These shows are NOT ASL-interpreted but they do have visual-based content.
Absolute Magic is the fusion of mystery, wonder and storytelling in an intimate and interactive theatre setting. Keith has inspired wonder in over 20 countries and counting. A1 Radio named him Toronto’s BEST magician…and he’s not even from Toronto! Critic's Choice Best Magic Show - Orlando Fringe 2023 "Very entertaining" - Eliza Reid, First Lady of Iceland "You're incredible" - Dave Grohl, Foo Fighters "WOW!" - Joe Thornton, NHL
Wanna be German? Of course you do. And Now you can, as German comedian Paco Erhard teaches you how. Sold out worldwide, this multi-award winning show finally returns to Winnipeg - even funnier and with new jokes from 8 year' touring Canada and the US. You will laugh. if you want. Zis not an order. 5 STARS "genius" Endinburgh Guide 4.5 STARS "one of Fringe's best" Edmonton Journal "Chaotically hilarious" Orlando Weekly (USA) 2023 Gold Lanyard, Minnesota Fringe 2022 Patrons Pick, Orlando Fringe 2022 Critics Pick, San Diego Fringe
The Strokes of Genius (Mitch Krohn, Dianna Rasing - both stroke survivors) and friends are back with a new comedy. Join Captain Ted, a wheelchair-bound pirate, and his disabled crew as they adventure to find treasure, battle anyone who stands in their way (if it’s accessible) and try to prove they deserve an equal spot on the pirate cabal. ASL at all shows. Family shows (no content warnings) are July 20, 23, & 28. Audio description available on July 23. The venue is wheelchair accessible. Arrive early to arrange access.
Late-night comedy every night of the Fringe! Nothing held back in this anything goes comedy show featuring a rotating lineup of the best stand-up comedians at the festival. All with the help of your suggestions for joke topics that will be pulled from a bucket, on the spot. Wild, unpredictable, dirty, fun!
Seasons of Life is a theatrical presentation in flamenco dance style by Flamenco on the Prairies. It is performed by two dancers and four musicians. The performance takes you through the connection of an older and younger dancer. It describes the playful beginning of two people who discover the joy of making art together. How will the leadership balance shift and continue as the dancers age? The bright and vibrant show follows the journey of emotions through the dancers' relationship.
Taylor and Lainey have been friends their whole lives, but have spent the last seven years communicating only through letters since moving away from home. After Taylor unceremoniously dumps her brooding boyfriend and Lainey leaves her toxic girlfriend, they suddenly find themselves back in town and in each other’s lives, but something has changed and it’s not just Taylor’s haircut. Just Friends explores what it means to be queer, still a little bit in love with your ex, and a lot in love with your best friend.
A magical and hilarious show featuring Fringe veteran Greg Wood and two apprentices, Wynter and Tanek, who will attempt to out-magic and outdo each other with their trickery and mischief. This fun-filled experience is not to be missed! 5 STARS "The charm of this ever-so-well-done 60-minute act is that the entire family can sit and enjoy the performance together” - CBC 4 STARS "Well-produced show, dazzled the crowd, Wynter’s magical workings are a delight." - Free Press "Inspired, wondrous wholesome fun." - Calantha Jensen
My toes striving, while my life is falling out of my hands. Body parts repeat basic walking movements. Other limbs draft gestures of love. Some bodies will remain aloof and alone… Should we seek our freedom? Will one of us stay behind? Johanne Gour brings to light the contrast between the immobility of those who are sitting and the agility of legs free to come and go. As dancers move in unexpected ways, the wheelchair-bound choreographer performs her own part. The audience is pulled into feelings of confinement.
The performers from last year’s award-winning Neurohilarity show - Danielle Kayahara, Carole Cunningham, Scott Koropas and Adam Schwartz - are back along with a few new friends - Rollin Penner and Kaitlynn Brightnose - to expose their comedic experiences to you. Come laugh as the performers strip down emotionally and tell the nitty gritty jokes and stories you're dying to hear. The comedians will share embarrassing tales and hilarious anecdotes about revealing their neurodiversity to loved ones, friends and complete strangers like you!
The Winnipeg Free Press has run amok, reviewing each and every Fringe show for decades, completely unabated and without recourse. Well now, it's their turn. In this brand new show, Benji Rothman takes the Winnipeg Free Press to task, diving deep into their history and casting judgement on their performance as Manitoba's leading news outlet.
NEW SHOW by a Fraggle Rock/Sesame puppeteer. Watch Ingi perform a live puppet film before your very eyes, using only household objects, a camera and her bare hands. “Hansen turns anything and everything into a puppet and makes it funny. A MUST-SEE” - FringeReviews.com 5 STARS “Utterly magical, insanely inventive, wickedly funny.” - Free Press “Both live and magnified on screen, in cunningly angled cameras and mirrors, we see Hansen create characters from her own hands, fingers, face. NUTTY, INGENIOUS, MESMERIZING.” - 12thNight
Looking for an escape? Longing for simpler times? Perhaps you're a fan of silly Baggy Pants Clowns? If you nodded “YES!” to any of these...THEN COME ONE, COME ALL! Prepare to be dazzled by some serious sleight of hand performed by a seriously silly guy. Fun for the whole family! 4 STARS - CBC Manitoba 4 1/2 STARS - Edmonton Journal 5 STARS - Winnipeg Free Press 4 1/2 STARS - Winnipeg Sun
Direct from Argentina, award-winning dance company PointeTango heats up the stage with a breathtaking new show! Witness the magic unfold as the grace of classical ballet meets the smouldering passion of Argentine tango in a captivating tango-ballet duet. From rapid-fire footwork to breathtaking lifts, PointeTango takes you on a whirlwind journey into the heart of Buenos Aires. Don't miss this intimate celebration of tango's essence, where every step whispers a story made for two. “Sultry. Intimate. Completely innovative.” - Forget the Box
These shows have more visual-based content and less speech.
Have you ever experienced math phobia and wanted to dance about it? Broken Rhythms has arrived this Fringe to serve up some delicious dancing π with a twist (and a few turns). 1,000 Pieces of π is the first act of its kind in that it investigates the mind-body connection by utilizing the constraints of the never-ending and never-repeating sequence of the number π (3.14) to create a full and yet ‘irrational’ dance show. Winners of multiple Pick of the Fringe Awards, including Best of the Fringe.
Coming all the way from Brazil, award-winning clown/magic show El Diablo of the Cards has travelled to 52 countries thrilling audiences with a unique card magic style that combines improvisation, a clown’s madness and his diabolical magic skills using only a deck cards. Now, he returns to Winnipeg with a new show and more diabolical than ever. Winner: Binge Fringe Laurel Award - Paris Fringe 2020 Audience Favorite Award - KC Fringe 2020 5 STARS "Completely entertaining card show" - CBC Manitoba
A cowboy comedy circus show about animals who fly. Five amazing groups of animals developed flight: insects, pterosaurs, birds, bats and finally — humans. Only 66 years after the Wright Brothers invented the airplane, we landed on the moon. Can we leave enough room for wild ecosystems as we jet into the future? Leapin’ Louie has swung his 50-foot lasso among lots of other crazy tricks on stages in 35 different countries. It’s super fun for kids and adults.
Tragic, bittersweet and funny as hell, this is a personal glimpse into a life lived between two cultures. Born in Chile but raised in Canada, Cañete lived in Canada until the age of 13, when his family returned to dictator Pinochet's Chile, and he became a Canadian in Chile. "He makes you laugh, but he also makes you question your place in the world, something only the best comedians are capable of doing." - Matthew Lewis (Plank Magazine)
"Playwright Leith Clark didn't have to look any further than daytime television for inspiration. The characters in his take-off soap opera spoof live in Savoury City, and have names like Ginger, Cayenne, Cinnamon, Sage, Anise, Thyme and Clove. The stories are appropriately and weirdly co-mingled and so impossible to even attempt to convey in this brief space - but it's less the content than the comic touches that make this one a winner.“ - Leanne Campbell, Westender Vancouver
Journey to Africa with this amazing interactive musical experience. Winnipeg's Drum Cafe has teamed up with spectacular South African vocalist Nosipho Mtotoba and drummer extraordinaire Tiny Modise to share the beauty of African music that has led director J. Stoller to spend years studying this musical genre. The power of the drums comes alive with each audience member having their own djembe drum to play. One drum is nice. One hundred drums are...well, come experience it for yourself.
“Laren Steppler may be a genius, and you must see his show. Whatever “it” is, this is it.” - Alexander Delorme, theposthorn.substack.com An electrifying musical cabaret that sends you on a whirlwind of outrageous entertainment. It’s an ultra-stoopid exploration of the very essence of music and its place in our lives. Melting comedy and philosophy into a dark and cheeky spectacle. But fear not, for amid the chaos lies a hidden brilliance that will leave you questioning not only the nature of music, but also your very existence!
These shows have more speech and/or music, and less visually-based content.
18X BEST OF FEST WINNER and 2024 INTERNATIONAL STORYTELLING CENTER TELLER-IN-RESIDENCE Paul Strickland (Ain’t True & Uncle False – 5 STARS, Winnipeg Free Press; Papa Squat – 5 STARS, CBC; Tales Too Tall for Trailers – 5 STARS, Winnipeg Free Press) returns to Winnipeg! An ALL-NEW collection of WEIRD-LARIOUS, SURREALLY FUN STORIES and SONGS! “…an expert raconteur who spins hilariously entertaining stories…” – St. Paul Pioneer Press “Funny is an understatement… he’s hysterical” – Orlando Sentinel
Not a love story but a story of love, loss, intimacy, fear of intimacy, reluctantly told to a security guard while detained as a suspected terrorist in the Montreal airport... A true story! 5 STARS “How I Learned to Hug is a unique blend of gut-busting laughter and emotional resonance.” - Theatre in London 5 STARS "Bennett’s stories are as funny as they are heartwarmingly honest." - National Post 5 STARS “Storytelling genius." - Edmonton Journal 5 STARS “Laugh-out-loud bonkers" - Otakuno Culture
Wanna be German? Of course you do. And now you can, as German comedian Paco Erhard teaches you how. Sold out worldwide, this multi-award-winning show finally returns to Winnipeg - even funnier and with new jokes from eight years touring Canada and the US. You will laugh. if you want. Zis not an order. 5 STARS "genius" - Endinburgh Guide 4.5 STARS "one of Fringe's best" - Edmonton Journal "Chaotically hilarious" - Orlando Weekly 2023 Gold Lanyard, Minnesota Fringe 2022 Patrons Pick, Orlando Fringe 2022 Critics Pick, San Diego Fringe
What do you pack when you run? What can you use to fight evil? Art and music and songs! In 1920s Germany, creativity flourished in the wild artistic world of Berlin while Hitler called artists “incompetents, cheats and madmen.” Artists fled, carried their culture with them and kept fighting. Bremner sings hope and rebellion, proving art wins against evil. "Seamless blend of gripping entertainment and genuinely moving art.” - Edinburgh Review "A baritone with operatic scope: instead of interludes, the songs become weapons” - SEE Magazine
A loving tribute to vaudeville legends George Burns and Gracie Allen, with nods to Abbott and Costello, and the sweet, simple comedy of stages long passed. “Since Curtis’s comic persona closely resembles Gracie Allen, the two score points on a delicious Burns-and-Allen style bit, with Sim…skilfully playing the straight man." - Winnipeg Free Press “The duo successfully pull off old-school laughs as the vaudeville comedy team of George Burns and Gracie Allen, and in doing so remind audiences what made them so beloved.” - Winnipeg Free Press
Jack's home repair business is failing and his life is headed from bad to worse. A mysterious stranger appears, with an incredible proposition to rejuvenate the business. But what's the catch? Find out as the players and musicians of the Old Elmwood Radio Theatre present The Condo Down Under! SEX...VIOLENCE...BETRAYAL...DONALD TRUMP...this show has none of these. Well, maybe a little. Come experience the Fringe's FINEST (and only) live musical radio comedy!
A school haunted by troubled children, a mysterious disappearance in a forest, an encounter with the unknown on open waters. Three characters, three time periods, three tales of abduction and the intrusion of the uncanny into the lives of those who are taken, those who do the taking, and those who are left behind. Multi-award-winning theatre creators and queer SpecFic writers team up for this chilling new work. From the producers of The Elephant Girls. 5 STARS - Winner 2021 Ottawa Fringe Audience Choice & Solo Performance
What was your first job? Have you ever had a day job while working towards a dream? Award-winning comedian Bob Banks has had a lot of jobs while working towards his goals. From being a letter carrier while being in commercials, to being a hotel concierge while acting on TV, this show will break down the common characters and relatable incidents that happen to us all when we are just trying to earn a living.
Hidden in the back alleys of Broadway is the grittiest, most decadent club in New York. The year is 1934. Unlicensed musical entertainment is illegal and the Dirty Blues are banned. But not at Club Perroquet: when the midnight hour strikes, the forbidden cabaret begins. Featuring (real!) banned hits: “Pin in Your Cushion,” “What Can You Buy a Nudist on His Birthday?” and “Never Hit Your Grandma With a Shovel (Use an Axe Instead).” Melanie Gall is the award-winning performer of Ingenue (5 STARS) and American Songbook Experience (5 STARS).
Creator of LESBIHONEST and winner of Just for Laugh's Outstanding English Comedy Award, Laura Piccinin brings a new comedic tale of outdoorsy adventure as she dares to walk 336km along the East Coast of Newfoundland as "WOMAN, ALONE". This sentimental and hilarious show reminds audiences to get out of their own way and GO do that thing they really, really want to do. 5 STARS
Young people have inherited a burning world. In this play nominated for the Governor General's Literary Award, youth face the generations who came before, questioning the choices that were made and the ones they'll yet be forced to make. A play in the form of a protest song: join us for a chorus to hear the world anew. Content Warnings: climate change, poetry, threats/violent language, generational politics, music, swearing, frank discussions of political realities, mentions of sex, disrespecting our elders, dystopian scenarios, hope.
The multiple-award-winning British comedian and storyteller returns to Winnipeg. 5 STARS “Part Rik Mayall, Eric Idle and Eddie Izzard - hysterically tangential.” - NOW Toronto “The Potato King is also king of big laughs. Hogg is a fantastically engaging performer, sort of like if Ricky Gervais had more energy.” - Edmonton Journal 5 STARS “He’s got a wickedly rapid, bitterly sharp delivery.” - CBC 5 STARS “Dickens would love this guy.” - Orlando Sentinel
The true story of Ted Hall, the American teenager who gave the nuclear bomb to the Russians. New York, 1944. The youngest physicist in Oppenheimer's atom bomb project asked himself the very serious question: Would the world be safer if he gave the bomb to the Russians? And he did. Did Ted save the world? The astounding forgotten life, told by Jem Rolls. Creator of THE INVENTOR OF ALL THINGS: 5 STARS - CBC 5 STARS - Edmonton Journal And THE WALK IN THE SNOW: 5 STARS - CBC 5 STARS - Global
Space Girls aren’t supposed to fall, so why did I fall for you? Left alone with only the stars and the space in her head for company, Space Girl floats and thinks and feels a little too much, wondering all the while - “Wait, how on earth, er space, did I get here?” Made for those who are told they are too much. For those who have loved too hard and long. For those who look up at the stars and dream.
Fringe favourite returns with his funniest show yet! A brand new, subversive and outrageous story about our most endangered commodity: truth. “He could entertain by saying just about anything” - Winnipeg Free Press Writer/Performer of Every Good Story Ends With One, The Sex Life of Butterflies, Long Night of the American Dream, The Stakeout, Moonlight After Midnight and more. Winner of over 50 awards from 16 years of touring. “One of the finest storytellers on the fringe circuit” - NOW Magazine, Toronto Not to be missed!
An original epic fantasy, adventure, comedy and love story musical written and directed by Adam Kirk with instrumentals by Wesley Lipischak. The Sworn Protector of the Father Sword embarks on a quest to save the land of Fafu from the Dark Wizard, Mysterioso, but death awaits those who seek his destruction. Fifteen songs tell the story of a young elven warrior, Boyo, a human princess, Star, and pose world-shattering questions about the nature of reality. The fate of all existence depends upon Boyo’s quest to find “The Mirror Sphere”.
What IS this?! Local high school drama teacher Alli Perlov brings a new show in the style of her 2018/23 parody of Les Mis. Can she sing? She tries! Can she act? She tries! Will you laugh? Oh…probably. Perlov plays dozens of creepy characters in a comedic interpretation of the 1993 classic The Nightmare Before Christmas. In an homage to this brilliant musical adventure, through witty commentary and unstoppable energy, Perlov aims to entertain an audience that isn’t forced to be there like her students!
What’s it like to be born believing your race is better than every other race in the world? From earliest memory, my family taught me that my race was superior. Then my first day in school, I realized mine was the only face that wasn’t White… …and I didn’t speak English. My school years made me a racist, then one pivotal point changed my perspective. Are you racist? The discussion has a voluntary questionnaire assessing your own racist tendencies. Discover if you have any racist tendencies. (Hint: we all have!)
Neon-lit canals line the Red Light District of Amsterdam where a young American woman in search of sexual liberation gets caught up in a tale stranger than fiction. What does waking up in a zoo have to do with dungeons, Nazis and Major League Baseball? The answer is in the red light. A true story of survival.
Simply put, A Side of Rice is me - it’s some of the stories I’ve amassed in my 50 years of professional acting and my 73 years of life. Starting out as a shy, fatherless Jewish kid in Winnipeg (Kelvin, Class of ‘69), I grew up to become an actor, a writer, a teacher, a martial artist and I hope, a devoted father and friend. Some of my stories are sad, some are funny; all, I promise, are totally true.
Two men on a stakeout of two men on a stakeout of them. Fresh off two Off-Broadway runs. Uniquely funny and heartrending. 5 STARS "A contender for best show at the festival. It’s comedy and drama, magic and wonder in one of the best performances of the year.” -Edmonton Journal “A fringe best bet. Biting humour and remarkably poignant.” - Calgary Herald 4 1/2 STARS “This dramedy came out swinging…with tension, humor, and empathy. A phenomenal story told with impeccable cadence.” - Winnipeg Free Press Best of Fest: Ottawa Fringe
Excitement! Drama! Romance! And…knitting? A scintillating cabaret, featuring ‘lost’ knitting songs of World War I and World War II. Bring your knitting (or crochet) and stitch along to these funny, poignant, toe-tapping, needle-clicking tunes. Come out and have a ball! Melanie Gall presents over a dozen quirky historic songs, including “More Power to Your Knitting, Nell!” and “The Knitting Itch.” FIVE STARS - Glam Adelaide, Southside Advertiser “Divine voice, highly recommended” - Fringe Review UK “Cute, charming and funny” - Plank Magazine
It’s about time! Grab those travel brochures. Clean out the junk drawer. Ride that Harley. Golf anyone? It’s now or never. Take a risk or be left behind. Curious noses pressed to the window “to see what the rest of us are doing with our lives”. Comprised of interwoven tales of love and courage, we join a fascinating ensemble on their journey through memories and dreams as they stand at the fork in the road. To live in the familiar or face the unknown, to stay or to go. Ride the wind to the top of the world. Choose!
Comedian, stand-up poet and ex-mental health nurse Rob Gee has won a lot of poetry slams and now the audience chooses his set list. Peruse the menu, pick a poem and enjoy! From the creator of Fringe hits AWOL, Fruitcake and Forget Me Not. 5 STARS “A tornado of hilarious stories, Seussian poems and observational comedy...be prepared to be blown away” - CBC 5 STARS “Hilarious...my abdominal muscles deserve an apology” - Victoria Times Colonist 5 STARS “Wild...wonderful...exuberant...genius” - Winnipeg Free Press
Why drink a mocktail when you can have the real thing? Told in the style of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag with an early 2000s pop-punk soundtrack, this one-woman comedy follows party girl Candace as she runs away to Mexico for her best friend's destination wedding. A karaoke bar, dead goldfish and a spirited adventure awaits! You won't have regrets...but Candace might. Written by award-winning playwright Sara Mayfield and following a successful run at the Montreal Fringe, this play will have you tapping your toes and laughing out loud!