MEL MALARKEY GETS THE BUM’S RUSH

> David Johnston * Meet Mel Malarkey, Depression-era vaudevillian. They’re hosting one final show before the theatre is sold. Mel is delightful, but a little exhausting. Mel plays the musical saw! Mel feuds with donkeys! Mel recites love odes to an elephant...

THE BRIDGE

> David Johnston * A man and woman trek eastwards across America. The apocalypse has happened. Or the rapture. Or a plague. Doesn’t matter. Point is, they’re alone, and they’re in search of a surviving colony somewhere near San Francisco’s famous...

GOSSAMER OBSESSIONS

> Sarvin Esmaeili * Watching Gossamer Obsessions, I spent half my time laughing and half my time trying to figure out why I was laughing. This sketch comedy opens with two British-accented narrators (Amy Shostak and Paul Bilnov) who introduce us to the world of the...

TEN TIPS FOR A COLLAPSED UTERUS

This is a guest review by David Johnston. We’ve all been there. You have a lovely, taut Fringe show, and then overnight—bam!—theatrical bloat strikes like a Mack truck. Say you’re an actress named Colleen Brow. By your own admission, your storytelling...

ONE STEP AT A TIME

Three things to know about One Step At A Time: 1) If your show includes the exasperated voiceover “Oh boy. A whole hour of this,” then it’s vital to ensure what follows isn’t pedantic. 2) No aspect of this production is ready for the stage....

RUBY ROCKET RETURNS!

Taking in Ruby Rocket Returns! is a pleasantly giddy experience—like binge-watching goofy reruns on a rainy afternoon. Portland theatre artist Stacey Hallal plays Ruby Rocket, the private dick at the centre of this improvised film noir parody. For every show, Hallal...