright: Jeff Hoffman 

50 Fun Things is a new quirky musical romantic comedy about the twists and turns of life, love, and the power of fun.

“I have a theory: that no matter where you are, or what is happening around you, there are always 50 Fun Things you can do in that situation. No. Matter. What.” 

“50 Fun Things is the best thing to come out of the Victoria Fringe in years.” —Kelly Clark, Showbill (re: Victoria Fringe 2016) 

Silly / Musical / Tear-Jerker / 75 minutes / 14+ / Coarse Language 

Awkward Stage Productions 
Vancouver, Canada
Playwrights: Ryan Scott Oliver & Hunter Foster 
awkwardstageproductions.com

When you’re failing classes, kicked off the swim team, and your family is on the skids, life can feel like it’s going to hell. In a night of teenage desire, Jasper and her best friend Agnes consummate a years-long friendship. In the morning Agnes is gone. Jasper goes after her. Come meet us at the touch of water. Take a deep dive into Deadland. 

“Jasper In Deadland is a journey of self-discovery that moved me in such a way that it brought tears to my eyes.” —New York Theatre Guide
“And electrifying surge of theatrical energy!” —Entertainment Weekly

Weird / Intense / Musical / LGBTQ+ / 90 minutes / All Ages

Underrepresented artist: Jasper in Deadland is led by a core production team of queer women and  features a cast of diverse actors in the story two teenage girls falling in love in the face of natural and supernatural adversity.  The story was originally written with a cis-gender, male-female romance, but the NYC writers have given special permission for Awkward to explore this narrative through an intersectional lens.  

Innocence International 
Vancouver, Canada 
Producer: Ken Klonsky 
kenklonsky.com 

Miyoshi: An RCMP Interrogation plays out the transcript of an actual RCMP interrogation. Two interrogators attempt to manipulate Miyoshi into turning on his friends, Atif Rafay and Sebastian Burns, both accused and later wrongly convicted of the murder of Rafay’s family.  

The performance on September 10 is half-price!

Funny / Intense / 60 minutes / 14+ / Coarse Language

Thunder Blunder 
Montreal, Canada
Playwright: Al Lafrance 
al-lafrance.com

Ever wonder what happens to your brain when you’re sleep-deprived? I Think I’m Dead is two times Just For Laughs Award-Winner Al Lafrance’s exploration of unconsciousness as he has experienced it.

Voted Audience Choice & Best Solo Show at the Halifax Fringe 2017. 
**** “Sharp as a tack, funny as hell.” —Vue Weekly
**** “quick-fire, well-time, and touching ... this is what the Fringe is all about.” —Adelaide Theatre Guide
“Wacky and wise.” —From the Turnstiles (Perth, Australia) 

The performance on September 9 at 10:00 PM is half-price!

Funny / Weird / Intense / 60 minutes / 14+ / Coarse Language 

Travis Bernhardt
Vancouver, Canada
Playwright: Travis Bernhardt 
travisbernhardt.com 

The completely improvised church service for a religion made up on the spot!

A joyous new comedy from Travis Bernhardt, creator of the award winning Charlatan!, Unpossible!, and Chris & Travis.

Come sing, laugh, and pray together! 

“Incredibly clever ... revitalizing the collective spiritual experience through goofy ad libbing.” —Vue Weekly, Edmonton 

The performance on September 7 is half-price!

Funny / Silly / Weird / 60 minutes / All Ages

Lake-Scott-Abrams 
Vancouver, Canada 
Playwright: Korky Day 
korky.ca 

About our Wreck Beach. We bust 2017’s media black-out! Therapists cure willing clothoholics for peace, love, feminism, acceptance, fun, pride, breastfeeding! Quicker, better cures than shrinks and drugs. About nudism-naturism, beauty, bikinis, burqas. Uplifting, funny, radical, all nude. No sex, violence, or photography. Earn a Bare Bum Certificate! 

The performance on September 6 is half-price!

Funny / Warm and Fuzzy / Intellectual / 70 minutes / 18+ / Nudity 

Pretentious Productions 
Edmonton, Canada 
Playwright: Savanna Harvey 
savannaharvey.ca 

Protagonist is the last remaining human on earth. She has been stranded on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, in the middle of the ocean, for years... but her days are numbered. She tells her final tale using improvised garbage puppets and really, really bad poetry. Wastelands is an apocalyptic comedy about garbage and the pieces of trash who produce it.  

Silly / Weird / Intellectual / 60 minutes / 18+ / Coarse Language

Underrepresented artist: Wastelands is written, directed, designed, and performed by a team of two trashy ladies. Unlike plastic bottles in the ocean, we need more femmes in leadership roles and in season programming.

Kestrel Solutions (Collective) 
Vancouver, Canada 
Playwright: David Harrower  

Fifteen years ago Una and Ray had an illegal relationship. They haven’t seen each other since. Now she’s found him. What does she want? Blackbird is intensely intimate: the audience is in the room with the characters, or spies on video.

Director: Omari Newton. Designer: Stephanie Wong. Live Video: Jordan Lloyd Watkins. Performers: Stephanie Elgersma and David Bloom. 

Additional seating available by donation at the door for those wishing to watch the action through live video feed.

We strongly encourage audience members to avoid wearing scents and scented products.

Intense / Intimate / 80 minutes / 14+ / Coarse Language / Violent Content / Sexual Content 

Sean Casey Leclaire
Westborough, USA 
Playwright: Sean Casey Leclaire 
smalltownboystheplay.com   

A band of boys graduate from a high school in a rough and tumble town near Montreal. After a life-changing moment of violence and recovery, the narrator, one of the boys, follows the two older boys out west. The solo show asks uneasy questions. Does a homeless man shame us all? Is fear stronger than love? What is the power of vulnerability in men? 

“A timely ‘testosterone wash!’ ... Riveting, fierce, equally tender and punch in the gut tough, absolutely hilarious!” —PeoplesWorth

The performance on September 9 is half-price!

Funny / Intense / Poetic / 75 minutes / 14+ / Sexual Content

Coming of Age Productions 
Vancouver, Canada 
Playwright: Colleen Brow  

Swingers parties, obituaries, sex, Gwyneth Paltrow (damn her), and more. Writer and humourist, Colleen Brow, explores the trappings of aging through a comedic, bifocal lens; offering up handy tips and midlife musings as thick as an errant chin hair. Irreverence with a smidgen of melancholy. If we can’t be young again, at least we can be immature. 

 “Hits a chord with her humorous observations culled from the mundane landscape of North American life.” —North Shore Outlook
“An entertaining Wendy Liebman-esque quality.” —the Georgia Straight 
“Who cares if she’s funny. Her place is a mess. She can’t cook.” —Colleen’s Mother

The performance on September 9 is half-price!

Funny / Silly / Intimate / 60 minutes / 14+

Colette Kendall 
Hamilton, Canada 
Playwright: Colette Kendall 
colettekendall.com 

The story of one woman’s quest to find the love and penis of her dreams. A phallic journey both humorous and dark from three-time Canadian Comedy Award nominated, Colette Kendall, creator of Tippi Seagram’s Happy Hour and Who’s Afraid of Tippi Seagram?

“Get past title, because this show should not be missed.” —Theatre in London
***** “Her storytelling is self-deprecating, honest, painful, and hilarious all over the course of the hour.” —Edmonton Sun
**** “She certainly has got some balls!”” —The Beat Magazine
**** “This show is honest, revealing, and will have you laughing from the moment the lights dim.” —Winnipeg Sun 

The performance on September 11 is half-price!

Funny / Naughty / Tear-Jerker / 70 minutes / 18+ / Coarse Language / Sexual Content /

Peachy Keen Productions/Active Salad Productions 
Vancouver, Canada 
Playwrights: Sydney Hayduk & Jeff Leard 
peachyk.ca 

Fringe favourites Jeff Leard and Sydney Hayduk team up in this bold comedy to answer the big questions. Questions like: Are we alone in the universe? Are we living in a computer simulation? And what do two irresponsible roommates eat for breakfast the morning after awkward sex?

In short: No. Yes. And eggs.

From the creators of Sperm Wars (***** “Its own an epic masterpiece.” —Edmonton Journal) and Bizarro Obscure (***** “Weird, funny, and delightful.” —CBC).

“Unstoppably funny from top to bottom.” —The New Ottawa Critics 

The performance on September 8 is half-price!

Funny / 60 minutes / 14+ / Coarse Language / Sexual Content

Rapid Pitch Productions 
Vancouver, Canada 
Playwright: Deborah Vogt 
www.deborahvogt.com/big-sister

Big Sister is a comedy about the relationship between two sisters and what happens when one of them changes dramatically. It is the true story of older sister/actor Naomi’s 70-pound weight loss, written through the perspective of younger sibling/writer Deborah. Big Sister explores a world of evil siblings, fat shaming, and unlikely collaboration. 

Vancouver Pick of the Fringe 2016 Winning Playwright

The performance on September 9 is half-price!

Funny / Silly / Intimate / 60 minutes / 14+ / Coarse Language / Sexual Content

Tomo Suru Players 
Vancouver, Canada 
Playwrights: Gerald Williams 
tomosuruplayers.com

How well do you ever really know someone? Trevor and Margaret bring this struggle to the stage with life changing consequences for everyone involved. From the very beginning in Trevor’s life, complicated relationships have a strong impact, starting with his father and a dead mother. Margaret has her own issues as a woman willing to settle for something far less than perfect. A relationship built on disappointment and half-truths shouldn’t be enough for anyone, but Margaret is considering marriage. When will too much be too far for even this long suffering, self deluding woman? 

PLEASE NOTE: This venue is 19+ 

Funny / Intense / LGBTQ+ / 45 minutes / 14+ / Coarse Language / Violent Content / Sexual Content

Underrepresented artist: A performer and the writer and crew members are queer. Working with non-queer cast mates allows us to find common ground and reflect on the positivity of inclusive production teams. The content of the play explores family issues that relate to coming to terms with one's sexuality, and more universally, coming to terms with being loved in different forms.

Yvette Dudley-Neuman 
Coquitlam, Canada
Playwright: Yvette Dudley-Neuman 
tteeVy.com 

This award-winning show is “lively, tough, sexy, hilarious, and transformational!” (Theatre BC) And it received an honourable mention from Theatre BC’s 2014 Playwriting Competition.

“The FWords is an F-ing great play and the perfect show to catch at the Fringe this year! It’s vividly insightful, upliftingly musical, and educationally punny. ... I guarantee you’ll come away laughing and with an expanded vocabulary.” —Sonja Cvoric, Plank Magazine 
**** “Dudley-Neuman is the perfect mix of manic energy and depressed stupor ... [an] amazing emotional tour de force.” —Edmonton Journal
“Yvette is a skilled actress and storyteller. Her message is personal, universal, and resonant.” —VUE Weekly 

The performance on September 8 is half-price!

Funny / Naughty / Tear-Jerker / 75 minutes / 18+ / Coarse Language / Sexual Content
 

The buzzy Vancouver band brings their psych-tinged, retro rock for their Fringe Festival debut. Electric, engaging, and perfectly off-kilter.
ponytailsband.com

Please note: this is not a ticketed event. Come on down to the Phillips Fringe Bar, located at Ocean Art Works, 1531 Johnston Street on Granville Island, to enjoy the entertainment for FREE!

Hawk Mom Productions 
Victoria, Canada 
Playwright: Robbie Huebner  

lolcow: a person whose foolish behavior can be “milked” for amusement. Having grown up online, Sheena suddenly confronts the thinning line between public and private in an increasingly digitized world when targeted by online trolls. A dark comedy that explores isolation, identity, and the vulnerability of being constantly accessible to an audience. 

“This is a clever, thoughtful discussion of online communication, persona and performance, and gender, which is increasingly necessary in contemporary media and art.” —Jakelene Plan, The Martlet 

The performance on September 8 is half-price!

Funny / Weird / Intellectual / 75 minutes / 14+ / Coarse Language / Violent Content

Midtwenties Theatre Society 
Vancouver, Canada 
Playwright: Rainer Werner Fassbinder 
mtstheatre.com 

Set in modern Germany, an arrogant, female fashion designer falls in love with a beautiful but cold ingénue who wants to be a model. Themes of narcissism, intimacy, and obsession are explored in beautiful melodramatic fashion in this stage production of one of the most beloved films of New German Cinema auteur, Rainier Werner Fassbinder.

“A fascinating rococo experiment in power.” —Hilton Als, The New Yorker Magazine
“A disturbing story that encourages discussion on gender roles and reflects a lot of our society’s dormant issues.” —Ran Xia, Theatre Is Easy 

The performance on September 8 is half-price!

Poetic / Intellectual / Intimate / Multicultural / LGBTQ+ / 90 minutes / 14+ /

The Wretched Orphans 
Vancouver, Canada 
Playwrights: TJ Dawe & Lindsay Robertson 
tjdawe.ca 

Fringe mainstay TJ Dawe talks, singer/songwriter Lindsay Robertson plays music and sings, as they explore stories and songs of musicians who turned the trauma and pain of their lives into beauty. Learn about Hank Williams, Judy Garland, Sufjan Stevens, and others in this intimate hybrid performance piece which shows why we’re drawn to sad-ass music. 

Musical / Tear-Jerker / Intimate / 60 minutes / 14+  

Squeeze My Cans 
Studio City, USA
Playwright: Cathy Schenkelberg 
squeezemycans.com 

Told with masterful fluidity and hilarious jabs, this one woman show takes you on a roller coaster ride down the “rabbit hole” that is Scientology. Just under two decades and a million dollars, in 75 minutes Schenkelberg takes you on her journey as a 20-something looking for her place and purpose in the world. Hilarious, heartbreaking and redemptive.

Tampa Bay Times’ #2 of top 10 Tampa Bay shows of 2017
“Lets you experience for yourself how Scientology devours money ...  and lives.” —Chicago Reader
“Heart-pumping and electrifying.” —Edge Media Network
“This implausible journey is very well-written and superbly performed with brilliantly executed back and forth dialogue.” —Buzz Center Stage 

The performance on September 6 is half-price!

Funny / Intimate / Shocking / 75 minutes / 14+ / Sexual Content 

The Lady Show 
Vancouver, Canada
Playwrights: The Lady Show 
theladyshow.com

We put the JOY in feminist killjoy! Sketch, stand-up, monologue, satirical news, and more starring Diana Bang (Assaulted Fish, The Interview), Morgan Brayton (CBC’s The Debaters, Vancouver Fringe Festival Critics’ Choice Award), Fatima Dhowre (Winnipeg Comedy Fest, JFL NorthWest), and Katie-Ellen Humphries (Vancouver Comedy Joke of the Year Award, The Debaters). 

“You may not attend a comedy show in hopes of being taken on an emotional ride other than that of laughing so hard you cry; however, The Lady Show delivers powerful performances filled with commentary and satire.” —Room Magazine 

The performance on September 9 is half-price!

Funny / In Your Face / Intellectual / Multicultural / LGBTQ+ / 60 minutes / 18+

Ponytails frontman Harvey Merritt keeps the party going as we celebrate the first of many late nights at the Fringe Bar.

Please note: This is not a ticketed event. Come on down to the Phillips Fringe Bar, located at Ocean Art Works, 1531 Johnston Street on Granville Island, to enjoy the entertainment for FREE!

Quivering Dendrites 
Vancouver, Canada
Playwright: Keith Alessi

An inspirational story of life, challenges, battles, and triumph. Evil Tomatoes! Heroic banjos! What choices do you make when confronted with life’s obstacles? Will your pursuit of a passion take you places you had never imagined?

The performances on September 6 and 13 are half-price!

Musical / Warm and Fuzzy / Intimate / 60 minutes / All Ages

Stacey Hallal 
Portland, USA
Playwright: Stacey Hallal 
staceyhallal.com 

Ruby Rocket is an intoxicating, intoxicated private eye who always gets her man. Except, of course, when she doesn’t. Stacey Hallal returns to the Fringe as Ruby, weaving vivid noir storytelling, physical comedy, and multimedia imagery in this hilarious improvised show featuring a rotating guest cast of Vancouver’s top improvisers. Not to be missed! 

“Hallal’s strong improv skills and comedic timing take audiences on a ride where there’s no guessing what’s in store.” —Vue Weekly
“Hallal is a stage dynamo. Fast and fearless.” —Winnipeg Free Press
“She’s a genuine talent.” —The Oregonian 

Funny / Naughty / Poetic / LGBTQ+ / 55 minutes / 18+ / Coarse Language / Sexual Content / Gunshots / Smoke/Fog

Keith Brown 
London, Canada 
Playwright: Keith Brown 
AbsoluteMagic.ca 

Expect the unexpected from world-class Magician Keith Brown. He’s inspired wonder in over 22 countries and counting. Toronto’s best magician and he’s not even from Toronto! Prepare to be engaged in extraordinary feats of magic that you have to see in order to believe! 

**** “If you’re into straight-up, fast-paced, family-friendly card tricks with tons of fun audience participation, you’re sure to fall under Brown’s spell.” —CBC
“You’re incredible!” —Dave Grohl
“Magic done right.” —Theatre in London
“Mesmerizing.” —Orlando Weekly
“Mind-bending, mind-boggling, and mind-blowing!” —Orlando Sentinel

The performance on September 7 is half-price!

Funny / Intimate / Shocking / 60 minutes / All Ages

Darkhorse West 
Shaunavon, Canada 
Playwright: Dianne Greenlay  

If you like camping or if you hate camping, you’re gonna love The Camping Guy!

Stop the madness! Earl has survived rock slides, knife wounds, wild animal attacks, and even an angry wife’s rants, but nothing has made him want to swallow an entire bottle of pain killers and slit his throat more than spending a weekend mentoring a hapless newbie.

Winner of Best Play, Best Actors, Best Director, and an Honourable Mention for Back Stage Technical at the 2014 TheatreOne Competitive Festival (Saskatchewan)
“Crowds were thoroughly delighted.” —The Shaunavon Standard 

The performance on September 7 is half-price!

Funny / Warm and Fuzzy / Tear-Jerker / 75 minutes / 14+ / Coarse Language

Classy Little Bitch Productions 
Burnaby, Canada 
Playwright: Kuan Foo  

SELF-ish follows Esther, a 35-year-old Korean-Canadian woman, examining herself in the face of a recent tragedy. Esther wakes up to the familiar tremor of existential angst ripple over her body like a pee shiver and takes us into her family dynamics, her crappy workplace and her present day angst. 

**** “Kuan Foo’s script resonates especially for Asian-Canadian audience members. When Esther's tears finally come, Bang has no trouble digging deep, and in the intimate BMO Incubator, it’s hard not to feel those same emotions.” —NOW Magazine 

The performance on September 7 is half-price!

Funny / Tear-Jerker / Intimate / Multicultural / 60 minutes / 14+ / Coarse Language 

Underrepresented artist: The writer is Asian-Canadian. The performer is Asian-Canadian.   

Vancouver Puppet Theatre 
Vancouver, Canada
Playwright: Viktor Barkar 
vancouverpuppet.com 

Come see a new family-friendly puppet show at Fringe this year: Baba Yaga! Puppet show, you say? Yes! Handmade marionettes are waiting to tell you the story of Baba Yaga. This ancient Russian forest entity is cosmically cranky and lives in a chicken legged-house. There’s only one thing that can stop her and it isn’t love. 

Musical / Warm and Fuzzy / Multicultural / 30 minutes / Kid’s Show / All Ages / Smoke/Fog /

Underrepresented artist: Our show is produced and performed by artist who was born and grew up in Eastern European country (Belarus).
This show is based on the Eastern European traditional folklore and, therefore engages with members of the Eastern European community.

Pulsive Party 
Vancouver, Canada
Playwrights: Ashley Whitehead & Natalie Tin Yin Gan
ashleywhitehead.ca/tagged/pulsiveparty 

Will you come? Maybe-a-labia.

They’re pink! They’re passionate! They’re practically perfect in every play. Through saucy song and aggressive choreography, this hilarious duo dives into cheeky vulva personas in search of acceptance of themselves and of each other. 

The performance on September 7 is half-price!

Silly / Intimate / Shocking / 60 minutes / 18+ / Coarse Language / Sexual Content

Underrepresented artist: This show is created and performed by one first generation Chinese-Canadian woman, and one queer woman.

The Ordinary Productions 
Vancouver, Canada 
Playwright: Adam Peck  

1934. The American South. Outlaws, Bonnie and Clyde have found one last place to hide. Time is ticking—they’re on the run from the law and from reality, but which one will catch them first?

Based on the true story, Bonnie & Clyde is an intimate re-telling of the final hours of one the world’s most legendary crime duos. 

“Bank robbers, murderers, American legends—Bonnie and Clyde captured the public imagination in the 1930s and haven’t relinquished it since.” —SF Chronicle
“Commit murder for a ticket. But only if ya have to.” —Venue Magazine

Intense / Poetic / Intimate / Sexual Content / 80 minutes / 14+ /

Valour & Tea 
Calgary, Canada 
Playwrights: Valour & Tea 
facebook.com/ValourandTea 

Cousins Jan and Peg are hosting a nice, normal party—and you’re invited! It’s definitely a totally normal party and nothing sinister is going on at all! Did someone say “trip to the underworld?” No, no—more like “trip to the FUNderworld!” No, seriously!

Warning: This new work from duo Valour & Tea features in-your-face audience interaction! 

The performance on September 7 is half-price!

Funny / Weird / In Your Face / 50 minutes / 14+ / Violent Content

Hip.Bang! 
Vancouver, Canada  
hipbang.ca       
Playwright: Tom Hill & Devin Mackenzie

Award-winning comedy duo Hip.Bang! (Just For Laughs, The Irrelevant Show, Comedy Central, creators of Fin, History of Romance) returns with a new immersive comedy about modern surveillance and invasion of privacy. Please arrive early to sign the mandatory waiver and to prepare your belly for some deep, satisfying laughs.

***** “So funny you might wet yourself ... A must-see.”  —Edmonton Journal & National Post
***** —Vancouver Sun
Best Of The Fest —Vue Weekly
Pick of the Fringe —Victoria Fringe

Funny / In Your Face / Intellectual / 60 minutes / 14+ / Course Language

Strange Cat Productions 
Vancouver, Canada 
Playwright: Keith Opatovsky  

After an accident, a family gathers in a hospital waiting room to learn the fate of a loved one, while learning what led them to this path and how to move forward. 

Funny / Intense / 70 minutes / 14+ / Coarse Language

Produced by Tender Container, Associate Producers Neworld Theatre and New(to)Town Collective 
Vancouver, Canada 
Playwright: Davey Calderon 
newtotowncollective.com 

Big Queer Filipino Karaoke Night! is a Clown-Drag-Karaoke Extravaganza, serving up Filipino-Canadian identity shenanigans, queer insights, family epiphanies, and soul gratifying karaoke! Inspired by Davey Calderon’s visit to his family’s ancestral land, the Philippines, this show is an interactive celebration of the intersections found in oneself. 

PLEASE NOTE:This venue is 19+ 
The performance on September 8 is half-price!

Funny / Musical / Intimate / Multicultural / LGBTQ+ / 65 minutes / 18+ 

Underrepresented artist: Written and performed by Davey Calderon (a queer POC who is of Filipino descent), directed Chris Lam (a queer Asian cis man whose ethnic background is Chinese), dramaturged by Dominique Wakeland (a Black gender fluid darling), and produced by Katie Sly (a white bisexual trans boi).              

David Lee Morgan 
London, UK 
Playwright: David Lee Morgan 
davidword.com/?page_id=1480 

A computer wakes up in the year 2035 on the eve of a world socialist revolution. Fighting has broken out all over the globe. For the first time, the US military has used tactical nuclear weapons against its own population. Suddenly, all communication stops.

Spoken word musical theatre by David Lee Morgan, a London, UK and BBC Poetry Slam champion. 

The performance on September 7 is half-price!

Intense / Musical / Poetic / Multicultural / 55 minutes / 18+ / Coarse Language

Skinny Walrus Projects 
Vancouver, Canada
Playwright: Brian Cochrane 
skinnywalrusprojects.com 

2006. 22 years old. Backpacking. Falling in love. A heartbroken magician. Bad Spanish. Worse pictures. Vampires in Barcelona is a true story. As true as a story of “being sent to a vampire bar by a magician you met at a hostel” can be when you’re telling it 12 years after the fact... Fans of The Moth and The Flame ought to dig it. 

“Vampires in Barcelona is very funny, offbeat—and I hesitate to call it sweet—but it’s sweet.” —JoLedingham.ca
“Master of the deadpan pause.” —the Georgia Straight
“A winning bit of theatrical storytelling.” —Vancouver Presents 

The performance on September 8 at 3:00 PM is half-price!

Funny / Intimate / 60 minutes / 14+ / Coarse Language

Maximaliste Productions 
Montreal, Canada 
Playwrights: Maximaliste Productions  

Two-time Montreal Spirit of the Fringe Award winner (2016/17), Montreal’s Best Kisser (2015), and Certified Sexpert Fiona Ross stars as Ms. Beatrice Haven (who knows little about sex, and frankly, finds it scary). Watch as she struggles to navigate sexual education, her own sexuality, and dental dams. Hopefully, you’ll learn something along the way 

Funny / Silly / Intimate / LGBTQ+ / 60 minutes / 14+ / Coarse Language / Sexual Content 

Underrepresented artist: The show has been created by a team of queer women as a response to standard sex-ed, with the desire to be more inclusive in how we talk about sex. 

Indigenized Indigenous Theatre 
St. Albert, Canada 
Playwright: Josh Languedoc  

Meet Nakota, a young boy who is trying to write the greatest story ever. One day, his grandfather, 103-year-old Rocko, comes over for a visit. Next thing Nakota knows, he is whisked away into a world of stories that are right below his feet. Within the land.

This show explores the interplay between stories of the present against the long forgotten.

Ottawa Tonite: Top 10 Picks of the Fringe 2018
APT613: Top Picks of the Fringe 2018
"Masterful storyteller...Languedoc fills the entire stage with his performance and characters...run, don't walk, to get tickets." - APT613

Warm and Fuzzy / Intimate / Multicultural / 45 minutes / All Ages

Underrepresented artist: Written and performed by an anishinaabe playwright who looks white enough to have privilege, but is coloured enough to be exotic and labeled as an "other."                         

Sonia Productions Inc. 
Burnaby, Canada 
Playwrights: Adelina Suvagau, Sonia Suvagau & Steve Saunders 
soniaproductions.com 

Box of Freedom is the story of Dora, a Romanian stand-up comedienne whose hopes at speaking her mind in a free country vanish when former communist leaders threaten her life. She decides to flee in a cargo ship’s container bound for Canada. Using humour to survive her harsh reality, Dora writes and performs new comedic material to the other two passengers in the container.

Funny / Intense / Multicultural / 75 minutes / 18+ / Coarse Language

Anais West and Sara Vickruck 
Vancouver, Canada 
Playwrights: Anais West & Sara Vickruck 
www.polyqueerloveballad.com

An intimate, edgy new musical, merging slam poetry with catchy pop-folk tunes. Nina, a polyamorous bisexual poet, meets Gabbie, a monogamous lesbian songwriter, at Cafe Deux Soleil. With two microphones, a loop pedal, and array of instruments, they struggle to reconcile their fierce mutual attraction with their opposing perspectives on love. 

“Vickruck can belt a song, croon a song, and massage a song into existence—and she can act, too.” —Vancouver Courier (on Love Bomb)

“[Anais West has] got great comic timing and she is fearless about going to dark emotional places.” —the Georgia Straight (on Dry Land)

The performance on September 10 is half-price!

Naughty / Musical / Poetic / LGBTQ+ / 75 minutes / 18+ / Coarse Language / Sexual Content

Underrepresented artist: Created and performed by queer women, with an all-female, mostly queer creative team.

TJ Dawe
Vancouver, Canada
Playwright: TJ Dawe
tjdawe.ca

Jessie Award winning Fringe favourite TJ Dawe (Slipknot, Medicine, Roller Coaster) returns with the 15th anniversary remount of his show about a working holiday in England, pouring pints at Butlin’s Holiday Camp—the McDonald’s of resorts—a British cultural institution—and an absolute shithole. This is TJ’s 113th Fringe. Yes, really.

“This guy’s headed for the stand-up hall of fame.” —the Georgia Straight
“Dawe has storytelling down to a fine art.” —the Vancouver Sun
“If Jerry Seinfeld and George Carlin has a baby, it’d be TJ Dawe.” —Winnipeg Sun
“A master monologist.” —Toronto Star

Funny / Intellectual / Intimate / 75 minutes / 14+ / Coarse Language

Knight & Daïs Entertainment 
Vancouver, Canada 
Playwright: Luke Purm  

A one-man, two-act hysterical satire about a lunatic jester ordered to toast the demented King of a crumbling empire. Luxius Rexx seizes the opportunity to roast his Majesty as the empire around them burns to ashes. Known for putting the hits in this royal shitshow, can he go too far if it’s already too late? 

The performance on September 9 is half-price!

Funny / Intense / Naughty / 55 minutes / 18+ / Coarse Language / Smoke/Fog

Ben Price Magic 
Calgary, Canada 
Playwright: Ben Price 
benpricemagic.com 

Have you ever wanted to attend the ultimate magic show? Ben Price uses his abilities in sleight of hand, thought influence, and comedy to take you on a journey through the perfect magic show. This 60 minute, interactive show will have audiences laughing, gasping, and cheering as Ben performs all kinds of marvels from card tricks to mind reading. 

The performance on September 8 is half-price!

Funny / Silly / Naughty / 60 minutes / 14+

1001 Steps 
Surrey, Canada 
Playwright: William Shakespeare; Adapted by Fred Ribkoff, John Rowell, and Zach Allan
1001steps.org

Champion boxer “Bianca the Golden Girl Minola” cannot be signed to a trainer until one is found for her elder sister “Katherina the Curst Minola.” A story of love, family and... boxing. Join the Ring Guy, the Ring Announcer and Amazona Donna in this zany retelling of Shakespeare’s controversial comedy, The Taming of the Shrew.  

Funny / Silly / Naughty / 75 minutes / 14+ / Violent Content / Sexual Content

Whells Phargo Production 
Vancouver, Canada 
Playwrights: Shawn O’Hara & Abdul Aziz  

Expand your mind and open your wallet as amateur ghost hunters Abdul Aziz and Shawn O’Hara take you on a 100% accurate and legitimate walking tour of Granville Island’s most definitely haunted locations. 

“The two ‘brothers’ deliver punchline after punchline, leaving audiences laughing uncontrollably while tourists watch on, confused.” —Victoria Buzz
“Fake Ghost Tours is better than any real ghost tour you could do.” —Showbill

Funny / Weird / Intimate / 50 minutes / All Ages

Erroneous Productions 
Toronto, Canada 
Playwright: Charlie Petch 
charliecpetch.com/mel-malarkey.html 

It’s the last night at the Vagabond Theatre and Mel can’t bear to tell the audience. She keeps the bawdy acts going and the elixir flowing. In private, she delivers odes and tells stories of her “Vaudeville theatre for the unrefined.”
 
Written and performed by award winning playwright and spoken word artist, Charlie Petch. Donkeys! Desperation! Debauchery! 
Best Spoken Word Album of 2017. “A bittersweet tribute to an age when the options for performance seemed endless ... a chronicle of lost theatre forms ... [a] bizarre and hilarious play.” —Electric City Magazine
“Flamboyant and raunchy ... solemn and emotional ... for my money the best Vaudeville act.” —The Coast (Halifax)

Funny / Weird / Poetic / LGBTQ+ / 55 minutes / 14+ / Coarse Language / Sexual Content

Underrepresented artist: The Artist is a transmasculine person and their show, while being a vaudeville show, also touches on themes of queerness and trans identities in the 1930's. They also live with a disability.

Wunderdog Theatre 
Vancouver, Canada 
Playwright: Sarah Ruhl 
wunderdogtheatre.com 

Together but continents apart, Pulitzer Prize-winning poets Robert Lowell and Elizabeth Bishop exchanged more than 400 letters from 1947 to 1977, exploring poetry, romance, illness, grief, and the profound affection they had for one another.

From Sarah Ruhl comes a touching reflection on friendship, art, and what it means to love across distances. 

“[Dear Elizabeth] delicately explores, through nothing more than the letters ... the solitude of the artist, the exactitude of the writer’s craft, the balance between confession and privacy and, in the end, why poetry matters.” —Variety 

The performance on September 7 is half-price!

Intense / Poetic / Intellectual / LGBTQ+ / 100 minutes / 14+ /

The Crystalline Cabaret 
Vancouver, Canada
Playwrights: The Crystalline Cabaret
facebook.com/thecrystallinecabaret

An electric roadhouse where enigmatic fantasies come alive after dark. With every sip, witness a menagerie of captivating performers prowling the dusty stage. Eclectic dancers, burlesque stripteasers, and torch singers show you the intoxicating taxonomy of the night. Be careful when you step into House Nocturnae... you may never want to leave.

The performance on September 8 is half-price!

Naughty / Intimate / LGBTQ+ / 60 minutes / 18+ / Sexual Content / Nudity

Virginia Jack 
Toronto, Canada 
Playwrights: Virginia Jack 
virginiajack.com 

Inspired by art house cinema and a penchant for the fantastically bizarre, Virginia Jack creates a brash and compelling one-act play on the spot. Two improvisers create characters together, and build an entire play from a single audience suggestion. The result is sometimes dark, often beautiful, and always hilarious. 

“Sprightly, fast-paced performance ... an ironclad format and strong character work.” —the Portland Mercury

The performance on September 8 is half-price!

Funny / Weird / Intellectual / LGBTQ+ / 50 minutes / All Ages

Underrepresented artist: One of us is a bi-sexual woman. The other is not.

Spinners’ Collective 
Vancouver, Canada 
Playwright: Sally Stubbs
sallystubbswriter.com 

Even dead, Grampa tells the best stories: A storm rages. Trapped, Sarah and Grampa bring to life the tale of legendary gold miners, Cariboo, and Sophia Cameron. Celebrates love that transcends death, a haunting chapter in BC history and the power of storytelling.

From Sally Stubbs, Sarah Roa, and Simon Webb of And Bella Sang With Us, Pick of Fringe 2016. 

“With poetic prose, Stubbs’ play is pure Canadiana ... the perfect love letter to a time gone by ... Ambitious and noteworthy.” —Alan Woo, Fun! Fun! Vancouver! 

Funny / Poetic / Intimate / 60 minutes / 14+

Blasts of sheer rock ‘n’ roll energy backed up by the sharp hooks and memorable melodies of one of Vancouver’s most exciting new voices. Charlie Kerr’s star continues to rise and his musical universe continues to expand.
lightorganrecords.com/matt-sams-brother

Please note: This is not a ticketed event. Come on down to the Phillips Fringe Bar, located at Ocean Art Works, 1531 Johnston Street on Granville Island, to enjoy the entertainment for FREE!

Jon Bennett Comedy
Melbourne, Australia
Playwright: JON BENNETT

Multi award-winning Australian storyteller Jon Bennett is back! Not a love story but a story of love, loss, sex, and hugging told to a lady lookalike of Jay-Z whilst detained as a suspected terrorist in the Montreal Airport... a true story.

***** —National Post / Broadway Baby / Sunday Mail
***** “It seems every year that we say Bennett’s show is a must-see and this year’s no different.” —Theatre in London
***** “Storytelling genius.” —Edmonton Journal

The performance on September 7 is half-price!

Funny / Warm and Fuzzy / Intimate / LGBTQ+ / 18+ / Coarse Language / Sexual Content / Nudity

Cory Thibert 
Vancouver, Canada 
Playwright: Cory Thibert 
linneagwiazda.com/awkward-hug 

Award-winning actor, writer, and storytelling champion Cory Thibert, embodies his 19-year-old self as he uncovers the truth behind what sets his family apart in this coming-of-age story with a twist.

Hilarious. Honest. Impactful.

Director: Linnea Gwiazda. Writer/Performer: Cory Thibert. Dramaturge: TJ Dawe.

This is a new work by Cory Thibert, the co-creator of: HappinessTM:
***** “The script is precise and powerful ... flawless performance.” —Winnipeg Free Press
***** “One of the best plays showing at the Fringe, hands down.” —On Stage Ottawa 

The performance on September 9 is half-price!

Funny / Tear-Jerker / Intimate / 60 minutes / 14+ / Coarse Language / Sexual Content

James Melcher 
Vancouver, Canada 
Playwright: James Melcher  

From the first time he wore a dress to a Boy Scout meeting, to meditating in a Thai monastery, James takes you on an inspiring and funny adventure through stories, poetry, and song. A heartfelt journey into a world of self-discovery, One Step at a Time is a story for everyone searching for who they truly are. 

“James Melcher puts on a touching performance.” —Plank Magazine 

Funny / Weird / Poetic / LGBTQ+ / 60 minutes / All Ages  

SPNP Tech 
Brooklyn, USA
Playwright: Eric Jaffe 
cminusplay.com 

Twenty years after college, a once promising student sets out to track down his formerly hard-partying, now middle-aged fraternity brothers in order to understand the value of the education he largely squandered.

A comedy about education, career, and the challenge of finding your calling in life.

***** “Eric Jaffe can give you a higher education ... Poignant ... hilarious.” —CBC
**** “This is a class in the school of life that’s worth attending.” —Edmonton Journal 

The performance on September 7 is half-price!

Funny / Intellectual / 55 minutes / 18+ / Coarse Language

Gossamer Obsessions 
Edmonton, Canada 
Playwrights: Amy Shostak & Paul Blinov  

Gossamer Obsessions is sketch comedy unlike any you’ve seen before. Warped by the winsome world, two curious narrators offer hilarious, spine-winding tales of mirth, malady, and mirthful malady. Gossamer Obsessions has previously headlined the 2015 Vancouver Sketch Festival and toured the continent to great acclaim. 

***** “A gut-busting sketch act.” —Edmonton Journal
***** “I started laughing so hard I couldn’t take notes.” —Edmonton Sun
“A fearlessly oddball duo.” —Winnipeg Free Press

The performance on September 7 is half-price!

Funny / Weird / 60 minutes / 14+ / Coarse Language 

Walking Shadows 
Vancouver, Canada
Playwright: Daniel K. McLeod  

TrudeauMania, with music, dance, satire, drama, looks at Justin’s charismatic and brilliant father Pierre, from his rapid rise to the Prime Minister’s chair in 1968 on the eve of the Summer of Love, to his secret engagement to 21-year-old Margaret, to his darkest days in October 1970, when he invoked the War Measures Act, suspending civil liberties. 

Reviews of our 2015 & 2016 Fringe show Just Watch Me:
“The music ... is brilliant!” —Steve Edge, Rogue Folk Club
""Exuberant youthful energy ... Great casting, great ensemble performance! ... Original music and a five-piece band.” —Plank Magazine

The performance on September 7 is half-price!

Funny / Musical / Poetic / 90 minutes / All Ages

Do you remember rock and roll radio? The harmonies, the hooks, the choruses? Johnny Payne does. Co-frontman of shaggy-pop auteurs The Shilohs steps into the limelight to deliver his unique, impeccably rendered pop rock.
lightorganrecords.com

Please note: This is not a ticketed event. Come on down to the Phillips Fringe Bar, located at Ocean Art Works, 1531 Johnston Street on Granville Island, to enjoy the entertainment for FREE!

Wish Experience 
Astoria, USA 
Playwrights: Will Glenn & Trish Parry 
wishexperience.com 

Drink-a-long through time in the Quantum Pint Machine! A sci-fi sketch comedy about the life and times of the humble beer.

Already excited to discover the beer scene in Vancouver for the first time, A Brief History of Beer has been playing to New York audiences for over three years and touring Fringes since 2013, where it was born in Edinburgh.
 
****1/2 “A memorable splash that will refresh the most jaded Fringe palate.” —Rip It Up (Adelaide)
**** “Charming, funny, and infinitely attractive as new drinking buddies.” —CBC Winnipeg
“Are they drunk? Are we? Who cares!” —Orlando Sentinel 

Funny / Silly / Intellectual / 60 minutes / 18+

MIND MAGIC Productions 
Edmonton, Canada 
Playwright: Louis Pezzani 
canadamentalist.com 

Master mentalist and magician Louis Pezzani has been blowing audiences’ minds around the world for decades. This astounding show features mindreading, lightning calculation, and incredible mind-over-matter demonstrations where metal bends, twists, and melts! Astonishing, interactive, critically acclaimed, and very funny. Unforgettable theatre for all. 

“An engaging, nonthreatening, mind-blowing, audience participation magical mystery tour.” —Monday Magazine (Victoria)
“[Pezzani’s] act is pretty cool, and I recommend checking it out.” —the Georgia Straight

Funny / Weird / Intellectual / 75 minutes / All Ages

Green Room Theatre 
Surrey, Canada
Playwrights: Ian Kuiken & Juniemar Angelo Paa 
greenroomtheatrecamp.com

Two plays in one! First a story of your typical ma & pa orchard struggling to stay afloat. They prayed for a savior and the devil’s lettuce came to the rescue. And second a tale of Avery, a pretty normal girl. Except she has bombs in her ovaries. So really, she isn’t a pretty normal girl.

Funny / Silly / Weird / 70 minutes / 14+ / Coarse Language 

Martin Dockery 
Brooklyn, USA 
Playwright: Martin Dockery 
martindockery.com 

A ridiculous, true story of love, loss, and butterflies at the Top of the World. Hilarious and heartbreaking, this is Dockery’s uplifting account of both falling in love and falling apart.

Winner of Best Solo Show at the Orlando Fringe 2017.
“That rare ability to vividly mix the mundane and transcendent is why Dockery remains, quite simply, the best.” —Orlando Sentinel 
***** “A verbal magician ... Hilarious and harrowing.” —Now (Toronto)
**** “A master storyteller.” —CBC
**** “A deliriously good show.” —Winnipeg Free Press
“Shout-it-from-the-rooftop acclaim.” —Fresno Bee
“Deliriously entertaining.” —Orlando Weekly 

The performance on September 7 is half-price!

Funny / Intense / Intimate / 70 minutes / 14+

Heckin’ Good Theatre 
New Westminster, Canada
Playwright: Neil Labute

From the ever-popular Neil Labute, a biting tale of love, lust, and betrayal. When shy and sheltered Adam meets art student and would-be vandal Evelyn, the two are immediately drawn to each other. Before long, Evelyn adds a dose of chaos and rebellion to Adam’s life with her boldness, fierceness, and the revelation of one shocking secret. 

“Clever, uncomfortable and brilliantly staged, The Shape of Things leaves the audience with much to talk about.” —CurtainUp
“Mean and marvelous.” —TheaterMania 

The performance on September 7 is half-price!

Intense / Intellectual / Shocking / 100 minutes / 14+ / Coarse Language / Sexual Content

Underrepresented artist: The Shape of Things features a predominately female creative team with a number of queer spectrum artists

interdepend dancetheatre 
Vancouver, Canada 
Playwrights: Levana Irena Prud’homme & Clay Nikiforuk  

Amid pro-choice/pro-life debates, what about having choices—plural? A dance-theatre piece that proposes a completely alternative—or perhaps ancient—vision of pregnancy loss. Described as “powerful,” “moving,” and “thought provoking,” dance and story combine to bring empathy, community, and an unconventional offering of autonomy to the discussion. 

Audience feedback:
“Powerful! Moving; stays with you long after it’s over.”
“Deep and thought provoking.”
“Powerful work. It is moving and emotional and real and important.”
“I want this to be performed everywhere.” 

The performance on September 8 is half-price!

Poetic / Intellectual / Intimate / LGBTQ+ / 30 minutes / 14+

Underrepresented artist: All company members are non-binary, genderqueer, or gender nonconforming, and all are queer or lesbian.

FBS Productions 
Vancouver, Canada 
Playwright: Francis Brian Shaw  

In this world of uncertainty, its important to know the value of a little chaos.

Blending the personal with the political with a good ol’ story about a cow, The Fancy Brain Show: The Reckoning is the fifth (and final) installment of the one-man-show series by comedian Francis Brian Shaw about the chaos within and around this strange and funny man. 

“A vulnerable but fierce perspective ... an inclusive, uplifting philosophical vision of life as the ultimate crapshoot.” —Raise The Hammer
“Unpretentious and hilarious.” —View Magazine (Hamilton) 

The performance on September 8 is half-price!

Funny / Silly / Weird / 60 minutes / 14+ / Coarse Language

Beth McLaughlin 
San Francisco, USA 
Playwright: Beth McLaughlin 
bethmclaughlin.com 

Yes, technically, I’m a Catholic. I know this because in third grade when we all got ID bracelets—probably for when our little bodies were found after a Hiroshima-like blast—mine said: “In case of an accident, notify a priest.” 

“Wonderful storytelling—warm, touching and humorous... a pure delight.” —Fresno Rogue Festival Audience Review 

Funny / Intense / Intimate / 65 minutes / 18+

Yellowbelt Productions 
Mission, Canada 
Playwright: Elisa McRae  

In the #metoo era, how do we support someone when we are in the #notme category? On the eve of Lucy’s wedding, revelations of past abuse trigger reactions that will change this family forever. This witty, entertaining, and profound ensemble family drama asks: if we confront the horrors of the past, can we move forward with hope?

The performance on September 7 is half-price!

Intense / Intimate / 75 minutes / 14+

Underrepresented artist: This show features an underrepresented artist

Portal Theatre 
Corvallis, USA 
Playwrights: Melissa Schenter, Jade Strong, Kimberly Wilson & Michael Phillips
portaltheatre.com 

The story of women in science is one of broken barriers and groundbreaking discoveries. Yet, only 17 women have won Nobel Prizes in Science. Portal Theatre weaves together moving stories of some of the most remarkable women to don a lab coat. Women who, with determination, persistence, and a love of the work, changed the face of science. 

***** “A positive and often uplifting hour that both entertains and enlightens.” —Edmonton Sun
***** “Inspiring.” —Broadway Baby
**** “Infectious, disarming and ultimately very moving.” —The Scotsman
***** “It is magnificent.” —Saskatoon StarPhoenix 

The performance on September 8 is half-price!

Warm and Fuzzy / Intimate / 60 minutes / All Ages

Red Bastard 
Plantation, USA 
Playwrights: Eric Davis and Aitor Basauri 
redbastard.com 

Award-winning trickster, Red Bastard, teeters on the tip of your moral highs and lows as he asks each audience the seemingly simple question: What are the Rules of Love?

A hilariously fun, 5-star affair that exposes how we love and why. Don’t miss this mind-warping show for singles, couples, and anyone who’s dared to adore. 

***** “Hilarious and beautifully written ... tantalising you with stories of love and lust ... it’s an experience ... as funny as it is unforgiving ... There really is nothing quite like it ... Just go.” —Edinburgh Festivals Magazine
***** “Hysterically funny and thought-provoking ... an unquestionable must see!” —The Adelaidian

Funny / Intense / Naughty / 75 minutes / 18+ 

big word performance poetry 
Finchampstead, UK 
Playwright: jem rolls 

You know they say everyone has got a novel in them?
Well, you know what it’s called, that novel we’ve all got in us?
It’s called I, IDIOT.
With verbal and physical buffoonery, jem rolls cartoons the personal and the universal in his own epic of blundering idiocy.
More Fringe Festivals than anyone on earth.
33,333 muckups. And counting.

40+ ***** reviews. 200+ **** reviews.
Reviews for Jem’s last show, The Inventor Of All Things:
***** —CBC
***** —Winnipeg Free Press
***** —Saskatoon StarPhoenix
***** —Edmonton Journal

jem has done more Fringe Festivals than anyone else on earth. 

Funny / Silly / Poetic / 60 minutes / 14+

Devon More Music 
Vancouver, Canada 
Playwright: Devon More 
devonmoremusic.com 

With the latest viral hipster band due onstage any moment, a quantum physics student under the influence (of Stephen Hawking) is warping space-time..! Quarks, quirks, and the substance of sound collide in a subatomic pop opera where anything that can happen does.

Another “masterful blend of musical storytelling” (Plank Magazine). Just like Berlin Waltz. 

Reviews for Berlin Waltz:
“This show is a work of art.” —CJLO Montreal (2017)
“Berlin Waltz is a masterful blend of musical storytelling.” —Plank Magazine 

The performance on September 15 is half-price!

Funny / Musical / Intellectual / 60 minutes / 14+

Green Eggs and Ham 
Surrey, Canada 
Playwrights: Nick Rinke & Caitlin Docking

An anonymous man and woman search for the last of their kind under the beaconing arch of the Golden Gate Bridge. Humour, heartbreak, shadow puppets, and Christopher Walken bring this post-apocalyptic tale of love and survival to life. 

**** “The Bridge is a very well acted and very effective piece.” —Hi-Fi Way: The Pop Chronicles

The performance on September 11 is half-price!

Shocking / 50 minutes / 18+ / Coarse Language

PrettyUgly Theatre Productions 
Ottawa, Canada
Playwrights: Hannah Gibson-Fraser & Jodi Morden 
prettyuglytheatreproductions.weebly.com 

The girls sit down with a bottle of wine to face the reality of Rachel’s pending nuptials. Reflecting on awkward sexual encounters, failed relationships, and painful mistakes in search for a “soul mate,” is it really the American dream Rachel is looking for? Or the continued support of Zoe, while she makes the biggest decision of her life? 

**** “Jodi Morden and Hannah Gibson Fraser, playing Rachel and Zoe respectively, give us some of the strongest acting I’ve seen at the festival so far this year.” —Allan Mackey, Onstage Ottawa
“Funny, sexy, disturbing and thought-provoking.” —Kevin Reid, The Visitorium  

The performance on September 8 is half-price!

Funny / Intense / Naughty / 60 minutes / 18+ / Coarse Language / Violent Content / Sexual Content / Nudity

Laurel A. Trueman 
Surrey, Canada 
Playwright: Laurel A. Trueman  

A 17-year-old girl’s cynical but passionate outlook on life and her premature struggles influences her to write, direct, and perform a solo show, only to quickly realize that her age and viewpoint may make that incredibly tricky. A one-woman show full of failed attempts and teenage struggles may not have been exactly what she hoped for. 

Funny / Intense / Poetic / 60 minutes / 14+

Gemma Wilcox 
London, UK
Playwright: Gemma Wilcox 
gemmawilcox.com

20-time 'Best-Of-Fest' Winner returns with a sparkling new solo show, exploring the unexpected twists and turns of life, love, and being on the road...

One woman. 23 characters! Human, furry, feathered, mythical, and steel!

From creator of The Honeymoon Period is Officially Over (Pick of Fringe 2009), Shadows in Bloom, and 52 Pick Up. 

***** “Scintillating, top-notch theatre ... jaw-dropping.” —Times Colonist (Victoria)
***** “Run to see her ... A bolt of pure energy.” —Edmonton Journal
**** “Sexy, sharp, and seamless.” —Now Toronto
***** —Winnipeg Free Press
***** —CBC 

Funny / Warm and Fuzzy / 60 minutes / 14+ / Coarse Language 

star star theatre 
Richmond, Canada
Playwright: Madeleine George 
starstartheatre.com 

Three women across three generations play 10 characters in this ensemble play about the connections we form when language fails us. A 42-year-old lesbian linguist gets unsettling news about her pregnancy. When the grad student she’s dating is no comfort, she turns to two unlikely sources: an elderly speaker of a dying language... and a gorilla at the zoo. 

“A crisp, fast-moving, tough-minded but often comic play about love, language, memory, culture and commitment.” —Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 

The performance on September 8 is half-price!

Funny / Intellectual / Intimate / LGBTQ+ / 90 minutes / 14+ minutes / Coarse Language /

Globe-trotting dream-rockers bring their soulful melodies and intricate harmonies for a night of enchantment.
frankiietheband.com

Please note: This is not a ticketed event. Come on down to the Phillips Fringe Bar, located at Ocean Art Works, 1531 Johnston Street on Granville Island, to enjoy the entertainment for FREE!

Sisters Avery and Elle O’Brien have been singing together since they were young. Their innate gift for harmonizing is matched by their knack for writing catchy, perfectly-crafted pop.
instagram.com/harlequingold

Please note: This is not a ticketed event. Come on down to the Phillips Fringe Bar, located at Ocean Art Works, 1531 Johnston Street on Granville Island, to enjoy the entertainment for FREE!

Siblings Bob and Brian make music that is impossible to predict, aggressively pushing musical boundaries in all directions. Their music has been described as a bewildering variety of genres—alt-country, folk, rock, grunge, garage. Whatever you choose to call them, it is an honour to host them on our stage. Unmissable!
thesumnerbrothers.com

Please note: This is not a ticketed event. Come on down to the Phillips Fringe Bar, located at Ocean Art Works, 1531 Johnston Street on Granville Island, to enjoy the entertainment for FREE!

Vancouver/Montréal, Canada
Playwright: Rébecca Déraspe (translated by Leanna Brodie)
Director: Leanna Brodie
www.leannabrodie.com/translator/#/gametes/

Acclaimed Québec writer Rébecca Déraspe tackles female friendship, self-fulfillment, and other stuff that shouldn’t be so damn funny, as Anne’s pregnancy threatens her relationship with her lifelong BFF. How do modern young women negotiate love, ambition, and reproduction? What lines can we never cross, even for a friend?

“Gametes, a nuanced text on female fulfillment, examines the force and complexity of the friendships between women ... Intelligent, funny, and moving, the unifying feminism of Gametes avoids the pitfalls of pamphleteering and guides us from the intimate to the universal.” —Jury citation, Montréal Critics' Prize for Best New Play of 2016-17
“One of the few times I have ever seen an onstage representation of female friendship that is powerful and true.” —Huffington Post
“Certainly one of the most promising voices of the last decade.” —Les Librairies
“By presenting the views of strong women for whom motherhood is not a given, Rébecca Déraspe gives voice to a segment of the female sex which is rarely represented onstage.” —Bible Urbaine
“Questions the inherent paradoxes of an age where we are defined by our opinions.”—Voir

Funny / Poetic / Shocking / Multicultural / 80 minutes / 18+ / Coarse Language / Sexual Content

This show is part of the Advance Theatre: New Works by Diverse Women series.

Tickets are available at the door only and are pay-what-you-can with a suggested price of $5 to $10.

After five years of success with our Fringe Square Dance, we thought we’d mix things up and try a different kind of social dancing this year: an Irish Ceilidh. As always, the dances will be called on the spot and backed up by a live band. No experience necessary, all dances will be taught on the spot. Come in groups, in pairs, or by yourself. Good times guaranteed! 

Please note: This is not a ticketed event. Come on down to the Phillips Fringe Bar, located at Ocean Art Works, 1531 Johnston Street on Granville Island, to enjoy the entertainment for FREE!

Dating back to ancient times, oral storytelling is the oldest and longest running art form. A crowd would gather and hold their breath as a skilled and passionate storyteller would weave a majestic story that taught us about our own mortality. In this workshop, playwright/storyteller/improviser Josh Languedoc will demonstrate the skills needed in captivating an audience, holding their attention, and weaving a story in an interesting and dynamic way. Josh will take you through different ways to tell a story and how to access your inner storytelling voice. Special attention will be given to you—where you come from, your own stories, and your own culture.

Wear comfortable clothing that you can move in, and bring one story. This story can be a real story from your life, a story you enjoy reading/watching, or a traditional story from your culture.

This workshop is for people 14+

Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre
Vancouver, Canada
Playwright: Loretta Seto
Director: Donna Yamamoto
vact.ca

From the writer of the smash hit Dirty Old Woman, comes a new play about the redemptive power of human connection. Abby Chung is tasked to locate next-of-kin for an elderly woman, who died without anyone to claim her. But in the process, Abby is forced to face the mystery of her own life—the truth about the father who walked out on her years ago.

Funny / Tear-Jerker / Intimate / Multicultural / 105 minutes / All Ages / Coarse Language

This show is part of the Advance Theatre: New Works by Diverse Women series.

Tickets are available at the door only and are pay-what-you-can with a suggested price of $5 to $10.

Alright Vancouver, time to show us what you got! The Fringe has hired you a backing band. They know all your favourite songs and are ready to count you in. All you have to do is step up to the mic and prove to us that you are the Rock God you’ve always secretly believed yourself to be. Are you ready?

fusionpresents.com/Sing_With_The_Band.html

Please note: This is not a ticketed event. Come on down to the Phillips Fringe Bar, located at Ocean Art Works, 1531 Johnston Street on Granville Island, to enjoy the entertainment for FREE!

Do you want to:
• Clarify your responsibility to create inclusive and equitable artistic teams on and off stage?
• Recognize and address the challenges you may experience when creating an inclusive and equitable artistic team?
• Gain more knowledge on what barriers underrepresented communities experience in the performing arts sector?
• Learn more about how to move forward with engaging artists of color, artists with disabilities, and artists of various gender identities?

Join Rohit Chokhani (Project SAT {South Asian Theatre}), Marisa Emma Smith (Alley Theatre), Mily Mumford (Nebula Company Theatre), Raes Calvert (Hardline Productions), and Susanna Uchatius (Theatre Terrific) to hear how they’ve found success, and how they’ve learned from their mistakes in creating diverse, inclusive, and equitable teams. 
 
This workshop runs from 10:00am-noon, with space open for informal conversation until 1:00pm
FREE for all participants
All levels of experience welcome. Please email artist@vancouverfringe.com to RSVP. You do not have to RSVP to attend.
ASL Interpretation is available. Please RSVP to artist@vancouverfringe.com by August 31 if you require ASL interpretation and would like to attend this discussion.

Toronto, Canada
Playwright: Suvendrini Lena
Director: Mindy Parfitt

Rubble is an exploration of family life under relentless siege in the Gaza Strip inspired by the works of Palestinian poets Mahmoud Darwish and Lena Khalaf Tuffaha. 

Intense / Poetic / Multicultural / 75 minutes / 14+ / Violent Content

This show is part of the Advance Theatre: New Works by Diverse Women series.

Tickets are available at the door only and are pay-what-you-can with a suggested price of $5 to $10.

Desiree Dawson hasn’t stopped spreading love through her music since she captured the nation’s attention in 2016 when she won the CBC Searchlight Competition. Come and be transported by one of Vancouver’s most assured, passionate voices.
desireedawsonmusic.com

Please note: This is not a ticketed event. Come on down to the Phillips Fringe Bar, located at Ocean Art Works, 1531 Johnston Street on Granville Island, to enjoy the entertainment for FREE!

An impassioned rock choir at the centre of Vancouver’s active community choir scene. Led by director Ian Bryce, ESCHOIR bring you covers from all over the musical spectrum: from Neutral Milk Hotel to Celine Dion and back again.
eschoir.tumblr.com

Please note: This is not a ticketed event. Come on down to the Phillips Fringe Bar, located at Ocean Art Works, 1531 Johnston Street on Granville Island, to enjoy the entertainment for FREE!

It’s all about the process!

Regardless of your experience level, artist or non-artist, there’s always room to hone your craft. Training Jams offer space for exploration, curiosity, and connection to community. This class will focus on “Embodied Awareness” playing with exercises, utilizing one’s awareness in relation to performance and daily life.

In this Training Jam you will:
• Participate in a safe and open space to develop, explore, and hone your artistic curiosity.
• Learn new performance techniques.
• Learn new skills from various artists.
• Share your own experience.
• Participate in peer to peer support and feedback.
• Meet new collaborators in various disciplines and widen your community.

Bring yourself and an open mind. Bring water and clothes you can move in, and a notebook if you take notes.

$10-$15 Sliding Scale

Vino Buono
Victoria, Canada
Playwright: Kai Taddei in collaboration with the original ensemble: Molly
Mcdowell-Powlowski, Grace Le, & Christina Patterson
Director: Karin Saari
vinobuonoproductions.com
www.kaitaddei.com

How do you fight fear—intangible, insidious, and all-consuming? Told in fragments of monologue, spoken word, and scene, While You Sleep follows six different people—a sports reporter, a professional gamer, a politician, an LGBTQ+ activist, an academic, and a playwright—as they try to cope in the wake of receiving death threats.

“[Kai Taddei] is a young new playwright to watch.” —Janis La Couvée, I Have My Own Life To Live

Intense / Poetic / Intimate / LGBTQ+ / 75 minutes / 18+ / Coarse Language / Sexual Content

This show is part of the Advance Theatre: New Works by Diverse Women series.

Tickets are available at the door only and are pay-what-you-can with a suggested price of $5 to $10.

The Vancouver Fringe is hosting an On the Table event! This is a free event where those new to Fringe theatre and Fringe fans alike are invited to come together to discuss: What’s more important to arts and culture; traditional theatre or new voices? And what does the decline of print media and criticism mean for local theatre?
onthetablebc.com

Please note: This is not a ticketed event. Come on down to the Phillips Fringe Bar, located at Ocean Art Works, 1531 Johnston Street on Granville Island, to enjoy the entertainment for FREE!

Kim Villagante, also known as Kimmortal, is a queer filipin@ diasporic first generation settler based on unceded, unsurrendered Coast Salish Territories. Primarily known as an emcee and singer-songwriter, Kimmortal takes a multi-faceted approach to music by incorporating song, poetry, visual art, and dance.
kimmortal.com

Please note: This is not a ticketed event. Come on down to the Phillips Fringe Bar, located at Ocean Art Works, 1531 Johnston Street on Granville Island, to enjoy the entertainment for FREE!

Week two at the Fringe Bar will feature our resident party experts: Common People DJs. Playing everything from R&B, Britpop, house, indie, and retro, these gentlemen helm some of Vancouver’s greatest club nights and we are thrilled to have them at the Fringe Bar all week. 
facebook.com/commonpeopleyvr

Please note: This is not a ticketed event. Come on down to the Phillips Fringe Bar, located at Ocean Art Works, 1531 Johnston Street on Granville Island, to enjoy the entertainment for FREE!

What?! Yes! Musical Improv is exactly as it sounds: creating a musical on the spot! This means scenes, songs, dance, an music all created spontaneously in the moment. It requires emotional expression, collaboration, a willingness to go big, and a connection to your inner voice. Through a series of exercises, musical improv games, and improvised musical scene work, you will get a beautiful introduction to the world of musical improvisation. Veteran musical improvisers Jennifer Pielak and Peter Abando (Inside Voices: A Musical In The Key of P) are known for creating an incredibly safe and playful space to work. Come to this workshop and be blown away by just how much fun you will have!

Skills You Will Learn: spontaneous song creation / new ways to organically use your voice / improv rhyming / improv dance / group collaboration / emotional expression through music, dance & song / yes and & heightening moments / musical & song theory

This Workshop is for: Singers. Actors. Improvisers. Musical Theatre Nerds. Drama Teachers. Shower Singers. Karaoke Stars. Creative Types. Bad Singers. People Who Are Terrified of Trying It. People Who Think This Would Be The Greatest Thing.

Wear comfortable shoes and clothing in layers (you will move a lot). Bring water, tea/coffee, and a snack. Please arrive 15 minutes early so we can start on time.

This workshop is for adults 18+

Sandy Point, Canada
Playwright: Natalie Meisner
Director: TBA
nataliemeisner.com

Girl meets girl. Girl marries girl. They want to have babies… but they need a little help.

Helen calls Nova Scotia home and Paige is from the south of France. After meeting at an airport, they uproot their lives for one another, settle in Calgary, and decide to have a baby together. Thus begins the frustrating, complicated, and straining journey to find a biological father for their coveted future offspring. Speed Dating for Sperm Donors delivers humour, wit, and emotion through high stakes and rich characters that result in a delightfully heartwarming story. 

“Heartwarming fun.” —Jenna Shummoogum, GetDown.ca
“This story implemented so firmly in my mind I completely missed my stop on the train ride home. I want everyone I know to go and see this play.” —Janine Eva Trotta, Gay Calgary
“Effervescent new comedy.” —Stephen Hunt, Calgary Herald
“Hit[s] the mark in the application of humour to approach (and widen) the conversation surrounding LGBT families.” —Rodrigo Flores, Joyful Magpies

Funny / Intellectual / Intimate / Multicultural / LGBTQ+ / 90 minutes / All Ages

This show is part of the Advance Theatre: New Works by Diverse Women series.

Tickets are available at the door only and are pay-what-you-can with a suggested price of $5 to $10.

Ridiculous rock and roll from East Van guitar wizard Noah Walker and hard-hitting percussionist Jodie Ponto. Get ready to have some fun!
kittyandtherooster.com

Please note: This is not a ticketed event. Come on down to the Phillips Fringe Bar, located at Ocean Art Works, 1531 Johnston Street on Granville Island, to enjoy the entertainment for FREE!

Parlour Panther makes gorgeous gritty rock with three-way soulful vocals and dark and dirty guitar riffs. Their songs are sometimes passionate, sometimes furious, exploring Queer love, empowerment, truth, and triumph.
parlourpanthermusic.com

Please note: This is not a ticketed event. Come on down to the Phillips Fringe Bar, located at Ocean Art Works, 1531 Johnston Street on Granville Island, to enjoy the entertainment for FREE!

Our week two residents Common People DJs help us kick off the final weekend of Fringe by throwing a 70s theme party. Are you ready to catch the fever?!
facebook.com/commonpeopleyvr

Please note: This is not a ticketed event. Come on down to the Phillips Fringe Bar, located at Ocean Art Works, 1531 Johnston Street on Granville Island, to enjoy the entertainment for FREE!

Presented with Vancouver World Music Festival
It is an honour to be partnering with the Vancouver World Music Festival to bring you an evening of music from one of BC’s most dynamic globalistas. Tambura Rasa is a buoyant cultural cross-pollination that fuses contemporary grooves and traditional rhythms into one energetic musical brand of their own. The act weaves a tapestry of sound and dance from the Balkans, Spain, Turkey, the Middle East, and beyond.
tamburarasa.com

Please note: This is not a ticketed event. Come on down to the Phillips Fringe Bar, located at Ocean Art Works, 1531 Johnston Street on Granville Island, to enjoy the entertainment for FREE!

Celebrating the Best of the Fest!

We’re once again happy to support the Performing Arts Lodges! Your cash donation to PAL Vancouver gets you into the Fringe Awards Night.

The 2018 Public Market Pick of the Fringe Awards
The hottest selling shows return September 19-23 for holdovers at Performance Works!

Cultchivating the Fringe Award
From the Fringe to The Cultch, the “Cultchivating the Fringe Award” is given to a show that demonstrates unique potential and rewards it with a run at The Cultch.

The Georgia Straight Critics’ Choice Award
The Georgia Straight’s theatre critics will nominate five outstanding shows, and award one with this coveted prize!

Joanna Maratta Award
In honour of the Vancouver Fringe Festival’s founder, this award goes to an artist who best exhibits the original founding spirit of the Fringe.

BC Touring Council Award
The winner of this award receives the chance to showcase their work at Pacific Contact, BC Touring Council’s annual tradeshow and booking conference for the performing arts.

Mollie Bradley Award
Selected by jury, this cash award is given to either the winner of the Joanna Maratta Award or the BC Touring Council Award and provides financial help for travel, marketing, and other professional development. This award is given in honour of Fringe Board member Jim Sibley’s mother-in-law, Mollie.

The Fringe New Play Prize
Won by Sara Vickruck and Anais West in 2018 for their show Poly Queer Love Ballad, Playwrights Theatre Centre (PTC) is now accepting submissions for the 2019 Prize. PTC supplies dramaturgy and more for the winning script while the Fringe offers a guaranteed Mainstage spot in the 2019 Vancouver Fringe Festival. Visit playwrightstheatre.com/programs/fringe-new-play-prize to submit your project!

Artistic Risk Award
Selected by jury and financially supported by the Fringe’s Board of Directors, this award is given to an artist or group of artists for risk-taking in Fringe theatre.

Volunteer Choice Award
Fringe volunteers will vote to determine their favourite show!

Spirit of the Fringe Award
This award goes to the artist, or artists, that the Fringe staff feel most exemplify the Fringe values of collaboration, community, and camaraderie, with other artists, staff, volunteers, and patrons. The winner will be awarded something spirited... or a sofa.

The TD Award (In Development)
In partnership with Neworld Theatre and generously sponsored by TD Financial, the Fringe is developing a new Award to honour voices from communities that have been historically marginalized. The Award will feature a presentation opportunity, production resources, audience development, and mentorship from senior artists. Criteria will be announced soon. The Award will be launched as part of the 2019 Fringe Festival.

DJs Adam Fink and Bryan Sea, AKA Common People DJs, finish off their Fringe Bar residency in an epic seven-hour set on the final night of the Fringe! Playing everything from R&B, Britpop, house, indie, and retro, these gentlemen helm some of Vancouver’s greatest club nights and we are thrilled to have them at the Fringe Bar all week.
facebook.com/commonpeopleyvr

Please note: This is not a ticketed event. Come on down to the Phillips Fringe Bar, located at Ocean Art Works, 1531 Johnston Street on Granville Island, to enjoy the entertainment for FREE!

Happysad Theatre

Kink has never been so polite! This trio of original stories spoofs a beloved Canadian radio program (you’ll know it when you hear it) with warmth, humour, and more than a little spice. A middle-aged Ontario couple embarks on a series of sexy misadventures after reading a popular book about kink. It does not go smoothly.

50 Shades of Vinyl is a funny, racy comedy that entertains more than it scandalizes. Part parody, part homage, and an overall gentle reminder that it’s never too late to try something new.

Pick Plus
Can't get enough Fringe Theatre? Enter Pick Plus: a series of Fringe hits handpicked for your enjoyment.

Pick Plus shows are $25

Pick Plus shows are $25

Written, created, and performed by Kahlil Ashanti

A comedic, powerful, and redemptive story about a young man (Kahlil Ashanti) who joins the US Air Force to escape a violently abusive childhood. Less than 24 hours before departing for boot camp, Kahlil’s mother reveals a family secret that forces him to question everything he has become, and everything he is running away from. Twenty-three unforgettable characters guide you through this award winning interactive true story.

“Hilarious and engaging, Ashanti delivers.” —New York Times (Critics Pick)

Pick Plus
Can't get enough Fringe Theatre? Enter Pick Plus: a series of Fringe hits handpicked for your enjoyment.

Pick Plus shows are $25

Pick Plus shows are $25

Ashanti Enterprises Inc presents:

Razor
November 7-9, 2018
Studio 1398, 1398 Cartwright Street, Vancouver, BC, V6H 3R8

Directed by TJ Dawe
In the fall of 2003 the largest supermarket strike in history locked out over 70,000 Los Angeles grocery workers.  Broke, discouraged, and unable to find acting work, Kahlil finds himself crossing picket lines during the strike to stock shelves on midnight shift at an Albertsons for less than minimum wage. His coworkers—hardened criminals and ex-cons from a local halfway house—expose Kahlil to transformative but hard truths about incarceration, poverty, and social change.

Warnings: 14+

God is a Scottish Drag Queen: A Christmas Special
December 5-7, 2018
Studio 1398, 1398 Cartwright Street, Vancouver, BC, V6H 3R8

God, dressed in a floral power suit, comes down to skewer everything from fruit cake to Boxing Day in an all new and special holiday addition! Featuring an opening act performing all of the holiday favourites, this is the best and only way to celebrate Jesus’ birthday!

December 7th is Fringemas!
Available for December 7th performance only:
$200 for VIP Table for 4 / $175 with subscription
(VIP tables include wine, table service, drink tickets, and appetizers)
19+

Monster Theatre presents:

Theatre Under the Gun
February 9, 2019
Performance Works, 1218 Cartwright St, Vancouver, BC V6H 3R8

It’s deadline driven, insomnia fuelled creation at its best.
 
Theatre Under the Gun is a 48-Hour Play Creation Competition. Six Vancouver theatre companies receive an inspiration package, and have only 48 hours to race against the clock and create an original piece of theatre! Hosted by Monster Theatre and co-presented by the Fringe, Theatre Under the Gun is one of the most epic, exciting, surprising, and electric theatre events of the season.