You Know I Know by Fourth Gorgon Theatre, playing at the Toronto Fringe, is not just a performance — it is an experience. It started as unexpectedly as it ended and made me feel like I was an integral part of it from beginning to end. 

Like many of us, I have a lot of secrets. That’s one of the main reasons why I am particularly interested in listening to others’ secrets as it is the most effective way of validating my own.

So, when Fourth Gorgon Theatre enticed me with their blurb on the Fringe website to watch their secrets die, I knew I was up for it. The evening began on a promising and intriguing note as each member of the audience was encouraged to be a participant as a high priest/priestess in the “secret sacrificial ritual” that the performance claimed to be.

Simply put, You Know I Know was an assortment of secrets. The secrets were all common secrets that most of us attempt to hide from our friends or from the strangers sitting next to us in the subway, on a daily basis. What made it unique was the ceremonial way in which the secrets were narrated by the performers/creators.

Caitlin Fysh, Annie Tuma, Jocelyn Adema and Reanne Spitzer were all brilliant as they spewed out secret after secret in the course of the performance. As demanded by the nature of the secret they were blurting out, they were either humorously witty or deeply moving.

To me, the best part of the performance was the performers’ use of their bodies as a tool of communication. At various points, they were highly creative in transforming their bodies into props. They were even inspiring in creating a harmonious balance between the verbal and the non-verbal in their enactment of the innumerable secrets they forced us to face during the evening.

The white, angelic attire of the performers beautifully contrasted the black space of the stage. Additionally, the sound effects and lighting, along with the chant-like delivery the dialogue, were particularly instrumental in making me feel like I was part of a cult at several moments.

These moments really stood out. They gave the performance a mysterious, enchanting aura which, combined with the intimate setting, worked perfectly well to build the right atmosphere needed to appreciate the performance.

You Know I Know has powerful, mature performances and a captivating, fast-paced narrative that delivers on its promise of unearthing juicy secrets. Go watch it and you may discover some secrets of your own.

Details

• You Know I Know is playing until July 12 at the Tarragon Theatre Extraspace. (30 Bridgman Ave)
• Tickets are $12 in advance, $10 at the door. The festival also offers a range of money-saving passes for serious Fringers.
• Tickets can be purchased online, by phone (416-966-1062), from the festival box office down Honest Ed’s Alley (581 Bloor West), or from the venue box office starting one hour before the performance. Venue sales are cash-only.
• Be advised that Fringe performances always start exactly on time, and latecomers are never admitted. Set your watch to CBC time, and arrive a few minutes early to avoid disappointment.
• This performance is not accessible for non-English speakers.
• This production contains mature language.

Remaining Showtimes

• July 04 at 08:45 PM
• July 07 at 07:00 PM
• July 08 at 05:15 PM
• July 09 at 12:00 PM
• July 11 at 03:30 PM
• July 12 at 12:00 PM

Photo of Caitlin Fysh, Annie Tuma, Jocelyn Adema, Reanne Spitzer (clockwise from top left corner) by Photographer and Graphic Designer Kelsey Tuma