Kev ‘n Cal by the Assface project at the 2018 Toronto Fringe Festival follows two boy adventurers on an inter-dimensional mystery solving journey. Is there a Jade Dragon, yes, is there a haunted house, yes, is there a weird librarian guy, yes. Are there laughs and lots of good times. Definitely yes.
Kev ‘n Cal are two brothers on the case, solving the mystery of the curse of the Jade Dragon. They aren’t the brightest flashlights in the flashlight holster, but they somehow manage to solve cases by working together. Both Allan Turner (Cal) and Christopher Hedrick (Kev) do a great job depicting the Hardy Boy-esque brothers. Their permanent sense of wonder and 11 year old boy angst is a winning combination. Through Kev ‘n Cal’s trials and tribulations, you really grow attached to these brothers, I honestly didn’t want their adventure to end!
One of the best parts of the show is Darren Joy (Mr. McGuffin), a mysterious librarian who sends the boys on the quest in the first place to find the Jade Dragon. I don’t want to give too much away but he is incredibly weird, but incredibly great, and is a perfect contrast against Kev ‘n Cal’s manic boyishness.
I have to mention Ted Ludzik, whose character I won’t reveal so as to not spoil the plot; he did a great job and portrayed an amazing emotional range. He’s on stage for maybe 8-10 minutes, but somehow you end up really feeling for this character.
I also have to mention the music, because Matt Gerber delivers some ear-catching tunes with sweet and quirky lyrics.
This show has plenty of laughs, a thrilling story line and most importantly a heartfelt thread passing through it. It checks all the boxes for me. If I had to be picky about one thing though it would be the pacing. There were some moments I felt the energy drop and some pauses were prolonged a bit too long. But by the end it definitely picked up.
Not only did Kev ‘n Cal show me what true friendship is all about, it showed me that solving mysteries is cool and that you probably shouldn’t trust your librarian. Check it out at the 2018 Toronto Fringe Festival!
Details:
- A Kev ‘n Cal Mystery plays at the Annex Theatre. (736 Bathurst St.)
- Tickets are $13, including a $2 service charge. The festival also offers a range of money-saving passes and discounts for serious Fringers.
- Tickets can be purchased online, by telephone (416-966-1062), from the Festival Box Office at Scadding Court (707 Dundas St. W.), and — if any remain — from the venue’s box office starting one hour before curtain.
- This venue is wheelchair-accessible through a secondary route which requires a staff escort. Check in at the box office at least 15 minutes prior to showtime.
- Be aware that Fringe performances always start exactly on time, and that latecomers are never admitted.
Performances
- Wednesday July 4th, 10:00 pm
- Friday July 6th, 1:15 pm
- Saturday July 7th, 5:45 pm
- Monday July 9th, 9:00 pm
- Wednesday July 11th, 1:45 pm
- Friday July 13th, 8:00 pm
- Sunday July 15th, 5:45 pm
Photo of Christopher Hedrick (left) and Allan Turner (right) by Fee Gunn.