Fringe Binge 2014: Day 8

Wake Up, Rosie! ★★★★

Adorable! This original take on Red Riding Hood is sweet, fun and clever. It's tone is just right for a young audience (maybe 8 and under), but also highly entertaining for adults. Rosie is a hilariously precocious four-year-old (perfectly played by Melanie Patten) who'd rather sleep than play outdoors. However, circumstances force her to venture into the woods where she meets a sad-sack fox with a hankering for supper. Unlike the original fairy tale, this story has a happy ending for all. Written with just the right amount of audience participation, Rosie is perfect introduction to theatre for young children.

Whale Riding Weather ★★★★½

I loved Whale Riding Weather in 2012 (Read that review here), and I was curious to see if it had stood the test of time. If anything, I loved it more the second time around. Bryden MacDonald has written a sophisticated script where the silences are as important as the words. Hugo Dann, Hugh Thompson and Ryan Doucette all give award-worthy performances. This show will break your heart. 

Androidgynous ★★★

Ian Mullan's quirky comedy Androidgynous is touching and funny. It's the story of a misfit boy who has been given into the care of a self-absorbed, man-hunting aunt who is ill-prepared to raise a child. Loneliness forces the boy to look for friendship from a toy robot, and tragedy ensues. Mullan is believable as the young boy, and priceless as the quietly desperate Aunt June. However, the frequent  transitions between characters (accompanied by an irritating whistled tune) eventually become tiresome.