Montreal's eccentric Fringe Festival steps up its game
More than 60,000 people are expected to attend the theatre, dance, performance, music festival
Montreal's favourite performance free-for-all, the Fringe Festival, is ready to open the artistic floodgates with a bigger and more accessible program.
The lottery-based mix of shows sees established artists rubbing elbows with newbie performers. All shows cost $10 or less.
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Amy Blackmore, the artistic director of the Montreal Fringe Festival told CBC Montreal's Homerun that she sees the Fringe as a kind of pinball machine.
"You put money in and play around a bit," Blackmore said.
Risky business
Local burlesque darling Miss Sugarpuss is back this year with her show Love and Pasties, Miss S.
Miss Sugarpuss, also known as Holly Gauthier-Frankel, has a reputation for delivering fun and charismatic performances with her burlesque alter ego. This show picks up where her award winning Fringe hit Miss Sugarpuss Must Die! left off six years ago.
For those wanting to see something free and risqué, the Drag Races are always a crowd favourite.
The event is hosted by Montreal's most notorious drag queen, Mado Lamotte. Fringe performers are pitted against professional drag queens in a series of skill-testing challenges, such as riding a mini-tricycle in high heels.
First time attendees should note that sitting in the front row may lead to getting pulled onstage.
Free Fringe
The festival's centre, the Fringe Park at Rachel Street and St-Laurent Boulevard in the Plateau–Mont-Royal borough, hosts free concerts regularly between June 9 and 19.
The late night party, the 13th Hour, is back. The 1 a.m. show features festival performers and lots of audience participation. When the show is over the floor opens up to all-night dancing.
Trekkies who love deals should know that Star Trek: Discovery is selling tickets for $0. This is because CBS Studios' copyright of Star Trek prohibits anyone from making money off the franchise.
Returning festival favourites
The performance poet Jem Rolls is a fixture on the Canadian fringe circuit. The Surrey, UK, native is known for his frenetic, fast-paced performances. This year his show Get Lost offers up stories of his intercontinental journeys "as he sheds skins, dignity and the sensible."
Australian Jon Bennett's shows regularly get nods from Just For Laughs as comedic stand-outs. His show this year is called Aussie Rules (Playing with Men).
Audiences attending one of Bennett's performances should be prepared for anything. His show last year, It's Rabbit Night, was presented as if the audience were all members of a failed rabbit meetup, complete with free carrots and a PowerPoint presentation on how to be a rabbit.
A more accessible Fringe
The festival has softened its raucous tone since Blackmore took the helm six years ago.
In that time family-friendly programming has become more prominently featured. For instance, the Fringe Park holds an annual community breakfast with pancakes and coffee on the last Sunday of the festival.
This year's Eco Carnivale will promote sustainability through a clothing swap and yoga classes.
There is also a new, second outdoor site to accommodate mellow festival-goers called The Hive, located on the National Theatre School's property on St-Denis Street.
with files from CBC's Homerun