Hello and goodbye, Fringe Fest 2017. Oh, how we wish we could have experience you twice over! But alas, time moves so quickly and festivals must eventually end. At least we have a few reviews as re-cap! First up, a duo of one man shows (paradoxical, I know). Enjoy!

September has been moving steadily along! We think this month calls for fresh inspiration and renewal. Who better than featured artist Sandeep Johal to guide us? Take a listen to the latest mixed playlist, galvanized by her work!

“Resonating throughout each character is the connecting theme that they are all victims of circumstance. Each character is driven by incidents which both haunt and inspire them. The complexity of their dynamics and dark intentions leave you conflicted about what you hope happens for the story’s resolution.” Catch Bombay Black, written by Anosh Irani and directed by Rohit Chokhani, at this year's Fringe Festival!

“Rest In Power has its roots in my first series about gender-based violence, When Honour Kills (2006), which was my response to a rash of honour killings in the lower mainland in the early to mid-2000s. It questioned this notion of honour that is so powerful families are willing to kill their daughters over it. And let’s be clear here, just daughters, never sons. The two women from that series, Jaswinder Sidhu and Amandeep Atwal, are also featured in Rest In Power.”

“[This leads us] back to the myth that I choose to work with: it’s a story about a king of Iran, whose name is Zahak. By the kisses of the devil, two snakes start growing from his shoulders. He is very afraid of his snakes and seeks a doctor to help him. But the devil transforms himself into a doctor and instructs Zahak to cut off the heads of the young people of his country, make a meal of their brains, and feed it to his snakes.”

Another playlist, oh my! The Puppyteeth material keeps on coming. Just in time to quell your summertime sadness, perhaps?

“Part reference to early animation and comic art, part manic cynicism, Jaik Puppyteeth’s artwork is as magnetic as it is disturbing... The familiarity of cartoonish characters and wavey speech bubbles cleverly lures audiences in, only to shock them with themes of self-loathing, societal doom and hyper-sexuality.” Maybe you're familiar already? Or maybe this is your first introduction to Jaik Puppyteeth's work. Either way, don't be shy.

“Watching This is Our Youth is at times deeply frustrating. Privilege runs rampant and unchecked, leaving you wanting to interrupt and offer the characters the advice they so desperately need... And though the way they channel this fear and insecurity is aggravating at times, it would not be so if the audience weren’t invested, as the quality of this production allows them to be. It is perhaps the strongest indication of why Han Bridge describes the play as a 'horrifically accurate depiction of the millennial mentalities that defines our ‘politically-correct’ 2017 world.'”