Entertainment

Here are 10 must-see shows at the 2023 Hamilton Fringe Festival

Michael Kras
19 Jul 2023

The Hamilton Fringe Festival is one of the city’s premier annual events for live performance of all kinds, and the lineup for the 2023 iteration is as diverse and exciting as ever.

Running from July 19th to 30th at venues all over Hamilton, this year’s Fringe features an eclectic mix of plays, musicals, comedy sets, improv showcases, children’s shows, and other live performance that’s excitingly tricky to classify to one genre. Basically, there’s something for pretty much anyone to enjoy; and with tickets priced affordably at a maximum of $12, it’s easy to build a schedule and catch as many shows as your heart desires.

Though art is incredibly subjective and everyone has different tastes and interests, we’ve hand-picked a range of 10 shows in the 2023 lineup that we’re especially intrigued by. In no particular order, here’s our list of the top Hamilton Fringe shows you’ve gotta catch this year!

The ADHD Project (Squirrel Suit Productions)

Hamilton’s own Carlyn Rhamey is the very definition of a Fringe veteran; this energetic, engaging local talent has brought her many one-woman shows to festivals across the country.

Rhamey is reviving her Fringe hit The ADHD Project for the 2023 festival: a funny, moving, personal show that both explores and celebrates ADHD and neurodiversity. Whether you have an inherent connection to the subject matter or not, Rhamey’s show is sure to resonate with anyone who’s ever felt a little bit different; and let’s be real, that’s all of us!

Seven Virgins (Ramblin’ Productions)

Rom Fromstein is a prolific Fringe playwright in Canada, and his latest work won second place in this year’s Hamilton Fringe New Play Contest!

Billed vaguely as a “series of intertwined monologues about love and loss and all points between,” Seven Virgins sounds like it carries an emotional universality; and with a cast including local artists Marilo Nunez, Johnny Thirakul, and Laura Wilson, this is one you should make space for in your schedule.

Pink Is In Live!

With clear influence from Netflix’s popular series Orange is the New Black, the funny and quirky Pink Is In is a Hamilton-based television series already in its third season; and the cast is bringing a live show to the Hamilton Fringe stage!

This 20-minute, bite-sized show will bring the endearing characters of this Canadian comedy series to RELAY Coffee Roasters for an intimate, funny, good time. Fans and soon-to-be fans of the TV series won’t want to miss it.

INSERT CLOWN HERE (Parlous Theatre)

This enticing show melds a fully-rehearsed melodrama with the improvisation of a clown who is completely unrehearsed into the proceedings.

The result sounds like a hilarious, unique experience as the company of actors attempts to keep the play on track while sharing the stage with a different clown at each performance who insinuates themselves into the production without even so much as seeing the script. Chaos undoubtedly ensues. We can’t wait for this one.

Bimbos in Space! (Femmepire)

Pointed satire uses the language of 1960s-era B-movies and exploitation films to tell the story of Captain Shadowban on her mission to save the galaxy with all sorts of surprises along the way.

Hamilton-based company Femmepire is no stranger to sociopolitically-charged storytelling, and their latest offering – featuring Kitoko Mai, Claud Spadafora, and Severine Salvador – sounds just as provocative as it does entertaining.

A Perfect Bowl of Pho (Send Noods Productions)

This acclaimed new musical sees playwright Nam Nguyen and composer Wilfred Moeschter exploring the Vietnamese diaspora by way of its food culture in entertaining fashion.

A Perfect Bowl of Pho has earned rave reviews for its run in Toronto, and Hamilton audiences can experience it free of charge at the Fringe Club Outdoor Stage outside of Theatre Aquarius at 190 King William Street!

Civilized: A Live Podcast Experience (Fable & Folly)

Civilized is a very popular improvised podcast that blends laughs with sci-fi fun, and they’ll be taping live episodes in front of an audience as part of the Hamilton Fringe this year.

Join the talented team of improv artists as they craft a brand new story at each performance, which will be recorded live for their audience of more than 70,000 monthly listeners!

DON’T TAP OUT (The Absent Players)

Playwright David Gibel stars in this locally-created work about a pro wrestler in crisis

Fans of wrestling and lovers of fascinating, dramatic character studies will surely be interested in this new play about fictional wrestler Tommy Chains and his historic reign as wrestling champion that risks being upended by an unexpected event.

Desperate Measures (Easy Money Productions)

This funny, endearing, and topical new play co-created by Rachel Moore and Catherine Teichman will be presented in a staged reading format with a brand new cast of performers each night hailing from Hamilton, Niagara, and the GTA!

Desperate Measures follows young couple Amy and Pete coming face to face with the financial struggles brought on by the affordability crisis. In an effort to stay afloat, the pair gets an idea: to sell Amy’s underwear on the internet.

Hearsay (brie & dave)

A sketch show inspired by one of the most iconic classic rock albums of all time, Hearsay will be unmissable for comedy lovers and music fans alike.

Performers Brie Watson and David Lahti take the stage in an original comedy revue featuring sketches inspired by Rumours, the timeless record by Fleetwood Mac. If that description alone doesn’t make you want to check this out, I don’t know what to tell you.

The Hamilton Fringe Festival runs from July 19th to 30th in venues all across the city. For show schedules, tickets, passes, and more, visit the festival’s website.

Comments 4

Elizabeth Davies
20.07.2023 5:39 pm

The winning play of this year’s Hamilton Fringe New Play Contest (and the winner of the cash prize) was actually “Transitions” by Ron Davies. As you can see on the New Play Contest page (https://hftco.ca/new-play-contest/), Ron Fromstein’s play “Seven Virgins” tied for second place but was awarded the free performance slot in the Fringe when casting problems meant that “Transitions” couldn’t be produced this year in Hamilton.

The Ottawa team behind “Transitions”, who already have plans to produce the play at next year’s Hamilton Fringe, wishes Fromstein and the “Seven Virgins” team all the best for their 2023 production! Hopefully Hamilton audiences will be able to see two award-winning plays instead of one!

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Douglas
21.07.2023 7:55 pm

From Australia and only able to see trailers I found “ Pinkisin” very funny and wonder why it’s not sold here..it’s so different to the mundane shows produced here I think it would be a huge success..

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Eve Rule
22.07.2023 12:34 am

Can’t wait to see Pink is In, Live
Great tv 📺 show

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Deborah
29.07.2023 4:53 am

The Next Empty Day!! If you want to see and hear Beautiful, yet haunting Vocals, with it’s and instruments Violin, Piano, Guitar my 3rd time seeing it!! Of the story it tells!! I suggest this one on your Fringe to see list. if you have an hour in the next couple days!! I believe it’s worth check it out status!!

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