FRINGE REVIEW: Stage Fright lets character come out of her shell

Stage Fright

Stage 1, ATB Westbury Theatre, 10330 84 Ave NW

3 stars out of 5

A clown show featuring a performer acting out a show in front of an audience as a character who is terrified of speaking in front of an audience.

Right-o.

Dora, in clown nose with brightly coloured tie and athletic shorts over fishnets and red shoes, is a last-minute replacement for her mentor, giving a talk on public speaking and, yes, stage fright.

But despite her best efforts Dora just can’t put herself out there, and needs to go through several methods of overcoming this phobia by the end of the show.

Through these steps we see glimpses of Dora’s struggles through life, hiding away (or stuffed) into lockers, a marriage breakdown, granny’s death of smoking-related causes and so on, until she can pull off her own cloak of invisibility and achieve self-actualization.

Danielle Wilson is no doubt a talented physical performer, who is great with characterization and voices, and it’s hard not to find Dora somewhat endearing. You can tell a lot went into building this world. There are definitely some emotional moments in the show, and some nice laughs, particularly when she interacts with the audience.

But some of the musical interludes lasted a touch too long, and there are times when it felt hard to be invested in Dora’s story.

But at its core is a kind-hearted show about showing yourself some kindness.

Find your Fringe! You can read all of our reviews here.

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