2023 Fringe Fest review: Chiaro:Scuro abstract expression with no comprehension required

Chiaro:Scuro is a musical dance show by Broken Rhythms Dance Company that purportedly takes inspiration from the film noir genre and Germanic expressionism to create a performance rich with meaning, although as an abstract piece, the audience could be forgiven for missing all of it. According to the description, the performance “ties together the light […]

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2023 Fringe Fest review: Celexia mind-opening experience

I saw Celexia, written and performed by Alexa R. McGinn, last night at the Victoria Fringe Festival. Celexia is a deep and thought-provoking account of McGinn’s own relationship with a dyslexia diagnosis. I was immediately drawn in to McGinn’s performance; she has a sharp and witty style. Her extremely personal story begins in childhood, and […]

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2023 Fringe Fest review: Renfield gutsy in more ways than one

I love the Fringe Festival. I love everything it stands for. I especially love that it gives aspiring actors, writers, and directors the chance to produce their own work, to get to see or perform that work, and to have other people experience it. One of the Fringe performances I saw recently was Renfield or, […]

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2023 Fringe Fest review: Pico and The Golden Lagoon fun but not much more

Prior to attending Pico and The Golden Lagoon at the 2023 Victoria Fringe Festival, I’d only ever seen one theatrical performance in my adult life. It was an experience I walked away from with the opinion that live theatre is profoundly boring and not something I’d ever want to do again. Then I got an […]

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2023 Fringe Fest review: Pieces Of connects with audience through visuals

Pieces Of, which I saw at the 2023 Victoria Fringe Fest, is an interdisciplinary work that incorporates video, 360-degree surround sound, interpretive dance, and fragmented stories. It’s an immersive journey through one woman’s memories of drug abuse, sex work, homelessness, and friendships. This experimental performance executed by Chandler McMurray-Ives (who is also the creator and […]

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2023 Fringe Fest review: Sadec 1965 endearing story but lacking stage presence

Sadec 1965: A Love Story by Flora Le tells the story of her trip across Vietnam on a motorcycle in a mission to visit her estranged, late father’s hometown to find emotional closure. The performance oscillates between time periods, recollections of Le’s trip interspersed with flashbacks of the life that led her to that narrow […]

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Reverb delivers three days of great music and beer

Vancouver Island festival-goers were treated to talented musicians, craft beer, and delicious food trucks during Reverb at Phillips Backyard from Friday, August 11 to Sunday, August 13. I had doubts going into the festival, as I’d heard complaints about the layout and overall organization of the event from last year; this year, however, it was […]

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The Last Five Years honest and captivating production

Last night, I went to see Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre’s production of The Last Five Years, which follows the ups and downs of the five-year relationship between two characters, Jamie (Seth Zosky) and Cathy (Cheyenne Scott). This Tony award-winning musical from playwright Jason Robert Brown features unconventional timelines, with Jamie’s story being told chronologically and […]

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Langford Beer Festival rocks the park at Starlight Stadium

The Langford Beer Festival, presented by the Victoria Beer Society, returned in great form on Saturday, July 15, this time occupying the Langford Starlight Stadium. Around two dozen vendors populated the field, serving their best beers, ciders, and meads. Much of the fare centred around lighter drinks perfect for refreshing a hot summer day, and […]

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