Fringe Review: ciarán and islay make coffee

Dates: Aug 21, 2024 - Sep 1, 2024

Location: Habit Coffee (Site A)

Artists: Ciarán Volke and Islay McKechnie

Duration: 50 mins

Rating: Ages 12+

Genre: Clown, Experimental

⭐⭐

A play set in a coffee shop. Interdimensional assassins. Random hijinks.

Volke and McKechnie have a lot of creativity and confidence which they bring to bear in this odd mix of improv and absurdist comedy. The audience is seated around the bar at Habit Coffee as the two make drinks and perform. As far as venues go, this is a great concept.

However, the actual play fell flat for us. It seemed like a half-baked idea thrown together and performed for friends. We didn't get the sense of any intentionality or the hard work that Fringe performers typically bring to their art.

It's difficult for us to say which brand of Fringer would like this show apart from the performers' friends and family. However, it's entirely possible that fans of absurdist comedy could enjoy Volke and McKechnie's coffee shop antics.

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The Victoria Fringe Festival, presented by Intrepid Theatre since 1986, has become a cornerstone of the city’s arts scene, known for its unjuried, anything-goes approach to performance. For Carmunist and Septimus, Fringe is the highlight of the year. We’ve been involved as volunteers for more than a decade, and more recently, we’ve opened our home to performers as billets. Reviewing Fringe shows is something we’ve talked about for some time, and now we’re putting our experience as fiction editors and theatre stans to work, offering our thoughts and workshop notes for as many performances as we can attend.

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