Life-changing stories get the spotlight at Vancouver Fringe this month
A battle with cancer. Growing up as a first-generation Taiwanese Canadian immigrant. Competing in a FOX reality singing competition. Life as a sugar baby and a sex worker.
The 2022 Vancouver Fringe is taking place from September 8 to 18 and there will be over 70 acts from around the world to choose from.
A highlight of BC’s biggest theatre festival is the number of talented storytellers who will be onstage at venues on Granville Island, South Granville, Gastown and online. Their experiences are true, the stories are inspiring, and the shows promise to be entertaining.
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“I’ve always been a believer that love heals”
Kyrst Hogan (aka Burgundy Brixx) was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer in May of 2021. She told Daily Hive that at first, she was terrified and only let her closest friends and family know. But after her first surgery, she realized how much more support she needed.
“I began blogging about my experiences as a way to keep my greater circle of friends and family updated. The love I felt from all of them was tremendous,” said Hogan. “I received many care packages, calls and donations. I could tangibly feel their bubble of love protecting and healing me as I went through my surgeries and chemotherapy.
“I’ve always been a believer that love heals, and now I have living proof that it does.”
Kyrst Hogan in The C-Word (Shimona Henry/Submitted)
Hogan is sharing her journey in The C-Word, a cabaret chronicling her experiences battling cancer over the past year. The show takes place at Performance Works and features singing, acting, parody songs, and burlesque.
“I was able to find humour in the absurd human comedy of my body and struggles, so I wanted to share that outlook with the rest of the world,” shared Hogan. “When I won a spot in The Fringe, I knew the universe had spoken and I needed to tell my story.
“So many of us deal with cancer as a part of our lives, yet we still seem unable to talk about it openly. I want to try to break through some of the taboos surrounding the word and how we relate to it, and to celebrate our amazing human resilience.”
“My triumphs and struggles are no different than theirs.”
Ed Hill, an internationally acclaimed comedian making his Vancouver Fringe debut this month, promises to give his audiences an experience that they won’t forget.
“My dad has always taught me that the most valuable thing you can give somebody is your time because you can never get that back,” explained Hill. “Thus, if the audience is there to give me something that is truly valuable to them, then I need to also give them something that carries meaning for me, or else I am wasting everybody’s time.
Ed Hill in Stupid Ed/Submitted
“I can’t speak for each audience member but I hope they can connect with me through my moments, as my triumphs and struggles are no different than theirs.”
The Taiwanese Canadian stand-up comedian presents Stupid Ed at the Revue Stage. The show is the follow-up to his comedy special Candy & Smiley on Amazon Prime.
“It is a show comprised of introspections of my relationships with the female figures in my life,” revealed Hill, who was raised in Coquitlam. “Specifically, I explore the values that I have learned from my motherland, Canada. It is both a heartwarming and heartbreaking story. I will examine the meaning of strength, reflect on the concept of fragility, and take an honest observation of love and self-acceptance.”
“I needed a bit of distance from my 20s before I felt I could do it justice.”
Some of the best storytelling shows are ones that shine a spotlight on subjects we may know little or nothing about. Vancouver-based comedian, actor, and dancer Claire Marie Pollock is doing that with her Fringe show at The Improv Centre, Halfway Through Stupid.
“The show explores what it’s like to be a sugar baby while becoming an adult,” shared Pollock. “I’d been wanting to write a show like this for a few years, but I needed a bit of distance from my 20s before I felt I could do it justice.
“Vancouver Fringe has a very diverse audience of open-minded people. It’s quite an honest vulnerable show, and I believe the festival is the place to share it.”
Claire Marie Pollock in Halfway Through Stupid/Submitted
The coming-of-age cabaret features music, dance and comedy, and is based on accounts from real-life sex workers. Pollock hopes that the show will help to normalize the sex work industry.
“It’s really important to me to shed light on the industry, so we can begin to take away the stigma that both clients and sex workers feel,” said Pollock. “I think a lot of the show is demystifying and de-glamourizing the industry so we can talk about what it really is – a job.
“You’ll have to wait to see the show to find out if any stories are based on my life, but I will share that there are many times sex workers get ripped off. Perhaps the most bizarre method of payment is leftover kale soup.”
“Personal storytelling shows help fulfill a need for authenticity.”
A Vancouver Fringe favourite debuting his new storytelling show at Performance Works this month is Chase Padgett with Lucky Break.
“Lucky Break centers on the crazy experiences I had in 2021 which include being a live-in caretaker for my Mom and becoming a semi-finalist on a huge network singing show,” said Padgett. “But really, it’s about rediscovering one’s purpose.”
Chase Padgett in Lucky Break/Submitted
Padgett was already renowned for his touring shows 6 Guitars and Nashville Hurricane and his first storytelling show Heart Attacks & Other Blessings before he reached an international audience by competing in FOX’s reality singing competition, Alter Ego.
“I’m very excited to be back at the Vancouver Fringe as it’s always been a great time,” added Padgett. “And personal storytelling shows help fulfill a need for authenticity that many social media platforms leave us hungry for.
“I hope audiences who see Lucky Break will enjoy the interwoven narrative threads as well as the singing and guitar playing.”
Vancouver Fringe Festival 2022
When: September 8 to 18, 2022
Time: Various times
Where: Various venues across Vancouver
Tickets: $15. All attendees are also required to purchase a one-time yearly Festival Membership for $10. Purchase online
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