Hey! After passing on opening Wednesday night, I finally made it out to Winnipeg Fringe! Could have been quicker I suppose, considering I live here now, right? But considering I had physiotherapy in the morning (stoopid machete leg), I think I made good time, schlepping out to the MTC up the Alley venue and checking out ANATOMICA at 2:45, on technically the second day of fringe this year. Granted, I wish I’d taken the time to rest and ice my knee a bit BEFORE I headed out, especially when I saw all the stairs I had to climb with my gimpy leg to get into the venue, but what’s life without a little pain, am I right? And as it turns out, that would be more than a bit of the theme of todays show.

From Amica Hunter, the wildly talented clown/creator who many Fringers will hopefully know as one of the stars of the legendary A LITTLE BIT OFF theatre duo, ANATOMICA starts off weird, gets surprisingly normal and almost achingly relatable, then hits you with a few more doses of weird and wonderful just to remind you it’s Fringe. Starting off with a bit of the physical comedy that Amica is rightfully renowned for, a few nifty costume changes, and a dance routine you won’t soon forget (proud to say I got to count them in at my viewing), the show shifts gears before long and settles into what was for me an unexpected but delightful groove as Amica begins an earnest and honest conversation with the audience about their ongoing struggle with chronic pain.

Interspersing real talk about that kind of pain and the accompanying life disruptions it brings with beautifully weird dance vignettes, legendary costume changes, and the most amazing crawdad you never did meet, ANATOMICA strikes a tricky but skilful balance between the serious and the absurd. A little bit raunchy, often personal but never maudlin, this is a one-person show that asks a lot of questions, and you may be thinking about the answers (or lack thereof) for a while. As you should. I guess it all depends on how comfortable you are in YOUR skeleton.

ANATOMICA is playing at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival at venue #2, MTC up the Alley, advance tickets and schedule available at the Fringe website HERE. Happy Fringing, and I’ll see you around the beer tent! Peace, love and soul,

The Visitor (aka Kevin)