Features

Although his last name is Carr, his comedy is more comparable to a monster truck. Jimmy Carr is one of Britain’s top comedic exports, and Montrealers found out why last night. The 45-year-old Londoner presented us with Jimmy Carr: The Best Of, Ultimate, Gold, Greatest Hits World Tour at Le Gesù. Before the show even began, a slideshow on the projection screen invited audience members to text in questions, heckles, jokes, or tell Jimmy about a special occasion happening that night. Already, you could feel that this 425-seat theater was going to host a very intimate and interactive show. The crowd got warmed up with an array of short jokes and comical warning messages sliding through the big screen.

With the summer heatwave in full blast, I can’t wait to beat the heat and see some films at this year’s Fantasia Film Festival. 

Under The Silver Lake

Growing up, on Sunday car trips from Ottawa to Montreal to visit family, we would put on CBC and listen an iconic voice narrate the lives of a family and their every-day adventures together. This family was a part of my childhood, and it wasn’t until I was embarrassingly old that I learned that they were fictional and that the stories were all written by the creative genius with the distinguished voice.

In February of 2017, this beloved radio host lost his battle with cancer and I, along with countless other Canadians, was heartbroken. It wasn’t just the comfortingly familiar voice that we lost, but also the family that he brought to life. 

25 is an exploration of how feelings are dealt with at different levels of maturity throughout one’s life. This is done through different characters reacting to various scenarios, as independent yet intertwining stories are told. The assumption we are led towards is that each of the characters are approximately 25 years old; some of whom act like mature, well-adjusted adults, and some of whom have yet to grow up.

I was going to start off this article by saying that Montreal’s Fringe Fest can “be hectic at times,” until I realized I used those same exact words last year. I suppose that’s the case every year. The sheer amount of shows to see can be overwhelming, not to mention other events like the Tunes at the Fringe Park and the 13^th Hour. Sometimes, you will be forced to make last-minute decisions, especially in the event where a show is sold out.

Here are some short reviews of shows I managed to catch in the span of one day.

[…]morph  

Project AlienCat’s student-made Slaying in Suburbia: An Interactive Murder Mystery is an exciting, satirical drama you’ll never forget! Venture off into a sunny, early 2000’s family-friendly PTA barbeque to discover the darkest secrets of these suburban families. Slaying in Suburbia is unlike any Fringe show I’ve ever seen and it was so much fun to experience!

Montreal's St-Ambroise Fringe Festival is finally here! For nearly three weeks, be ready to watch and hear the best and weirdest of local and international culture, both in English et en français. CJLO will be covering the best of Fringe, and to launch our series of articles, here are our Fringe Team's top picks for this year's Fringe festival. 

Erica’s picks