Theatre reviews: Burlesque comedy, destiny, and a bizarre bikepacking journey at Vancouver Fringe Festival
Three solo shows–The C-Word, How to Believe in Anything, and mr.coffeehead–offer unpredictable experiences
ira cooper, mr.coffeehead.
Kyrst Hogan, aka Burgundy Brixx, appears in The C-Word.
Vancouver Fringe Festival runs to September 18 at various venues and online
The C-Word
Continues September 12 at 7 pm at Leap Creative Studios; September 15 at 4:45 pm and 8:45 pm and September 18 at 8:45 pm at Performance Works
The C-Word makes cancer sexy. In this burlesque comedy, Kyrst Hogan (aka Burgundy Brixx) takes to the stage to bare all about her journey with stage-four colon cancer after her diagnosis in May 2021. Through raunchy humor, intimate storytelling, and a few musical numbers, Hogan slips off her hospital gown and lifts the curtain of taboo surrounding such a devastating illness. Whether she is getting into the dirty details of just what colon surgery meant for her digestive system or proudly revealing her surgery scars while adorned in lingerie and sparkly pasties, Hogan finds joy and glamour in her past while revealing her most vulnerable self. The C-Word is not just a story about one woman’s cancer journey; it is Hogan’s celebration of her own body, through sickness, health, and wherever life may take her next.
How to Believe in Anything
Continues September 12 at 8:45 pm, September 14 at 7 pm, September 16 at 4:45 pm, and September 18 at 3:20 pm at Studio 16
In this one-person show, writer and performer Ariel Slack asks viewers to question the role we play in our own destiny. Directed by Chris Lam, How to Believe in Anything tells the story of a 14-year old girl named Sam who yearns to get away from her home life and reach the stars. After her encounter with a mysterious alien named Samantha, Sam is determined to do whatever it takes to be abducted. Slack, a graduate of Studio 58, deftly pulls out the nuances of childhood innocence and escapism in the story about a child who hasn’t been given the chance to learn right from wrong and who has an opportunity to alter her fate. It’s one of those shows you ponder long after it’s over.
mr.coffeehead
Continues September 12 at 8:45 pm, September 14 at 10:30 pm, September 16 at 2:45 pm, September 17 at 2:25 pm, and September 18 at 8:05 pm at Revue Stage
A wild slapstick comedy directed by Aslam Husain, mr.coffeehead follows writer and performer ira cooper’s Borat-esque persona named Stańczyk on his epic, 1,000-day bikepacking journey, desperate to ditch his disappointed father and troubled past. Stańczyk is a lonely and eccentric character, accompanied only by the viewers of his YouTube channel, his talking backpack and helmet, and his beloved bicycle, mr.coffeehead. Stańczyk becomes overwhelmed by an impending mid-life crisis and the demeaning voices in his mind. mr. coffeehead is a tumultuous and bizarre journey in which Stańczyk confronts his passions and failures as his 30s loom over him—a metaphor for cooper’s own journey as an artist.
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