Vroom, vroom, fold, fold

>> Former All-Star Cheerleader, Rebecca Singh, cruises home for the Fringe

MANNING THE WHEEL: Singh and her one-woman show

by AMY BARRATT

At 18-years-old, Rebecca Singh arrived in Montreal from her native Edmonton riding a pink Yamaha Virago motorcycle. Talk about making an entrance.

In the ensuing decade or so, Singh became a familiar face in local theatre circles, most recently as the prime mover behind Fringe darlings the Montreal All-Star Cheerleaders.

About a year ago, she moved to Toronto (“Montreal helped me articulate my goals,” she says, “but Toronto is a better place to actually realize my goals”), but next week, she’ll be riding back into town at the wheel of her first one-woman show, My Origami Motorcycle. Yes, it is inspired by the ride that brought the brave and, she admits, slightly clueless teen to our fair city two months before the 1995 referendum.

The motorcycle reference is obvious, but where does origami come in?

“I was thinking about my trip across the country, and what it meant at the time, how it clarified certain things for me and helped define a path I wanted to take,” says this thoughtful performer. “At that age, your life is like a blank piece of paper. Just like in origami, a blank piece of paper is full of possibilities. The choices you make are like folds in the paper.”

Singh doesn’t profess to be an origami expert, but she has become intrigued by this “human, accessible art form” that came out of Japan but can be found all over the world. Fittingly, from the creator of “cheer theatre,” she’s pretty sure this new piece is the “first origami-themed play ever!”

In My Origami Motorcycle, Singh plays two basic characters: a storyteller, who is essentially herself, and a “dreamer” on a quest; both meet other characters on the road.

“It’s part my story and part an adventure tale,” she says.

Although the pink bike was let go some years ago when it didn’t fit in with her Plateau lifestyle, Singh still speaks fondly of the Virago, a motorcycle designed for women riders.

“Men and women steer differently,” she explains. “Men steer with their arms, women with their hips. It’s a different centre of gravity.”

The Virago, a cruiser that’s low-slung like a Harley, is “perfect for hip-steering,” according to Singh.

Speaking of hips, sadly the Montreal All-Star Cheerleaders have disbanded. Half of them are now living in Toronto. Singh encourages anyone who wants to pick up the pom-poms and continue the cheer theatre tradition to go ahead.

Rebecca Singh isn’t the only prodigal returning for the Fringe: Derek Lengwenus (Dr. Avocado), now based in Calgary, is bringing his George Bush: Live Press Conference to Off-Fringe venue Théâtre Ste-Catherine. And Jeff Pufahl, an ex-Montrealer best remembered for his work with much-lauded Da Capo Productions, returns from Regina accompanied by four lovely ladies in a survey of burlesque traditions from Europe to America, Caberlesque!

Tune in next week for much more advance Fringe coverage.