by AMY BARRATT

Fringe 2004 is shaping up to be a good year for satire - not one of your easier theatrical genres. Before I get to the reviews, though, one piece of advice I should have followed myself but didn't: When it comes to showtimes and venues, check, check and check again. Three shows that are in the program - and got a fair bit of pre-press - have been replaced. The Amazing Fox Sisters has become The Rap Canterbury Tales and Le Dynamique Feldman gave up its place to local improv comedy troupe Uncalled For. The Ivory Ambassadors dance company from Nigeria also had to pull their show, Akeregbe. It has been replaced by Montrealer Thea Patterson's Armour… Amour. Another dance show, Mummenpansz, has closed early due to a death in the performer's family. Meanwhile, rumour has it that Father's Day is the best show, not just of the Fringe, but of your life. I'm just telling you what I've heard.

Pilk's Madhouse

This entry from Edmonton is a series of sketches by one (possibly fictional) Henry Pilk. It's base, scatological, misogynist - no, make that misanthropist - and, occasionally, a little deep. Described in its own press as "Monty Python crossed with Quentin Tarantino," I prefer to think of it as Monty Python without the funny. The glowing quotes in their press material make me wonder what passes for Fringe theatre in other cities. Venue 5, Ici Stage (3900 St-Denis).

The Rap Canterbury Tales

Writer-performer Baba Brink-man suffers from inevitable comparisons to Job: The Hip Hop Musical. If the Foqué Dans la Tête guys hadn't shown us so dazzlingly how to blend classic texts with this week's sounds, Rap Canterbury would probably seem more impressive. I don't want to sell Brinkman short; he's done a contemporary, colloquial translation of Chaucer's Tales - well four of them anyway - memorized it, given it a backbeat and taken to the stage. After a slow start with the convoluted Knight's Tale, Brinkman improves over the course of the show, but ultimately he is a scholar, not a performer. He obviously takes rap seriously, but doesn't have the presence that it needs in live performance. Venue 5, Ici Stage (3900 St-Denis).

Kabarett: A Cheerical

Despite a title that makes it almost impossible to recommend to anyone, this local show is a gem. It mixes real social and political satire with cheerleading. What more do you need to know? Few sacred cows go unskewered by this talented group of babes plus one bob, but their stabs at Canadian identity and multiculturalism are particularly apt. Creatively staged in a real bar (Le Belmont, 4483 St-Laurent, a Fringe "bring-your-own-venue"), this could well be a runaway hit by the time you read this.

Caketown

Social satire is also at the heart of monologuist Darcy Bruce's first Montreal appearance. Bruce is in Daniel MacIvor territory with these paranoid scenes and character sketches using minimal props. He betrayed some opening night jitters but the writing is first rate. Off Venue D, Belmont (4483 St-Laurent).

A Friend of Dorothy

Perhaps because I am one in every sense of the word, I expected to love A Friend of Dorothy. This one-woman show from the U.K. is loosely based on the novel Was, by Geoff Ryman. Judy Garland fans should know that the diva herself never actually appears, although the soundtrack samples abundantly from her early recordings. Laura Sydonie plays several characters from Judy's life (her mother, Louis B. Mayer) and others who are fictional. The piece focuses on a young man named Jonathan who grew up idolizing Judy and comes to stand for the whole Stonewall generation. I was left with a curiosity about the book, but not entirely satisfied by the play. Venue 9, Théatre La Chapelle (3700 St-Dominique).

Infringer alert

Double-checking times and venues is doubly important when dealing with the outlaw Infringement Festival. I tried to check out You'll Never Piss in This Town Again, by transgendered Bostonian S. Bear Bergman but the venue changed and I missed it. Of particular interest in the remaining eclectic lineup is We've Come Undone, by New York activist Kayhan Irani, which deals with the experiences of Arabs and Muslims in a post 9/11 world. This is supposed to be opening at Le Petit Campus on Friday with two more shows at Zeke's Gallery on Saturday, but for God's sake consult the Web site before you go (see below).

Fringe flavours & fevers

>> Our reviewers taste test and survive festival 14

THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING AMERICAN

Presented in all its one-woman glory by Leigha Horton, this 13-part rundown of the more vacuous aspects of contemporary American life is annoying. But how would you go about portraying a series of vain, shrill, shallow, hedonistic, anti-intellectual girls and women in an appealing manner? There are several pointed digs at U.S. policies past and present - which we Canadians love to feel superior about - but this piece focuses mainly on the personal, reflecting the epidemic ignorance and frivolity in (North) America that we're not so quick to address. As Horton says, confronting our own failings is a "shit-crawl." Venue 4, Mirror Stage (4247 St-Dominique). » Lorraine Carpenter

NEVER SURRENDER'S GREATEST ADVENTURE

You will raise the white flag before the world's most unbearable pop and rock, as awesomely air-played and lip-synched by Never Surrender, aka local kids Mike Paterson, Tim Rabnett and (providing the popstar eye candy for fags and hags alike) Ryan Wilner. Lauded Can-comic Scott Faulconbridge does triple duty, his roles including the Skeletor-esque Corporate Commander, the vile villain in this show's Scooby Doo-style narrative. Half brilliantly reproduced afterschool morality play, half painfully fun cheesebag rock show, this all-lip-sync spectacle is A-okay! Venue 6, CFCF-CTV Stage (3997 St-Laurent). » Lorraine Carpenter

SHADOW KISSERS

As explained by its creator, Abby Schachner, a shadow kisser is one who holds onto the past or reaches out to kiss someone, but kisses the shadow instead. SK is, if anything, cathartic and hardly a comedy. Schachner takes us through a series of characters, from what appears to her as a crack whore to an under-sexed Jew to a cokehead - all interspersed by bouts of song. Some of the characters' scenarios see resolution, but some don't and it's difficult at times to decipher which voice is speaking or why. It's a strong performance that could use stronger character development. Venue 4, Mirror Stage (4247 St-Dominique). » Amy German

FIREBIRD

For a play that takes place in rural Brooks, Alberta, Firebird seems mighty Toronto-centric. Some great images and turns of phrase aren't enough to convince me to take the ride with fortune-teller Holly Halleluja (aka Medea). Writer Nicole Zylstra is certainly clever enough, and the smart mythological, religious references are fun, but something feels like she's trying a bit too hard. Still, you want to root for the girl who ignores dear old Dad's better judgement and follows her heart across the country with a guitar player who plucked her off her feet while playing in the street. Venue 8, Bain St-Michel (5300 St-Dominique). » Janis Kirshner

FORKING MONA LISA

In which 1930s New England socialites wallow in adultery, art fraud, alcohol, poison and "forking." This farcical murder mystery is essential viewing for lovers of old-school rapid-fire wit, brilliantly acted and enunciated by (among others) playwright Angela Murphy as a manipulative, overbearing (ex) wife, and director Cory Bertrand as a butler and lapdog enthusiast with a heavy case of the shakes. In the joint spirit of Agatha Christie and Preston Sturges, the piece trumps all the who-done-it clichés with the hilarious hand of classic screwball comedy. Venue 7, Portuguese Association (4170 St-Urbain). » Lorraine Carpenter

DANCES OF INDIA

If you're a regular Fringer, chances are you've heard of Shakti. Usually associated with Japan and her erotic-tinged performances, many don't know about her Indian background. Born to a Japanese father and an Indian mother, Shakti grew up learning Indian dance. Dances of India opens with a short piece before the star steps out of the spotlight to inform the audience about what they've just seen, and what's on next. The dances she performs were originally intended as prayers to the Hindu gods, such as the dance of love, and the dance of liberation. But in this performance, not your typical Shakti romp, she delivers not only dance, but moving words as well. Venue 9, Théatre La Chappelle (3700 St-Dominique). » Marites Carino

TUNNEL VISION

"Where do you go when the music hits your soul?" asks the voice that opens the show, setting up an orange-coveralled lamb called Sheep to take the audience on a quest for answers. On the way, Sheep encounters a cast of kooky characters, including a woman with drums as hands, pairs of masked beings back-to-back sharing a long-sleeved shirt and a mad scientist armed with a deluge of formulas who attempts to teach Sheep how to dance. But the best answer goes to Hannah Dorozio, whose response, a fleeting spoken-word dance, left me wanting more. Venue 2, Théatre d'Aujourd'hui (3900 St-Denis). » Marites Carino

SARAH WITH AN H

Set in Victorian England, Sarah is a gay piano virtuoso in a time where women couldn't perform publicly. Ironically, she's just about to get married when she decides to pose as a man in order to compete performance-wise only to meet the love of her life, a woman. Comprised mainly of actors from Dawson's Dome theatre program, the cast was stellar. Fun and fitting choreography, creative wardrobe and a strong script come together to make this a real gem. Venue 2, Théatre d'Aujourd'hui (3900 St-Denis). » Amy German

THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES

With climate change, imperialist endeavours, nuclear build-up, Star Wars and Mars expeditions in the news this year, this Ray Bradbury story about Earth's arrogant and ultimately destructive invasion of Mars is disturbingly poignant - far more so now than when the novel was released in 1950. Despite some slightly rough edges in the acting department, this condensed adaptation is moving and beautifully staged. The use of light is particularly effective, as is the music, a stirring "Martian" score composed by Phillippe Gaudet and performed by Seismic Cry. Venue 2, Théatre d'Aujourd'hui (3900 St-Denis). » Lorraine Carpenter

TAMPAXX

A vicious boob-poking duel, dancers spouting off half-finished thoughts in half-zipped evening gowns and a maxi-pad handout during intermission all find their way into Tampaxx, put on by a newly formed seven-woman company called Lacabalde. The evening consists of four creative and varied works that made the time zip by. The last piece in particular, Bernadette, had everyone in stitches, using a clever combination of humour and choreographic execution. Here, a seated group of seemingly drunken women, along with a mannequin's torso, groove to jazz and end up slurrily flirting with an invisible "Roger." Overall, a good watch. Venue 1, MAI (3680 Jeanne-Mance). » Marites Carino

WANTING

On the premise of a "what turns you on?" dare, married couple David and Kat decide to spend a weekend in bed with best friend Ally. As the saying goes, with friends like these, who needs enemies? The tune "Three Blind Mice" plays in the background and the irony isn't lost. The blindness and deception reverberating in and out of bed is revealed through a series of sexual acts, both simulated and talked about. This show offers high ambitions and good credentials for new company Rosebush Theatreworks. With a more complete ending, this play in development will go far. Venue 6, CFCF-CTV Stage, (3997 St-Laurent). » Janis Kirshner

COLD TOAST

Angela Potvin has written a bang-on work about the strange microcosm that is diner life and plays each character with conviction. The setting is "Rusty's" diner (which bears a striking resemblance to Parc Avenue haunt Dusty's). This one-woman play tells the tale of a day in the life at Rusty's through a series of characters from the brash owner, to the colourful customers and Rusty's two waitresses - one bitter for being stuck there and the other disturbingly delighted about her job. Off Venue B, Korova (3908 St-Laurent). » Amy German

The 14th Montreal Fringe Festival continues through June 20 at venues around the Main, 849-Fest, www.montrealfringe.ca. The Infringement Festival runs until June 20, www.infringementfestival.com

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