You won鈥檛 find his name on the Victoria Fringe Festival鈥檚 guest list, but there鈥檚 one colourful character whose presence was as predictable as his overnight tweets: U.S. President Donald Trump.
Trump talk was rampant during a walkabout late Wednesday in Centennial Square, where the Fringe Eve Preview was in full swing.
The 45th American president鈥檚 name on Annette Roman鈥檚 placard promoting Inauguration Vacation, the Berkeley, California, storyteller鈥檚 solo show chronicling her experiences at anti-Trump protests, drew double-takes.
Then there was the musical number Let鈥檚 All Gang Up on the Bad Guy from Gruff, Puente Theatre鈥檚 puppet musical about a goat who learns the grass is greener on the other side of the bridge.
鈥淚t will be clear,鈥� deadpans actor Trevor Hinton when asked who the 鈥渂ad guy鈥� is in the metaphorical musical created by Mercedes Batiz-Benet, Judd Palmer and Brooke Maxwell.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a story using the outline of Three Billy Goats Gruff, with the bridge, troll and the goats. In this case there鈥檚 a rich goat on one side and a poor starving goat on the other. The poor goat is not allowed access to the rich goat鈥檚 side because he鈥檚 barred by a ravenous and terrible troll,鈥� explains Hinton, who performs from within one of the show鈥檚 whimsical, eye-catching goat costumes.
Gruff is being staged at Banfield Park, one of a handful of non-theatre venues that include Bastion Square and Congregation Emanu-El.
The all-ages production is one of an increased number of family-friendly shows that executive director Heather Lindsay attributes to the luck of the draw.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a lottery, so it鈥檚 unjuried and uncensored,鈥� Lindsay said. 鈥淲e never know what we鈥檙e going to get, and we discovered we have a whole pile of theatre for younger audiences this year.鈥�
And speaking of children, or adults who behave like them, don鈥檛 be surprised if you find Trump referenced in another show from a local company 鈥� Paper Street Theatre鈥檚 WAR: Improv is Hell.
鈥淚t鈥檚 improv, so you never know,鈥� smiles artistic director Dave Morris, whose company scored a best-ensemble Pick of the Fringe last year, and was an overall Pick of the Fringe three years ago.
After performing two shows inspired by the works of Quentin Tarantino, Morris and his collaborators decided to do something more dramatic 鈥� an offbeat take on a war movie.
鈥淲e started watching war movies thinking we鈥檇 do a fun war movie, but then we went: 鈥淲e can鈥檛 do that! It鈥檚 so sad,鈥� he recalled.
鈥淎s we worked through the process for three months, it went from being a big shoot-鈥檈m-up war movie to a really dramatic story about someone鈥檚 experience with war, which seems relevant in the world today.鈥�
While a sombre subject such as combat might seem challenging for an improv troupe accustomed to generating laughter, Morris said it鈥檚 doable.
鈥淵eah, it鈥檚 darker and dramatic and a little sad, but still with that improv joy which is just impossible to get rid of.鈥�
Fringe favourites The Birdmann (Trent Baumann) and his partner Egg, from Australia and Japan respectively, were also there to promote their new, all-ages comedy and variety show Birdhouse.
鈥淲e love Victoria,鈥� said Baumann, who travels to as many as 10 countries each year. 鈥淎udiences here really like things that are really fringe and a bit eccentric and a little alternative.鈥�
The acclaimed Aussie entertainer said he considered it a compliment when a woman who has attended the Fringe festival for 25 years came up to him and said: 鈥淵ou are definitely Fringe.鈥�
While Baumann is best known for his solo shows, his partner Egg, who plays trumpet, melodica and composed an original soundtrack, is appearing with him onstage as 鈥渁 one-egg orchestra,鈥� she said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not every day you get to see a live egg and bird onstage,鈥� said Baumann, who described their cartoonish action comedy about saving the world as 鈥渁 bit of a distraction鈥� that celebrates doing things differently.
He said the pair couldn鈥檛 resist coming back to do a 40-minute show that their fans might not have expected. Besides, they have nothing but time on their hands, he said.
鈥淲e have nothing else planned for the rest of our lives,鈥� Baumann quipped. 鈥淲e鈥檙e basically homeless and Victoria is great, because they鈥檙e letting us stay in their house and keep our food in their fridge.鈥�
