FRINGE 2016: The No Bull$#!% History of Invention

I don't know about you, but I love learning new things. The world is such a vast, fascinating place that there is no end to what we can know. The No Bull$#!% History of Invention is a great chance to learn a few things about (big surprise) the history of invention that may have been gaps in your overall knowledge of strange human behaviour. What's great about this history lesson though, is how honest the teacher is. He doesn't shy away from hard truths about who was really responsible for what, and who were actually sociopaths.

Your professor for the evening is Kyle Allatt and his trusty assistant Tupper. Allatt has excellent stage presence. He is captivating and funny, and oh, so dry and his matter-of-factly way of speaking is absolutely perfect for this show. At times, he sounded like he could barely believe some of the things he was saying, which made him really relatable and kept the atmosphere light-hearted and fun.

Allatt also revealed his hidden talent for accents, which he did a variety of when reading quotes from different historical figures. The balance between history lesson and silliness was excellent and the pacing throughout the whole show was perfect. Allatt never lingered too long on a particular person or invention, but he also covered every topic thoroughly enough that nothing felt at all lacking.

There was also a power-point presentation accompanying the lecture. This portion of the show was extremely well crafted. For those of you who don't know me, I can be a bit anal-retentive/detail oriented. I tend to notice the tiny things that often get overlooked, so I will give mad props to the creators of this power-point because those details were not forgotten. There was continuity in layout, colour scheme, the way pictures were framed, etc. I always find that these details make shows considerably better, but I feel that it is particularly important in this case because the entirety of the show is a lecture and power-point. Except for a handsome, well dressed man and a beaver in goggles, this is the only thing were looking at, so it'd better be good. And it was!

Overall, this show was fascinating, funny, and all about the freaks that invented so many things we rely on today. It was also a bit of a roller-coaster, taking us up the slope of "hey, this is really interesting" and plummeting us into the depth of "wtf," "what is wrong with people," and "do I really need to know this?"

There was never a dull moment between the accents, the surprise shouting and the visual puns. This show is a great pick for history enthusiasts, comedy connoisseurs and power-point proficienados, or anyone looking for a lecture-style change of pace at the Fringe Festival. Be an eager beaver and come to Theatre St. Catherine this Friday, Saturday or Sunday for a taste of what university could have been. See you there!

The No Bull$#!% History of Invention plays at Théâtre Sainte-Catherine, located at 264 St. Catherine E. at the following times:

- Friday June 17 from 17:30
- Saturday June 18 from 19:00
- Sunday June 19 from 12:00

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Erica Bridgeman is part of CJLO's Official Fringe Team covering the sights and sounds from the 2016 St-Ambroise Montreal Fringe Festival. She also hosts The F Hole every Monday afternoon from Noon – 2pm ET, only on 1690AM in Montreal and online at CJLO.com.