Getting prepped for Fringe? Me too! To help you all get to know some of the artists better and learn a bit about their shows, I’ve made up the Fringe Five: it’s a series of five questions which I’ve distributed to several Fringe artists. All of their answers will be compiled here, along with the links to their Fringe show page. I hope you have fun reading through their responses and finding out more about Fringe!
Humpty Dumpty Theatre – Doctor Dolittle
1. Could you please introduce yourself to my readers?
We are the Humpty Dumpty Puppet Theatre, a dedicated team of puppeteers based in Toronto. Founded 15 years ago by the visionary Slava Yasau, we specialize in bringing timeless tales to life through the magical art of puppetry. Our mission is to enchant audiences of all ages with beautifully crafted puppets, captivating stories, and original music. We’re thrilled to be part of this year’s Toronto Fringe Festival!
2. Please tell us more about your upcoming show in the Toronto Fringe Festival!
We are excited to present “Doctor Dolittle” at the Toronto Fringe Festival this July! Our show tells the charming story of Doctor Dolittle, a kind-hearted physician who discovers he can talk to animals. With his animal friends, he embarks on whimsical adventures that highlight themes of empathy, understanding, and the beauty of the natural world. Featuring vibrant puppets, engaging storytelling, and delightful music, “Doctor Dolittle” promises to be a magical experience for the entire family.
3. Describe the essence of your show in 3 words.
Magical, Heartwarming, Whimsical
4. What’s your favourite part of performing in a Fringe Festival?
Our favorite part of performing in a Fringe Festival is the opportunity to connect with a diverse and enthusiastic audience. The festival atmosphere is vibrant and full of creative energy, allowing us to share our passion for puppetry with new and returning theatergoers. It’s incredibly rewarding to see the joy and wonder on the faces of our audience members as they experience the magic of our shows.
5. What’s another show that you’re looking forward to seeing at the Toronto Fringe Festival?
The Toronto Fringe Festival is always full of incredible talent and unique performances. We are excited to explore the wide variety of shows this year and discover new favorites. The festival’s lineup offers such diverse and innovative productions that there’s always something inspiring and entertaining to see!
https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/show/doctor-dolittle
Tim Motley – Barry Potter and the Magic of Wizardry
1.Could you please introduce yourself to my readers?
Hi, I’m Tim Motley. I’m a professional touring comedian and magician, and I’ve performed at nearly every Fringe Festival in the English speaking world. I’ve been to Toronto Fringe twice before, and had great runs with two of my previous shows in the character of film-noir psychic detective, “Dirk Darrow”. My last time there was 2017 with the show “6 Quick Dick Tricks” in the Randolph Theatre.
2. Please tell us more about your upcoming show in the Toronto Fringe Festival!
Muggles hide your eyes… for this is the only Harry Potter parody themed stage magic show in existence! The fusion of magic content with the Harry Potter wizarding theme has turned out to be a winning combination. This show has already proven very popular with sold out full runs at Edinburgh, Adelaide, & Winnipeg Fringe Festivals in 2023.
It’s partly a funny magic show, and partly an autobiographical story-telling show by fictional character “Barry Potter”, the supposed real life basis for the famous books & movies (implied), who is relegated to performing at fringe festivals after a tragic fall from grace.
In this show, I weave magic effects into a long form storyline just as I previously did with my award winning film noir detective Dirk Darrow adult shows, but for a new audience of millennials and families.
3. Describe the essence of your show in 3 words.
Comedy Magic Wizard
4. What’s your favourite part of performing in a Fringe Festival?
The freedom to perform whatever I want, not restricted by having to play it safe, pleasing a corporate administrator, impressing a random industry curator, or patronizing any particular political inclinations. I also really like the way they’re generally accessible to audiences with reasonable ticket prices, and the total honesty of those audiences who express themselves through the make or break crucible of ticket sales.
5. What’s another show that you’re looking forward to seeing at the Toronto Fringe Festival?
Crime After Crime (After Crime). I’ve seen previous shows by Sex-T-Rex at other festivals, and laughed my butt off. I feel like they have a similar silly sense of humour to my own. 🙂
https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/show/barry-potter-and-magic-wizardry
Iris Bahr – See You Tomorrow
1.Could you please introduce yourself to my readers?
Hi, My name is Iris (e-reese) Bahr. You may know me from Curb your Enthusiasm, where I play the recurring Orthodox Jewish chick that gets stuck on the ski lift with Larry, or on Hacks where I play Perla, or my various voice work on the Star Trek video game and others. I’ve been a solo performer for a longgggg time, and am bringing my fifth show to Toronto this year and I’m super excited to share it with the Toronto crowd.
2. Please tell us more about your upcoming show in the Toronto Fringe Festival!
See You Tomorrow is a funny and moving true story about a very dramatic life event and its consequences. I don’t want to give too much away but it has a lot of mother daughter love guilt enmeshment more guilt awkward dating stories caregiving and meaning of memory involved that is sure to resonate.
3. Describe the essence of your show in 3 words.
Love Guilt Memory
4. What’s your favourite part of performing in a Fringe Festival?
Connecting with a new audience and spending time with other theatre artists and experiencing their work.
5. What’s another show that you’re looking forward to seeing at the Toronto Fringe Festival?
I’m looking forward to seeing 86 me, All of our Parents are Immigrants, and Snacey.
https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/show/see-you-tomorrow-true-story
Kazu Kusano – Pretty Beast
- Could you please introduce yourself to my readers?
Hi, I am an LA based comedian, actress and producer. With my Japanese accent, I bring a dark sense of humor, crazy physicality, and hot flashes. Born and raised in Japan, I immigrated to America alone in my 30s…to do comedy.
I have performed my stand-up comedy all over the U.S., and I auditioned for the celebrity judges this year on America’s Got Talent. You may have seen me as a Japanese correspondent on Channel Hopping (Comedy Central), and I’m the undefeated champion of Joke-E-Oke, where Robin Williams declared me, “Hilarious!”
Married to an American mentalist, I reside in Los Angeles, California… and that’s not a joke.
- Please tell us more about your upcoming show in the Toronto Fringe Festival!
My comedic solo show, Pretty Beast, a humorous story of surviving family mental illness and societal sexism, sold out in L.A., Vancouver, and Winnipeg. It won Pick of Vancouver Fringe and Best of San Francisco Fringe. The San Francisco Chronicle describes me as, “A consummate storyteller.”
I’m excited to share it with you at my Toronto Fringe Festival debut.
The show is my story. Growing up in my dysfunctional family in Japan, I dream of escape. Raised by a distant, alcoholic father, and a mother suffering from schizophrenia, I learn to use humor to heal my wounds and process my trauma. In school I am frequently considered the “class clown,” an identity at odds with Japanese societal norms for women and girls. Despite the odds, I discover my voice and sense of purpose in comedy. Armed with my newfound superpower, I embark on an internal journey to find self-acceptance—and overseas to find a new life.
Pretty Beast takes on family mental illness, stigma, societal sexism, and what it means to discover your own superpowers, while there’s still enough time to use them for good.
I’m reaching out to Toronto’s family mental health support organizations and Asian community especially, so any help is appreciated. You can enjoy the show regardless of your identity, because we all relate to facing our own challenges.
I’d love to see you at the Toronto Fringe Festival, so come see me perform Pretty Beast.
- Describe the essence of your show in 3 words.
Funny – Healing – Devastating
- What’s your favourite part of performing in a Fringe Festival?
Performing at a Fringe Festival is special because of the enthusiasm of the fringe fans. They appreciate art and theater. They are ready to laugh and experience my story, so it’s fun to perform for them.
- What’s another show that you’re looking forward to seeing at the Toronto Fringe Festival?
Theatre Group Gumbo’s “Are You Lovin’ It?”
I connected with them at other Canadian Fringe Festivals where we were both performing, and I’m excited to see them in person again to see what they are doing.
https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/show/pretty-beast
Tamlynn Bryson and Rod Peter Jr. – Escape from Toronto
- Could you please introduce yourself to my readers?
Cast & Crew Bios
• Tamynn Bryson
In the realm of theatre, there are actors, and then there is Tamlynn Bryson – a force of nature so dynamic, the Bard himself has been rumoured to turn in his grave with envy. Born during a meteor shower on the leap second of a leap year, Tamlynn first signalled her impending thespian dominance by reciting Shakespeare’s “All the world’s a stage” soliloquy mere moments after taking her first breath, thus baffling the attending medical personnel and earning a standing ovation from the maternity ward. Tamlynn’s early years were marked by performances that legends are made of. At the tender age of six, she single-handedly adapted, directed, and starred in an avant-garde rendition of “Hamlet” set in outer space, performed entirely in Klingon for her kindergarten class. This groundbreaking production caught the attention of intergalactic theatre critics, who hailed her as “the future of performance art, terrestrial and otherwise.” By the age of twelve, Tamlynn had mastered 17 different forms of stage combat, could cry on demand in 23 different languages (including two that she invented), and had patented a revolutionary method of stage lighting that involved the strategic use of bioluminescent plankton, earning her a Nobel Prize in Physics – which she politely declined, stating, “The only validation I need is the applause of my audience.” Tamlynn’s journey through the world of theatre has been nothing short of meteoric. She once performed a solo, interpretive reenactment of “Les Misérables” during a blackout, captivating an audience using only the light from her smartphone. Critics described the performance as “a beacon of raw, unfiltered talent in the darkness of mediocrity.” Her unparalleled contributions to the arts include developing a genre known as “Eco-Drama,” where she performs dramatic monologues to plant audiences, claiming it boosts their growth. The scientific community remains baffled, yet cannot argue with the lush foliage that follows her performances. In her latest venture, “Escape From Toronto,” Tamlynn not only stars as the lead but also serves as the stunt coordinator, dialect coach, and caterer – specializing in creating dishes that evoke the emotional essence of each scene. It’s said that her “tragedy tiramisu” can reduce even the most stoic of men to tears. Offstage, Tamlynn is an avid collector of rare stage props, a hobby that once led her to the depths of the Amazon in search of the mythical “Shakespearean Echo Flower,” which is said to recite lines from lost plays when in full bloom. While the flower remains elusive, Tamlynn emerged from the jungle with a newfound ability to communicate with capybaras, which she now employs as part of her unique acting workshops. Tamlynn Bryson: a name that echoes in the annals of theatrical history, a talent unparalleled, and a spirit unbound. Prepare to witness the impossible made possible, the unbelievable believably brought to life. The stage is her domain, and we are but humble spectators to her brilliance.
• Rod Peter Jr.
Is ( although one could argue isn’t ) an actor.
2. Please tell us more about your upcoming show in the Toronto Fringe Festival!
It’s the future, 1997, and Snake Plisskin has to skydive into the prison formally known as Toronto, retrieve a mysterious black box from the evil Karen, and save all of Canada!
Prepare yourselves for an action-packed, laugh-filled journey as our hero, portrayed by the incredibly versatile Tamynn Bryson, attempts to navigate the most bewildering and treacherous urban jungle of them all – Toronto. Inspired by the gritty charm and relentless excitement of 70’s and 80’s action films, the show promises thrills, spills, and a generous dose of comedy!
3. Describe the essence of your show in 3 words.
Mullets, muscles, motorcycles
4. What’s your favourite part of performing in a Fringe Festival?
The money. Ha! No, for real, it’s the energy. You don’t get this sort of energy from a live audience doing Beckett at your local community theatre.
Fringe. All bets are off.
5. What’s another show that you’re looking forward to seeing at the Toronto Fringe Festival?
Our good friends “Cabaret of Murder” have a killer show. Pun intended.
Other good shows:
The First Jew in Canada: A Trans Tale
Rat Academy
Crime after Crime
A View from the Box 