I’m already anticipating a good summer of sketch comedy back home at the Ottawa Fringe, with WUNDERJAMMER and DICKY DICKY bringing the funny to the festival. Nice to know that Montreal is rising to the challenge as well, and has their own take or two on sketch, and I got to see one I’d been mightily looking forward to on day two of my Montreal Fringe Festival assault. And right off the bat, I have to say…if there’s a better Fringe show name ever than BANANARAMALLAMADINGDONG, then by sweet chocolate-coated Jesus I’d like to hear it.

The brainchild of the dynamic trio that is Al Lafrance, Jo Willers and Zack Adams himself Shane Adamczak, the collective known as Flapjack Cadillac has performed a few times before in Montreal as I understand it, but this is their first time throwing their sketch comedy hats into the Fringe ring. It’s a rapid fire lineup of sketches, ranging from short and stupid to much, much longer and also kind of dumb. But it’s a full-on clever kinda dumb…the best kind…that the gang throw their considerable pool of talent into headlong, and the result was me (and pretty much the entire audience along with me) laughing like a goon for a full hour. The Cadillac bunch have no fear of the infamous ‘dead laugh’ area, and drag their audience out to the limits on more than one occasion, always with great results. Oh my GOD, the Phil Collins bit…just bloody brilliant. In fact, the other music-themed sketch is rather epic comedy gold as well. Even the sketches that miss are still dopey enough to laugh at just for the attempt.  Also, while I was already quite familiar with Al and Shane from before, it was great to be introduced to the fantastic Jo Willers, who’s just perfectly goddamn delightful.

It’s hard to review this much more in depth without giving any of the great, silly gags away, just head on over to the Spanish Club and give this oddball trio the love they so desperately crave. If you’re not laughing within the first few minutes, then you’re not doing ‘having a sense of humour’ right. It’s juvenile, it’s messy, there’s an inflatable doll, and at one point somebody gets to be a horse. Why are you even still reading this?? GO SEE IT. You might just win yourself a banana. Peace, love and soul,

Kevin Reid.