Yes, the dreaded day 11 post.  You know what that means…The Ottawa Fringe Festival is OVER, folks, and life is horrible once again.  Obviously, show reviews in this festival are kind of a moot point by now, and this post is mostly for completion’s sake, not to mention it helps stave off the Fringeless ennui for a few more hours.  But I DID manage to catch 5 more performances on the final day, and hey, a few of those shows are even touring!  So, what the heck, even though my amazing Team Visitorium has already covered all of these shows in greater detail, here are my brief thoughts on my final 5:

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– KUWAITI MOONSHINE by Tim C.Murphy (Better to Burn Out)

I was already a little beat from late Fringing and a busy workshift, so I probably should not have ordered a beer AND sat in the comfy chair at the Mercury Lounge.  Glad Tim Murphy was able to keep me awake with a fun, energetic show about Andy, a Canadian expat living as  teacher/rumrunner in Kuwait.  A few other characters, all voiced by Murphy, take part in this interesting, philosophical comedy-drama unfolds.  Thought-provoking stuff from a likeable lead.

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– LITTLE LADY by Sandrine Lafond

One of the most anticipated shows at this years Fringe, and it was almost all due to this short preview piece:

Sandrine Lafond indeed impresses with her incredible physical performance.  Comically expressive and contortionistic, she moves her strange but lovable character through a series of transformations, changing shape as easily as you or I change our socks.  The narrative is a bit open to interpretation, a kind-of interpretative commentary on body image if I had to make a guess, but it matters little.  Lafond’s epic skill with the fine-tuned instrument that is her own body is the key here, and it’s a joy to watch her at work.  This year’s MISS HICCUP.

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– LEFTOVERS by Ryan Reed Mills (20 Nothing Productions)

A bit of an apology on behalf of the audience to the LEFTOVERS gang from the day I saw it…an older couple walked out in the first few minutes of the performance.  I overheard them whispering, guys, and it was nothing personal, but as soon as the zombie showed up, they realized that they were indeed NOT at ‘The Open Couple’ after all.

Myself, I had a decent enough time at this slacker update on DAWN OF THE DEAD.  A fairly harmless bit of goofy fun, with a nice performance from the dude playing the zombie, trying to say one last goodbye to his girlfriend before he goes full-on undead.

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– MERCUTIO AND OPHELIA by Nicholas Amott (Fireflood Theatre)

I almost didn’t get into this one, as the final show in the Royal Oak Laurier was packed to the gills.  I squeezed in, and was very glad I did.  A smart indeed bit of Shakespearean fanfiction, with ROMEO & JULIET‘s Mercutio having a chance meeting with HAMLET‘s Ophelia at a bar outside Verona.  Brennan Richardson plays Mercutio as Han Solo, and it works a treat, and Daniella Granzotto is both stunning and strong as the most tragic of the tragic heroines.  Excellent wordplay, performances and staging made for a very solid show, and writer-director Amott has much to be proud of.

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– VERNUS SAYS SURPRISE! by Ken Godmere (Emanate Productions)

How better to end my 2012 Fringe Festival show run, than with one magic word?  This was my second time catching Ken’s incredible 1-man show, that I expect will go down as one of the all time great Ottawa Fringe shows.  Simple brilliance, an utterly charming performance, enough heart for 3 shows…and manoman, that guy who played bus driver #1 on the audio track…?  Fucking NAILED it.  As an extra bonus, director Tania Levy made it into town, to finally catch a performance of the show she directed.  Sweet.

There’s more to the night, MUCH more.  But I’m getting a little drowsy now, so I’ll save the tale of the after party for my giant-size Fringe 2012 Epilogue post, coming soon!  I’m dragging this out as long as I can, folks, and I’m not ashamed for a second.  Peace, love and soul, Fringers,

The Visitor (and Winston)