Past Festivals – 2018

Candy Bones Theatre

Created & Performed By: Candice Roberts
Directed By: Candice Roberts and Kat Single-Dain

Meet Larry, from Moose Creek, BC Canada; he “ain’t no idiom”, and he’ll show you that he’s handier than a pocket on the back of a shirt and funnier than a one legged cat tryin’ to scratch a turd on a frozen pond.

Award winning character comedy artist Candice Roberts hit’s the zeitgeist of our current cultural shift with her gender bending physical comedy. Sexy, stunning and uproariously funny, LARRY is a provocative take on the life of a simple “hoser’s” journey to becoming a better man.

https://candy-bones.com

Audience Interaction in an Age of Enthusiastic Consent

Clown theatre frequently involves audience interaction. But what does it mean to pull an audience member on stage, or even interact with them in their seats in this age of #metoo? How do we obtain consent, knowing that audience members will often do things outside of their comfort zone for the good of the show? How do interactive theatre artists negotiate this rocky terrain?

Panelists:

• Candice Roberts, Vancouver (LARRY)
• Michael Kennard, Edmonton (The Performance)
• Bitch Sassidy & Miss Randi Lee, Calgary (Fruitbowl)
• Paul Bezaire, Edmonton (The Vaudeville Spectacular)
• Moderated by Christine Lesiak, Play the Fool Festival Director

It’s back! A definite highlight of the 2017 festival, Play the Fool’s new artist showcase features emerging clowns, physical comedy artists, and performers experimenting in a new style.
Featuring performances by:

• Nana & Dupe in Nana’s Birden
• Pie, aka Paul Bezaire
• Winston
• Bum the Imp, aka Michael Strean
• Apostrophe, aka Jeffery Nichols
• Caitlin & Read Fenton
• The Rat, aka Calla Wright
• Tyler Rose

The Small Matters Physical Comedy Lab is the silliest safe space on earth where being funny is all that matters and nothing is off-limits! This show features new works developed during the cold dark Edmonton winter, where only the strongest survive. Come see the results of the hilarious experiments! Hosted by The Great Balanzo!
Featuring:

• Professor Lavernius Cumquat
• Maureen and Doris get YouTube Famous, Candace Berlinguette & Laura Raboud
• Spatz’s Birthday Garbage Party
• The Dancer Memorial by Adam Keefe
• Going Crackers with The Great Balanzo
• Kidd Crimson
• For Science!, Christine Lesiak & Anna Pratch
• Llama’s Selfie, Lindsay Ruth Hunt

Find out how you can participate in the Small Matters Physical Comedy Lab at https://smallmatters.ca .

Step right up for this boffo variety spectacular! We’ve got hoofers and freak acts, song pluggers and stooges, and a cheeky bit of burlesque. Join emcee Paul Bizarre for this trip into the classic world of Vaudeville!

Join us for our FREE opening night sneak-peak cabaret featuring hilarity from the 2018 festival performers. Admittance is first come first served at the door. Full festival pass holders have guaranteed front-of-the line admittance.
Hosted by Christine Lesiak with live music from The Mary-Lee Bird Band and performances from:

• Larry, aka Candice Roberts
• Hit That Jive Productions
• Mona Lisa’s Inga and Tops, aka Kiana Woo & Joel David Taylor
• Lady Be Good’s The Former Winners, aka Erin Pettifor & Gabby Bernard
• The Daily Deal with Lady, aka Lindsay Ruth Hunt
• … free prizes, and so much more

The Great Balanzo! – Edmonton

ALL AGES – 15 mins

Created and Performed By: Aytahn Ross

The Great Balanzo turns the everyday into an adventure with a special blend of circus & comedy loved by all. He’s performed at Just for Laughs, performed for the Governor General of Canada, and once John Cleese from Monty Python said “Hello” to him!

The Ron Pearson Magic Show – Edmonton

ALL AGES – 30 mins

Created and Performed By: Ron Pearson

Step back to the days of vaudeville and silent movies with The Ron Pearson Magic Show! A unique performance in the tradition of the magicians of the Golden Era of Magic, Ron performs silently accompanied by the Big Band music of the 1930’s. A fun and amazing show that the entire family will love!

Ron Pearson has made his living as a magician, actor and writer for over 30 years. He has performed at the Royal National Theatre in London, England and Carnegie Hall in New York City. The Globe and Mail has called his magic, “Brilliant”, and the Edmonton Journal has said he performs, “Mind-Boggling Sleight of Hand.”

AGES 13+ – 15 mins

Created and Performed By: Alex Cherovsky & Connor Suart
Directed By: Philip Geller
Designed By: Caro Vanrensburg

Fire Monster and Pager struggle with jealousy, a haunted doll, and an exorcism in this dark, thriller-comedy. Alex Cherovsky, Connor Suart and Phillip Geller are BFA Acting graduates from the University of Alberta. Caro Vanrensburg is a recent graduate of the BFA Theatre Design program.

Fruitbowl – Cabaret Calgary Productions with Valour & Tea

AGES 18+ – 20 mins

Created and Performed By: Bella Bizarre, Miss Randi Lee, Val Halah and Bitch Sassidy

Comedy burlesque with the joyous perversion of a pubescent boy. A fruitful tease from Cabaret Calgary Productions in collaboration with comedy duo, Valour and Tea. Take a bite.

www.cabaretcalgary.com | Photo By: Rob Berrade

The Performance – Edmonton

AGES 18+ – 15 mins

Created and Performed By: Candace Berlinguette and Michael Kennard

A down and out pianist and singer attempt to regain their former glory. Candace Berlinguette is a theatre creator, actor, producer and teacher. Michael Kennard is an award winning theatre creator and one half of the clown duo Mump and Smoot.

The Daily Deal with Lady – Edmonton

AGES 18+ – 15 mins

Created and Performed By: Lindsay Ruth Hunt
Directed By: Christine Lesiak

Lady launches her career as a home-shopping network celebrity! Join her live in-studio audience and prepare to be wowed. And to buy her much-sought-after product. Lindsay Ruth Hunt has a background in improvisational theatre and sketch comedy, including being a founding member of both The General Fools and Uberkill.

Shipwrecked – Calgary

AGES 13+ – 30 mins

Created and Performed By: Chad Bryant and Chris Gamble
Directed By: Jacqueline Russell

Shipwrecked on a desert island, Swill and Lavy find a mysterious treasure map. Will the map lead to their salvation or doom? Calgary-based comedy theatre artists Chad Bryant (Swill) and Chris Gamble (Lavy) team up with Jacqueline Russell from Sizzle & Spark (The Sama Kutra & Hushabye) to bring a new Pochinko-style clown duo to the stage.

At Home with Gisèle – Montréal

AGES 13+ – 30 mins

Created and Performed By: Évelyne Lainel
Directed By: Jed Tomlinson

At Home with Gisèle is a live television show that offers practical advice for today’s modern women! On the program today – love letters, beauty and a self-defense course for 80’s ladies to help them face the dangers of modernity.

Évelyne studied at Francine Côté’s school, graduating in 2015, and performs regularly in Montréal. Évelyne is also the co-founder of Théâtre Ondulé, a youth drama company, and is involved with Clown without Borders. Directed by Sizzle & Spark’s Jed Tomlinson (The Sama Kutra & Hushabye), At Home with Gisèle is her first solo show.