I took part in the standing ovation (rarely happens). I bought the T-shirt (never happens). I loved this show.
Megan Milton’s comic monologue is about being an “abortion survivor”, somebody who believes her high-school-age mom wasn’t prepared to have kids and should not have done so.
“My parents met at a gas station,” she says. “Which means their relationship lasted three pumps.”
Milton’s timing is like a ride at the PNE. She does this cool thing where she sets up an idea with absolute sincerity — and more than a touch of darkness — then whiplashes into the underlying absurdity or transgression. Most of the time, she tells us, it feels like she and her mom are on separate planes of reality, but they do share a sense of humour: “She will commit to the bit no matter who it hurts.”
Anti-choice advocates insist they’re defending the unborn. But, if Milton’s mom hadn’t had a baby, her goal was to become a cop, so, Milton responds, “I would argue I saved hundreds of lives.”
Free Kittens is a perfect illustration of comedy-as-survival — in this case, the survival of a kid who was wildly more perceptive than her would-be caretaker, basically from the time she could talk.
Free Kittens is smart — and thoroughly, complexly, political.
So many times watching Free Kittens, I found myself laughing helplessly, help-less-ly: my favourite thing. Besides, life’s hard; if you’re not going to laugh about it, what else are you going to do?
Remaining performances: Sept 6, 8:45; Sept 9, 9:15; Sept 11, 9:15, Sept 12, 10:00; Sept 13, 6:15; Sept 14, 1:15. Tickets. This is PRIME FRINGE. BOOK YOUR TICKETS NOW. It’s going to sell out.
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