Fringe St-Ambroise Montréal 2018 Festival: the disappointments

by Luc Archambault

     Some shows move me, some not. A question of taste, of interest, of text quality, of the acting. But this last criteria has rarely come into focus, the quality of acting being quite high in this year's edition. But here are my choices in the worst play category for this year's Festival. 

Girl in the Box

 Photographer: Kenton Doupe

A convoluted story, way too complex, in spite of Danielle Spilchen's acting. Too long. What a pity. If this text were to be condensed in a 30 minutes format, this play would shine!

J'ai envie de t'appeler bébé

Photographer: Joannie Vignola

     Bof. Without real interest. The search for a "fuckfriend" orbits an existential void, a black hole both in the text and in its theme.  

A dyke's guide to fair play

Photographer: Daughter Product

      Expectations were high for this one, but they finally never matured. Like a date gone wrong. Too verbose, too cliché, not really interesting. An imitation of a game-show turning sour. Soo sad.

Guédailles 

Photographe: Théâtre des laides

     I know, we're in the midst of the #metoo era. But should this be a reason to tolerate a delirium based on a denunciation of the male gender? Easy, way too easy. Before stepping onto a stage, this play should have been garnished with more meat, because its bones are showing. A great disappointment.  

A man alone: Al Goulem's One-man show 

Photographe: Al Goulem

     I understand how traumatizing the World Trade Center attacks must have been. That the best therapy is to express freely one's anguish. But come on, time to move on, man! This rant felt so uninteresting that I slept through part of it. And I don't even believe having missed much in the process...

Dollhouse effect 

Photographe: Victoria Dudley

     A too complex storyline, badly constructed, unrealistic. With over the top acting. Just boring. 

Xhignessed it: a celebration of failure

       Ah Geez Productions hasn't even judged it necessary to submit photos with their meager press dossier. In fact, the title says it all: a true failure.