World Fringe Day was certainly being celebrated here in Toronto, and I was lucky enough to get to see four shows over the course of the day. I love the range of genres and styles at Fringe; every time you walk in the door of a theatre, you never quite know what to expect. I had a fantastic day and I can’t wait to tell you all about it!

A Little Bit Pregnant – Paper Dog Press

You can’t be a little bit pregnant…right? Tasha certainly doesn’t think so, but as her story unfolds we learn that things aren’t always as they seem. A Little Bit Pregnant, written by Kate Lavut and directed by Rana Liu, is a touching drama about four friends trying to face their very grown-up realities.

The story of this play hit very close to home for me; as a woman in my early thirties, it seems like every day I see a new post about a friend or former classmate getting pregnant, however I also have friends who aren’t so lucky, and have been struggling to start their family. Both couples in A Little Bit Pregnant have their own dilemmas: one couple is struggling to get pregnant after a year while the other is unexpectedly expecting. This dynamic creates a great deal of tension, yet it also allows for a great deal of comedy as well. Lavut’s writing is fantastic, allowing for the comedy and absurdity of the situation to shine through the heaviness.

The cast of A Little Bit Pregnant is stellar: Julia Pye, Alexander Cruz, Aidan Cottreau, and Casey Marie Ecker. Pye leads the cast as Tasha, and she gives a stand-out performance. She navigates the emotional complexity of Tasha’s situation with vulnerability and ease. The whole cast give passionate, moving performances. I was delighted with how beautifully they told this story.

A Little Bit Pregnant is poignant, funny, and relatable, and I’m so happy that I was able to see it. You should absolutely be checking it out too! There are two performances left! For more information and tickets, visit: A Little Bit Pregnant | Toronto Fringe Festival (fringetoronto.com)

Sadec 1965: A Love Story – From Ego to Soul LLC

Have you ever wanted to just drop everything and travel somewhere you’ve never been before? How about traveling that new place on a motorcycle? That’s exactly what Flora Le did in 2014 and now she’s here to tell you all about it in Sadec 1965: A Love Story.

Flora Le is the creator and performer of Sadec 1965: A Love Story and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to her speak about her travels. Her father is Vietnamese, and after he receives a devastating diagnosis, she decides to travel to her father’s homeland to learn more about him. This solo journey is on a motorcycle (which she doesn’t particularly know how to drive), in a foreign country (where she doesn’t speak the language), and spans 3,300km through the mountains, down the coast, finally ending in her father’s home of Sadec. If you ever need motivation to follow your dreams or do something you’re nervous to do, this story will light a fire under you to go and do that thing, I promise.

Le is an incredible story-teller, totally captivating us for the sixty-five minutes she’s telling her story. You can tell how important this journey is to not only find out more about her father, but also herself. She braved many hardships along the way, and I’m inspired by her tenacity and grit. Her personal stories of her growing up and how her relationship with her father affected her future relationships must be hard to share, but it gives us such a full picture of who she is.

Sadec 1965: A Love Story is a harrowing and exhilarating tour of Le’s life, and her journey through Vietnam. Make sure you catch this incredible show before it moves on to another fringe! For more information (check out the show’s website after the show!) and tickets, visit: Sadec 1965: A Love Story | Toronto Fringe Festival (fringetoronto.com)

Hymns and Hearse – Shout on a Whim Productions

The funeral business should be a sure thing, everyone’s dying to get in! But what to do when your funeral parlour is dead broke? Hymns and Hearse is a killer comedy where three co-owners of the funeral parlour of the same name are faced with a moral quandary unlike any they’ve ever experiences before. You’ll die laughing at their deadly comedic timing and devilish smarts.

All jokes aside, Hymns and Hearse is one of the most funny things I’ve seen at Fringe so far. It’s witty and well-written, the cast is fabulous, and the story is shocking and unique. With each character having their own idea of how to handle things, it creates the perfect environment for not only plenty of laughs but more touching moments as well.

The cast of Hymns and Hearse is delightful: Justin Hay, Maria Syrgiannis, and Tricia Williams (who is also the writer of the play). This frightfully funny trio have impeccable chemistry on stage. They clearly know which jokes are going to get the biggest laughs and always left us enough room to laugh before moving on to the next idea. Clearly talented pros, this cast is a joy to watch from the first moment to the last.

Make sure you catch Hymns and Hearse, you won’t want to miss it! It’ll put a smile on your face and warm your heart. For more information and tickets, visit: Hymns and Hearse | Toronto Fringe Festival (fringetoronto.com)

Retrograde: The Concert Experience – DEAD RACCOON

Not even a pandemic can stop this epic punk jam in Retrograde: The Concert Experience. Inspired by the lockdowns and tentative re-openings in 2021, Retrograde is part play, part punk rock jam sesh, and all heart. This unique venue show is not to be missed!

2021 was a scary time for all of us; we had been in lockdown and had travel bans, and not everyone was ready when businesses here and there were trying to reopen. Retrograde tells the story of a group of friends and musicians who take the chance to come together and play for whoever will come out and listen. In the process they find out a lot about themselves as well as exchange world-views and experiences. At its heart, this play is about chosen family, and how we can still find one another even after isolation has torn us apart.

Along with the smart, funny writing of the play is the incredibly talented cast bringing these characters to life. Anthony Palermo, Chloé Castrucci, Hilary Wheeler, and James Llewellyn Evans give fabulous performances. Palermo, Castrucci, and Evans all play multiple instruments throughout the performance, and I was astounded. They each play some kind of stereotype, yet show that those people have many more than one side to them. I loved how after Palermo’s character Bo corrects Evan’s Kale on their pronouns, Kale proceeds to call Bo “theyski” instead of “broski” for the rest of the play; I was tickled. Yet it proves that even someone who thinks the Earth is flat and surrounded by ice pillars can understand and respect someone’s pronouns. Wheeler and Castrucci give passionate performances, showing how family can be so much more than blood.

I cannot recommend Retrograde: The Concert Experience enough! Grab a beer, take a seat, and experience a unique play with cool jams and have some fun this Fringe! For more information and tickets, visit: RETROGRADE: THE CONCERT EXPERIENCE | Toronto Fringe Festival (fringetoronto.com)