I’m a big guy and not much scares me. I’ve walked through “bad” neighbourhoods in Detroit when that town was more dangerous than Baghdad. To be honest though, I was afraid to see The Sods before entering Theatre Passe Muraille Backstage.

The Sods bills itself as “The Last Porn Emporium On Earth”. I wasn’t sure if that was bragging or a warning. I’m not that familiar with the word “Sod” either. I mean, there is a Who album called “Odds and Sods” and Billy Bragg has the very nasty line “Sod you Jack!” in one of his songs.

Slithering inside, I discovered that The Sods is a one-man, multi-character show. It is written and performed by Jason Thompson. It is an insider’s look into the people who work in strip clubs.

Thompson is an incredibly talented individual. He truly becomes every character he plays. I can particularly relate to the character mopping up the nastiness from my years in factories.

At least one of the characters had my skin crawling. Others were so addled with addiction and so hopeless that I wanted them to get help. I wouldn’t want to hug them though, for fear of catching a disease. This is just how real Thompson makes his characters.

Is Thompson a person I want to have a drink with? Absolutely not. Is he a person who has incredible talent and you should see performing live? Absolutely YES!

After the play I headed up to The Fringe Club at Honest Ed’s to meet a friend. It’s nothing really, a parking lot, or worse. However, it has been turned into something really cool by hard working artists. I almost felt like I was in Detroit.

Thompson does the same thing with The Sods. He takes a really nasty part of North American culture and finds seeds worth sowing. His only tools are hard work and passion, but he yields an impressive crop. He’s made something great from nothing, from nastyness.

I highly recommend this show. The Sods is challenging and it is rewarding. The Sods is Fringe.

Details:

The Sods plays at Theatre Passe Muraille Backspace

Genre: Comedy
Warning: Mature Language, Audience Participation

photo of Jason Thompson

Performances:

60 min.
Fri, July 15 10:30 PM
Sat, July 16 8:00 PM
Sun, July 17 12:30 PM

Tickets:

– All individual Fringe tickets are $10 ($5 for FringeKids) at the door (cash only). Tickets are available online at www.fringetoronto.com, by phone at   416-966-1062, in person at The Randolph Centre for the Arts, 736 Bathurst Street (Advance tickets are $11 – $10+$1 convenience fee)
– Several money-saving passes are available if you plan to see at least 5 shows