On Thursday evening, after squeezing in a quick Fringe Park session, I walked up St. Laurent to La Ministere to catch the opening night of Once Upon A Time And Never Again… An Improvised Fairytale, presented by Priddy Playful Productions. As a venue for music, this is one of the best. And yet, as a venue for improvised comedy, this was surprisingly ideal. I chose to sit at the bar, as I do, and immediately noticed there was not a bad seat in the room. Excited, eager voices were carried softly through the room among the audience seated cabaret-style. The stage set was minimal, three chairs at the centre, some props stage right, and a beautiful banner stood stage left, with the title of the show, Once Upon A Time And Never Again. In promotional information, this show is described as such: “Using an audience suggestion, the talented cast of improvisers will recreate a well-known fairytale right in front of your eyes... with a twist! This show is 100% improvised which means no performance will be the same, so you can come back time and time again.”
The show begins, and the lighting shifts. The massive benefit of the technical capabilities of this venue becomes immediately apparent. Soft greens and purples wash over the stage as one of the cast members, holding a large storybook, begins the tale. Appropriately, being part of FringeMTL and obviously attracting people less familiar with improv, our narrator quickly outlines the participation needed from the audience to help the story come to life. After some suggestions, the cast chooses Hansel and Gretel, and they’re off. A few introductory scenes introduce us to the cast of characters, as well as the members of the troupe itself, all appearing to be very comfortable and capable within this storytelling format.
As the story builds its first act, I notice how engaged, and amused, the audience are. Of course, due to the participatory nature at the top of the show, people feel more invested in what they’re watching. But that level of focus can also be attributed to the performers themselves. Clever and witty while avoiding the rambling absurdity often found in improvised storytelling, the cast were incredibly inventive, weaving a detailed and engaging narrative. Without an overuse of costumes and props, each performer was able to convey, with clarity, both their character and their objective, never allowing the audience to get lost in the plot. Ultimately, it was a cohesive and hilarious retelling of Hansel and Gretel, received very well by the audience.
The best part of Once Upon A Time And Never Again is every show will be different, every show is another adventure, you’ll never catch the same thing twice. That’s not an easy feat to pull off, but after such a successful opening night, I have faith that Priddy Playful Productions will be spoken about often during this year’s festival.
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