Twelve adults, two infants, five kids, and I saw Thumped!, a last minute addition to FringeKids! at the George Ignatieff Theatre, on Wednesday at 10:00 am. It’s tough to get an audience out that early in the morning and it really reinforced the need for publicity. Send out lots of press releases and work the Toronto Fringe Festival lineups.

My six and a half year old grandson was supposed to come with me but he wasn’t feeling well so I went on my own. Just as well, I think the pace of the show would have been too slow for him.

In a nutshell, two rabbits – Kelly Morden as Hyde and Emma Letki as Chase – find a map and try to follow it. They get chased by a fox, have to spend the night outside, and get caught in a vegetable garden and escorted back to the woods in the rear of a pickup truck.

I really liked the set. The ‘grass’ looked like parsley. It might have been parsley; it was certainly organic. Hyde and Chase roll in it and chew on it.

There were drawings projected on to a screen at the back of the stage. Things like a full moon, a meadow, a pickup. There was also a sweet video of two rabbits.

There was a lot of moving around the stage as Chase and Hyde tried to follow the map. To me it seemed to go on for too long. So did the dance at the end. I found the pace of the performance very slow. I also found the dialogue too repetitive.

There were five children sitting in front of me. They didn’t fidget but there was none of the oohing and aahing or talking to the characters that I associate with kid shows.

I feel like a grinch but I just didn’t connect with the show or performers.

Details:

• Thump! is playing at the George Ignatieff Theatre (15 Devonshire Place) as part of FringeKids! 2015
• Tickets are $12 in advance, $10 at the door, $5.00 for a child.
• 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.

Remaining Showtimes:

July 09 at 03:15 PM
July 11 at 05:00 PM
July 12 at 04:15 PM

Photo of Kelly Morden and Emma Letki provided by the company