Nothing quite like two shows in a row at the same venue…Montreal Fringe is awesome, but damn, there are a few long treks between shows here and there and my dogs are starting to bark. So hanging about to catch a second show at theatre ste.Catherine was a welcome respite, as was a Sunday afternoon comedy double-bill. I’d just come from seeing the hilarious Jess Salomon in IMO action, and was plenty ready to laugh some more.

After nabbing a cold beer, I took my seat for the much buzzed about A BANDOLIER OF DREAMS, a period improv show featuring Matt Goldberg and Mike Hughes, courtesy of the legendary UNCALLED FOR troupe, so you know you’re getting some quality here, folks. And sure enough the laughs start flying pretty quick as Mike and Matt exchange quaint pleasantries, try and open a bottle of wine, and then figure out what’s going to happen on their stage today.

Set in a quaint old-timey set with costumes and accents to match, the adventure I witnessed had a bit of murder mystery morphing into a failed engagement (with who I believe might have been Anders Yates’ Mom), in a house with no walls and a transparent horse waiting outside. Which will doubtlessly NOT be the adventure you see, when you go see the show. Like the stand-up show I just wrote about, it’s for obvious reasons kind of hard to review an Improv show in the classical sense…just know that these two are a pretty goddamn sharp comedy team and can be relied on to make a hilarious hour out of whatever’s at hand…even the occasional awkward pause got flipped into a solid laugh without much effort (or at least, without LOOKING like effort). A good show to check out for some very reliable laughs…and watch out for the crackers. Peace, love and soul,

Kevin Reid