logo
Fringe Review: Pink Chicken Comedy is an undercooked mess

Fringe Review: Pink Chicken Comedy is an undercooked mess

Article content
Pink Chicken Comedy
Article content
Stage 19 Lumos Dental Stage
Article content
Stand-up comedy shows have a tough hill to climb at an event like the Fringe, given all of the other creative and unique productions taking place.
Article content
It must be even more challenging to host a stand-up show described as a 'women-forward show' to a primarily young male audience.
Article content
That's what hosts and comedians Hilary Henderson and Michelle Forrester faced during my showing of Pink Chicken Comedy, which featured razor-sharp wit and unfiltered personal humour that went underappreciated by much of the audience.
Article content
Article content
There was a lot of crowd work built into the show, unfortunately, which lead to multiple moments of dead air as their calls received nearly no responses. Personally, I don't find crowd work entertaining at all, and see it as a crutch for performers who can't write jokes. Hilary and Michelle clearly had comedy writing chops, so it was a shame they spent so much of their show trying to get the audience to fill their time.
Article content
Article content
Article content
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Fringe Reviews: Andrew Iwanyk Fulfills Your Dreams and fills the theatre with laughter
Fringe Reviews: Andrew Iwanyk Fulfills Your Dreams and fills the theatre with laughter

Edmonton Journal

time15 hours ago

  • Edmonton Journal

Fringe Reviews: Andrew Iwanyk Fulfills Your Dreams and fills the theatre with laughter

Article content Andrew Iwanyk fulfills Your Dreams Article content I can promise that whatever you think this show might be, it's not that. Article content I'd never heard of Andrew Iwanyk, before, despite being introduced by director Leif Oleson-Cormack as a 'millionaire comedian' and 'visionary guru' of the 'The Iwanyk Institute for incremental improvement.' As the audience took their seats, we were each asked to write our deepest dream on a card for Andrew to pick from. Still, I doubted the sincerity of the claim. How could one make make my dream of being a pro wrestler come true during a one hour Fringe production? Article content Article content As soon as he emerged from the green room, sporting a Steve Jobs turtle neck, shaking hands with the audience, and signing autographs no one asked for, I knew I was in for an hour of hearty laughter. Iwanyk is charismatic and witty, working with the audience to mine comedy gold from the depths of our life goals. Article content Article content The challenge for this review is that it's hard to say much about the moment-to-moment experience without revealing too much about the show itself, and I think it will vary from audience to audience. That said, I left the theatre with a huge smile on my face and laughter in my heart. If you need a really good laugh, check this one out.

Fringe Review: Rat Academy 2 improves on already stellar original
Fringe Review: Rat Academy 2 improves on already stellar original

Edmonton Journal

time19 hours ago

  • Edmonton Journal

Fringe Review: Rat Academy 2 improves on already stellar original

Article content Stage 11, Varscona Theatre 10329 83 Ave. Article content I saw last year's inaugural iteration of Rat Academy, and didn't think it could get much better. I was wrong. Article content Fingers (Dayna Lea Hoffmann) and Shrimp (Katie Yoner) have taken their story of the last two rats in Alberta and made it even funnier. But also, more tender. Article content This time around, we join our favourite clown rodents as they discover they are being evicted from their home in the back alley, behind the Buckingham, on Whyte Avenue. Article content Article content Understandably distraught, the two open a lemonade stand to raise money to buy their own home. But things take a far darker turn when the rats learn they've actually been evicted from the entire province of Alberta, and that the rat patrol has been given leave to exterminate them. They turn to the audience, which is only too eager to help. Article content Article content Fingers and Shrimp have fabulous good cop/bad cop chemistry. Shrimp (truly, more bunny than rodent) is naïve and loving, while Fingers is the sharp-tongued brains of the pair. Their dialogue is clever and thoughtful, and they never descend to Trump talk (Though there is a pretty good joke about measles). Article content Tickets for Rat Academy 2 (directed by Joseph McManus) are sold out for the rest of the run. Here's hoping the show will be part of the Fringe holdover series, to be announced Aug. 22 at noon. Article content

Fringe Review: Pink Chicken Comedy is an undercooked mess
Fringe Review: Pink Chicken Comedy is an undercooked mess

National Post

time2 days ago

  • National Post

Fringe Review: Pink Chicken Comedy is an undercooked mess

Article content Stage 19 Lumos Dental Stage Article content Stand-up comedy shows have a tough hill to climb at an event like the Fringe, given all of the other creative and unique productions taking place. Article content It must be even more challenging to host a stand-up show described as a 'women-forward show' to a primarily young male audience. Article content That's what hosts and comedians Hilary Henderson and Michelle Forrester faced during my showing of Pink Chicken Comedy, which featured razor-sharp wit and unfiltered personal humour that went underappreciated by much of the audience. Article content Article content There was a lot of crowd work built into the show, unfortunately, which lead to multiple moments of dead air as their calls received nearly no responses. Personally, I don't find crowd work entertaining at all, and see it as a crutch for performers who can't write jokes. Hilary and Michelle clearly had comedy writing chops, so it was a shame they spent so much of their show trying to get the audience to fill their time. Article content Article content

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store