Toronto Fringe: Tony Ho’s Sad People, Camp Schecky, Mum & the Big C

Tony Ho’s Sad People
Tony Ho have a very specific and bizarre style of comedy. “Sad People” is a vaguely strung-together collection of sketches that vary from the morose to the unsettling, but with humourous yet dark tones throughout. Some of these sketches are inventive and mesmerizing (There’s one featuring an opera being performed on a loop station – that was amazing), but some just fail to hit the mark. It’s a very interesting show to say the least, but if you’re looking for a constant stream of laughter, this won’t be the show for you.

Camp Schecky
I love the Fringe because it allows experiments like this to take place. Camp Schecky is a play on a bus, featuring a cast of four + one driver + the audience, who play children heading off to camp. Check your actual age at the door as you board the vehicle, and get ready to be entertained – your Camp Schecky counsellors are packed with great ideas on how to have fun! As the bus drives around town, songs are sung and drama unfolds while you sit on this surprisingly comfortable bus. The lack of air conditioning may be a killer on the worst of days, but regardless, Camp Schecky is absolutely fantastic. Go catch it, and grab your tickets in advance! This one’s selling out consistently.

Mum & the Big C
Cancer sucks. It affects everyone in some way, it kills our loved ones, and it’s everywhere. Its overwhelming presence in the world has made it a recurring topic of theatre, television and film, so much so that I start to worry when I know cancer is the main component in a piece. It’s all been done, right? Mum & the Big C is a play not so much about cancer but about mother-daughter relationships, mother-doctor relationships, and daughter-doctor relationships. Though none of the themes in the show are incredibly original, its direction and light-hearted-yet-serious tone made this one quite enjoyable. As a former viewer of Popcultured, I was also just happy to see Elvira Kurt performing, and in a different capacity than what I am used to. Hooray for versatility!

Well, that’s gonna be it for my Toronto reviews, it seems! Fringe on, ladies and gents!

-Al