CJLO's Top Picks for Fringe Fest 2017

Montreal's St-Ambroise Fringe Festival is finally here! For nearly three weeks, be ready to watch and hear the best and weirdest of local and international culture, both in English et en français. CJLO will be covering the best of Fringe, and to launch our series of articles, here are our Fringe Team's top picks for this year's Fringe festival. 

Erica’s picks

Erica hosts The F Hole, every Monday at noon.

Mememto Mori: Exploration of the afterlife and the change of one’s perspective after death is something that has always fascinated me, so a piece of theatre about a support group for the dead is something I don't want to miss. Pair that with the fact that the creator is the mastermind behind Captain Aurora, A Song of Fiction and To Be and I'm completely sold! Can't wait to see it!

The show runs from June 1^st to June 10 at The Freestanding Room. You can find the Facebook event of the play with more details here.

Peter Pansexual: Burlesque, comedy, body-positivity, and re-inventing beloved childhood stories to be deplorable, sexually explicit and drug-infused—what more could one want? If you're still in doubt, take it from me that Glam Gam's shows are always amazing. Pro tip: good place for a first date. ;)

You can check out the Facebook event for Peter Pansexual at Café Cléopatra from June 1 to 16 here.

The Detective, The Dame and The Devil: If, like me, you're a bit of a sucker for detective fiction and film-noir parodies, this piece is right up your alley. It promises to be a fast-paced descent into the absurd with no shortage of cheap gags along the way. This world premiere features actors from the award winning webseries LARPS, so you know it's going to be amazing.

Runs from June 8 to June 17 at La Chapelle. Find out more here.

Chris the Frog’s picks

Chris hosts Sewer Spewer, every Wednesday at 1 p.m.

Cherry Docs, produced by Beige Theatre Co., is an intense two-man play about a neo-Nazi skinhead who is charged with a violent crime, and is assigned a Jewish lawyer to defend him in court. Written by Montrealer David Gow 20 years ago, the themes in the play still ring true in today's political climate. I read this play years ago and saw the film adaptation, but still have yet to see it as a theatre piece. I'm really excited about this.

The play runs from June 8 to June 18, at Montreal Improv. Details can be found here.

Pounding Nails In the Floor With My Forehead is a comedic lampoon at American society featuring a cast of diverse characters who all have something to vent about. The play was originally written by Eric Bogosian in 1994. when Bill Clinton was in office, but can easily be applied to the Trump administration. Put together by Monkeyshines Productions, the cast includes the hilarious Rodney Ramsey, burlesque dancer Shauna Feldman (AKA Elle Diabloe) and Karl Knox, host of Your Media Sucks on CJLO.

Details on the show and the performances, starting on June 8 for eleven nights at The Wiggle Room, can be found here.

Crazy Bitch, by Hairy Bird Productions, is a one-woman comedy that is part autobiographical and part social commentary, performed by the incredible Ellie MacDonald. I've worked with Ellie before, and she has an amazing ability to ceaselessly transition from comedic to dramatic. She is also a talented stand-up comic and is strongly opinionated when it comes to issues of sexism and bad relationships.

Runs from June 2 to June 18 at The Wiggle Room; you can find out more here.

Patricia’s picks

Patricia hosts Fatal Attraction, every Thursday at noon.

Cabaret Abnormal is a mysterious showcase of some the weirdest and sexiest performances Montreal has to offer! Organized by Viva Diverse Productions, Cabaret Abnormal stars some of Montreal’s finest burlesque and circus performers like director Mikki Michelle, Magenta Haze, and the dangerously beautiful Tristan Ginger! Every show will have special cameos by Montreal nightlife legends.

Don’t miss Cabaret Abnormal at The Wiggle Room from June 2 to 15! For more details, check out their Facebook event here.

Nonna’s Story is an incredibly moving tribute to Antonio Bavaro’s strong and beautiful Italian grandmother. Written and performed by Antonio Bavaro, Nonna’s Story is an intimate glimpse into Bavaro’s memories and fantasies of family life.

Nonna’s Story will play at the MAI from June 8th to 18th! For more information, you can check out their Facebook event here.

Peter Pansexual is Glam Gam Productions’ sexy, subversive take on Disney’s problematic Peter Pan! Directed by Sam Sullivan, produced by Michael J McCarthy and managed by Fiona Ross, Peter Pansexual is a queer, exhilarating vaudeville experience that cannot be missed. Peter Pansexual will be celebrating some of Montreal’s most talented performers with special guest cameos every night of the show!

Join in on the fun during Peter Pansexual’s 24 Hour Production from June 17 to 18! You can learn more about the 24 hour show here. You can also hear our interview with Glam Gam Productions, which aired on May 11, here.

Josh’s picks

Josh hosts The Neighbourhood, every Wednesday at 5 p.m.

We Accept Her: A Caravan Calamity is written, produced, and directed by Mylène Chicoine of Crazy Cat Lazy Productions. The show is based on Tod Browning's 1932 Cult Classic Film Freaks, which was banned across several American states for the better part of the 1930s and 40s! Also, all the music for the production has been composed and will be performed by Erica Bridgeman, host of The F Hole on CJLO every Monday from 12 - 2 p.m.

Runs from June 8 to 17, with all shows taking place at the Mainline Theatre. For full details head to the Facebook event here. Listen to our interview with Mylène, which aired on June 1^st, here.

Precinct is an hour-long improvised comedic cop narrative directed by Brent Skagford. Andy Assaf, Dimitri Kyres, and Jason Grimmer play the three main cops: soft-hearted Carl "Carly" Boucher, short-fused John Calgary, and gruff step-father of five Captain Bill Garber. Together these tough cops are cleaning up the mean streets of Montreal's Plateau one perp at a time but there are only 7 chances to watch. Runs from June 8 to 18, with all shows taking place at Montreal Improv. We’re also going to be speaking with the cast on-air on Monday, June 5 from 11 a.m. to noon. So make sure to tune in!

For full details head to the Facebook event here.

Pounding Nails In The Floor With My Forehead features darkly funny monologues written by Eric Bogosian, delivered by a stellar cast that answers the question, "How did we get here?" Given the laugh out loud satirical perspectives on politics and mainstream media shared by Karl Knox, the host of Your Media Sucks (every Monday from 8-9 a.m. on CJLO), this one is going to be a heavy hitter!

Runs from June 8^th to 18^th, with all shows taking place at Montreal Improv.

Fringe Music in The Park is going down in Parc des Amériques (corner of Rachel / St. Laurent) from June 8 – 18, and CJLO has curated six hours of local music form 4 – 10 p.m. on June 16, featuring Raveen, Strange Froots, No Aloha, Bitch Goddess, THe LYONZ, and Torn Petals. Entry is free!

For full details head to the CJLO x Fringe Facebook event, it’s here.

For full details on all the music happening in the park for Finge, head here.