Winnipeg Fringe Festival: Preparation Hex; The Adversary; Pretending Things are a Cock

Preparation Hex (John Montgomery Theatre Company)

Bob Brader gets hit with a bad case of hemorrhoids at the same time as the other parts of his life start to get messy and complicated. His conclusion? There is a hex on him. Through this monologue Brader weaves a sense of deep agitation as he speaks candidly about true life events. It’s a story that pulls the audience in and takes them through twists and turns at a dizzying pace without ever letting them in on what they’re moving towards. The conclusion is set up so well that it ends up being satisfying without venturing in to overly emotional territory.

The overall effectiveness of this piece owes a lot to some tight writing and a delivery that positively radiates personality. Framing the ongoing dramas of career and relationship issues with the development of a medical affliction is a bizarre concept but it works well in this case. Brader’s willingness to portray himself at less than optimal moments lend the show a sense of truthfulness while steering far clear of self-indulgence. It felt like a series of raw honest conversations you might have with select trusted friends, except distilled down to one very intense soundbite. My biggest problem with this show is that the promotional material felt like they were for an amateurish show, and this is anything but.

The Adversary (Andrew Bailey)

Apparently working at a church that provides social services to junkies is not, in fact, the easiest way to maintain your belief in humanity. This piece explores one person’s process of figuring out how to go about the work of helping people in need and when to draw the line. With wry humour, the monologue offers a slice of life look at his day to day experiences working with marginalized, and occassionally dangerous,  individuals. Every character who is related to us is portrayed compassionately no matter what actions they take. Although the story itself was engrossing, the beginning felt like it took a little while to build momentum and the ending felt a trifle abrupt. It also seemed like there could have been a little bit more integration of early anecdotes into the final set of conflicts. At the same time the shift between characters, voice work and relatable storytelling style meant that these didn’t interfere much with the overall quality of the piece.

Bailey has a rare knack for making his experiences in the here and now speak to some very deep social questions. This is done in such a way that opens up the possibility of conversation. This production deals with the concept of faith in a subtle, yet effective way. Church no church, it’s secular bodies like the police, shelters and medical services whose authority is appealed to when the staff needs to call for back up. So when he brings up the age old religious dilemma of whether or not people are inherently good, he has clearly established why this is incredibly relevant in the context of NGO’s and government funded social services.

Pretending Things are a Cock (Jon Bennett Comedy)

Now for something completely different: let’s talk about penises. Aussie comedian Jon Bennett has been all around the world taking pictures posed with all kinds of objects at the groin. If every slide show made this good use of powerpoint, a lot more people would be paying attention during presentations, that’s for sure.These three hundred odd photos provide a jumping off point for a varied assortment of anecdotes from his global travels and upbringing.

Bennett makes you laugh -hard*. The best moments are truly wince-worthy incidents where the undercurrent to the laughter is sheer relief that none of this happened to you. To me the most tantalizing material were the stories about growing up in a restrictive family environment. Which leaves me sad that I didn’t manage to see My Dad’s Deaths in Montreal. It’s a fun and engaging show that piques my curiosity to see what else he can do.

*Not a pun. Perish the thought