SPACE MYSTERY…FROM OUTERSPACE!
Dead Unicorn Ink. · Ottawa, Canada
by Jeremy Doiron
Comedy
From the company who brought you Playing Dead (zombie-puppets) comes this homage to early era science fiction. A film noire style detective must thwart a space-mad scientist before he destroys the galaxy with his dangerous experiments. Featuring technology imagined by early 20th century futurists and science fiction writers. Zounds!
Tickets are 2 for 1 on opening night.
Deal is only available at the venue, not for advance tickets.
The hour passes by quickly in this classic laugh-a-minute fringe show featuring plenty of one-liners and sight gags. Definitely one of the more entertaining shows at this year’s fringe!
My first time to see a play at Fringe. I enjoyed the play very much. Tom Charlebois is a great professional Actor.
All the actors were great but Tom was most entertaining.
Space Mystery is a classic detective story with a silly-space-adventure twist. This play benefits from outstanding acting, great minimalistic staging, and music that doesn’t overpower the rest of the performance. Tom Charlebois – who played the “mad scientist” – stood out above the crowd. And take note of the musical performers at the edge of the stage. My fringe friend and I especially loved the infectious Space Mystery theme song – we were humming this little ditty for the rest of the day. Space Mystery is definitely worth seeing if you’re looking for some light-hearted fun.
Apartment613 (apt613.ca) is reviewing all the fringe plays at FullyFringed.ca! You can check out our review of Space Mystery…from Outerspace! than an Irishman here:
http://www.fullyfringed.ca/?p=1220
This play is a Royal Stilton of cheesy entertainment. It wonderfully blends and spoofs the B-movie staples of the film-noire detective and the space-opera. The mad scientist, Dr. Grimm, is channelling Vincent Price, but making the role even campier than the late lamented Vincent would have. Our detective hero can monologue with the best of them, he keeps his tortured similes flying as thick and fast as a hippo with a jet-pack. Selma Widowmaker is a slinky dame who looks like trouble the moment she walks into our hero’s office; she oozes “femme-fatale” while seamlessly blending into the general silliness of the plot. The “special effects” are hilarious. If you love old B-movies and are open to seeing what you love being lampooned, then you will love this show.
Space Mystery… from Outerspace is compliments of Dead Unicorn Ink., the company who brought you Playing Dead, winner of the Outstanding Design Award at last year’s Fringe for it unique zombie-puppets. SMFO is an homage to early era science fiction.
A film noire style detective (Jake William Smith) must thwart a space-mad scientist (Tom Charlebois) before he destroys the galaxy with his immensely dangerous experiments. Selma Widowmaker (Marissa Caldwell), Bunsen (Arras Hopkins) and Patty Stream (Sylvie Recoske) round out a strong ensemble cast: some nimble, some sultry, some charming, and all entertaining.
The show features technology imagined by early 20th century futurists and science fiction writers, but reinvented with more tentacles and giant reptiles. I was lucky to be privy to a dress rehearsal a few days before opening night where I was impressed with a show fueled by the wild abandon of youth. The costumes are eye-catching and colourful while still carrying a feel for the era they portray. The creatures of the cosmic caper won’t disappoint fans of last year’s zombie-apoca-play, though some of the details are still to be flushed out, what I saw was inventive and quite the spectacle.
The spacecraft affectionately named the Dirigible is staffed with strong crew of musicians Adrienne Epprecht and Braunson Lalonde. The vocal styling’s of Epprecht act as a prologue and epilogue bookending the piece, with eerie tones in an operatic range. Lalonde, of local band, Elly May lends his slick rifts to add attitude and mood to each scene. You will leave the theatre quoting the campy one liners and wondering how they pulled it all off. This show was created with all ages in mind; I would give it a PG-13 rating and encourage families to attend together. This multi-faceted show will appeal to a broad audience though fans of the genre will respond to the subtle jokes heralding to a time long past. Tickets are 2 for 1 on opening night, Thursday, June 14.