Prettiest Little Theatre North of San Francisco (The Wedded Magpie Company) 2013 Toronto Fringe Review

You never know what you’re going to see at Fringe. I knew that when I went in to see The Prettiest Little Theatre North of San Francisco and was left wondering throughout the show.

This one woman show, written and performed by Bronwyn Jones, is a bizarre, freaky, ghoulish story about a little girl’s experiences growing up at the Palace Grand Theatre in Dawson, Yukon. Her narration is punctuated by the myriad of ghostly voices who came to the Yukon in search of gold, the original builder of the theatre and many of the quirky performers working at the theatre.

Bronwyn is an extremely talented performer and natural in this role. Her movements are sharp and she is master of voices and switches back and forth from one character to another expertly. The story transcends time and is told in a non-linear narrative. I found it a little confusing to link one character to another and follow the story.

The staging features props such as skeleton bones, hats, and a kimono, lined at the two edges of the stage. Bronwyn’s makeup and costume is eccentric and adds to the creepiness of the show; dark eye makeup, frizzy blonde hair tied up in 2 ponytails, and she wears a black poofy skirt on top of mismatched pajama pants. One of the most interesting and creative parts of the show is the lighting. There are multiple lighting changes, some that occur in seconds. They set the mood and draw us in.

There were moments when I found some of the scenes running too long such as the restaurant scene. This is an ambitious project and in parts lost my attention.

Prettiest Little Theatre North of San Francisco is an interesting piece of theatre and a creative way to shed light on the hardships, broken dreams and hopes of the people who came to the Yukon place to find fortune and gold. It is captivating, enthralling and bizarre. If you’re a fan of ghost stories, you might consider watching it.

Details:

Prettiest Little Theatre North of San Francisco is playing at the Annex Theatre (736 Bathurst St)

Remaining Performances

July 09 06:15 PM
July 11 05:15 PM
July 12 02:15 PM
July 14 05:15 PM

Tickets

  • Tickets for all Mainstage productions are $10 at the door, cash only.
  • Advance tickets are $11, and can be purchased online, by phone (416-966-1062 ext. 1), or from the festival box office at the Fringe Club. (Rear of Honest Ed’s, 581 Bloor St. West)
  • Money-saving value packs are also available; see website for details.
  • LATECOMERS ARE NEVER ADMITTED TO FRINGE SHOWS. To avoid disappointment, be sure to arrive a few minutes before curtain.