Panacea Presents: Be a STAR or Get The F**K Out!
Joff Schmidt | CBC News | Posted: July 22, 2017 3:57 PM | Last Updated: July 22, 2017
Strong performers can't save this sketch show from its weak writing
Rating: ★★
Company: OGillian Bartolucci
Genre: Sketch
Venue: 9 - Eckhardt-Gramatte Hall
I really wanted to like Panacea. The Toronto sketch company gave it their all for a smallish crowd during a late-night show at their relatively far-flung U of W venue. Unfortunately, I don't think the size of the crowd was to blame for the scarcity of laughs.
Sketch shows are often a mixed bag, and a few of Panacea's are hits. A bit about an oversharing bartender (Marshall Lorenzo) drew good laughs, and Gillian Bartolucci handled some wickedly funny wordplay with spectacular results in a sketch revolving around euphemisms for sleeping naked.
As performers, Panacea are fantastic — their characters are sharply defined and they have great energy and rapport on stage.
It's the writing in this sketch collection that lets them down. Too few sketches result in big enough laughs for me to recommend the show.
It's the writing in this sketch collection that lets them down. - Joff Schmidt
The potential is there for them to be stars, but they'll need more consistently solid material for that.