Kat Mokrynski - Page 18

Recently, I had the chance to sit down with the creators and stars of My Last Two Brain Cells, Joe Pike (Clive) and Tom Hazelden (Brain Cell #12). We discussed the creation of My Last Two Brain Cells, which brain cell they relate to more, and even some tips for bringing a show to the Fringe!

As someone who has only recently got into the world of standup, particularly with British comedians, I’ve only seen a few of the UK’s iconic comedy shows. This includes Mock the Week, so as soon as I saw that Rhys James was doing a show at the Fringe, I knew that I had to see it.

When perusing the shows at this year's Fringe, I saw one with a poster that made me stop and stare. A man wearing aviator glasses stood in front of a pink background, holding a bleeding heart in his hand. Who was this man? Jazz Emu? What kind of a name is that? I simply had to find out, so I booked a ticket to see the show.

When walking into the show, Beevers greets you, welcoming you to her mother’s funeral and thanking you for coming. The stage is covered in red wigs and has a box of flashy costumes. Beevers then goes onstage and lays out the situation - It is the night before her mother’s funeral, and she still hasn’t started writing her eulogy. What will she do?

Have you ever used a Ouija Board to communicate with spirits? Even though I am on the fence on whether or not spirits exist in this world, I try to keep an open mind and have gone on several adventures to try to find ghosts. When I saw the description of DARKFIELD’s show, Séance, I was immediately drawn to the concept.

Mad Ron: Crime School had me laughing from start to finish and, even though it was mostly built on one-liners, flew by. I may not have learned a lot about how to commit crimes, but I certainly did have a fantastic night out!

Chloe Petts is here and she’s ready to be mean. Or is she? Chloe Petts: If You Can’t Say Anything Nice is the second show for Petts at the Fringe, and instead of playing it nice like she did in her debut hour, she’s here to be rude.

The Vaults Tour is an insightful look into the lives of those who had no choice but to live in the darkness, hiding in the South Bridge Vaults. I appreciated the serious and respectful tone taken when speaking of those less fortunate but also the humour that Sid was able to incorporate when appropriate.

Walking into Stamptown Comedy Night, you know you’re in for something . . . special.  The concept is simple, even if the actual execution is anything but. Jack Tucker (real name: Zach Zucker, the creator of Stamptown) MCs as different performers do sketches or bits, making for a night of cabaret acts in various forms.

Museum Late: Fringe Friday is a great concept and it is great to see snippets of different Fringe shows while exploring the Museum of Scotland at night, but it is a bit disappointing in its lack of organisation and small range of activities.

Mystery House is an interesting show that does a nice job connecting the lore of the Winchester Mystery House to a woman’s story of grief, using the pain of losing someone to explain the truth. While at times it went into unexpected territory, it is able to connect two women across time through a common thread of love and loss. 

Sh!t-faced Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet is entertaining, but it is just not as funny as it could be. The actors are clearly talented and have the ability to perform straight Shakespeare as well as comedy, but simply splitting the show between Shakespeare and slapstick does not work.

Larry Owens Live is a powerful show that will have you in awe of Owens’s talent and clamouring for more. It is difficult to believe that this is a Fringe debut for Owens - It seems like he has been doing this for years, and I hope we get to see him for many more years to come.

Pitch is an interesting and heartfelt show that illustrates the connections that sports like football can create in the queer community. The actors are passionate and joyfully portray queer characters who are brought together through the game.

The concept of Lachlan Werner - Voices of Evil is a surprisingly simple one. Brew is a small witch always accompanied by Lachy, “her poof.” Together, they are going to perform a ritualistic sacrifice, in which Lachy definitely won’t be killed as the virgin sacrifice.

King of More: #FOMO Clinic is a heartwarming show that will bring you a ridiculous amount of joy. The show is truly what you make of it, so why not have some fun? You only live once, so #JOLIF without fear!

I must begin this review by admitting that I typically am not the biggest fan of clowning and physical theatre, so I went into The Man Who Thought He Knew Too Much with a bit of skepticism. Would I enjoy 70 minutes of a show like this? The answer? A surprisingly enthusiastic yes!

The concept of Grow is simple, yet lovely - The audience is helping The Gardener look after their friend’s allotment, ensuring that the plants will grow. Niall Moorjani takes on the role of The Gardener, an enthusiastic person who does not know how to help their friend grow a plant but is willing to do whatever it takes to get it done!

Every comedian dreams of their big break, the one gig that will change their life. What if that gig is in Cirque de Soleil’s new show in Las Vegas, Mad Apple? What if they want you to fly out to Vegas with your wife and newborn baby? Then, the dream gig might be a bit more complicated than you first thought.

If you know me, you know that I have a deep love for Segways. Whenever there is a chance to take a Segway tour, I immediately hope on it (yes, pun fully intended). So as soon as I saw a show with the description, “A show dedicated to Mr Segway, the man who invented the segway, all performed entirely on segways,” I knew I had to go.