If you feel like going down Argentine way without having to do all that travelling, then experiencing the dance duo of Alexander Richardson and Erin Scott-Kafadar (aka PointeTango) is the next best thing. Tango After Midnight is their third dance showcase to dazzle full houses at the Montreal Fringe Festival. Meanwhile, A Knight Without A Quest takes apart what the conventions of a typical knight’s tale should be like. Monty Python would have been proud.
Tango After Midnight
A full house crowd greeted the duo of Alexander Richardson and Erin Scott-Kafadar, as they exhibited their dance mastery with their latest show, Tango After Midnight, which, according to Alex, took two years to develop, a magical hour of tango dancing, combined with gymnastics, ballet, and acrobatics.
With the after midnight wonder of the Argentine capitol of Buenos Aires as its canvas (which was wonderfully supported with specially created videos as its backdrop), Alex and Erin proved to the audience what can be done with the exotic tango when it’s taken to new levels (especially when Erin proved she can dance effectively wearing a ballet slipper on one foot and a stiletto heel shoe on the other). And the audience responded in kind, with their ovations becoming more enthusiastic and thunderous at the end of each routine. A feast for the eyes and the soul that is visually stunning, Tango After Midnight is ballroom dancing at its artistic best.
A Knight Without A Quest
During medieval times, there was no shortage of knights who undertook quests to find a valuable relic (i.e., the Holy Grail) or rescue a damsel in distress. With A Knight Without A Quest, we get a saga that is both a nonstop whirling dervish and foolishly funny.
The story centers on Artur, a rather snivelling coward and ne’er-do-well, who is banished from his home by his mother and the village of Westerbourg because he burned down the village’s casino. To prove himself worthy to his home and village, Artur (with the help of Tear, who works at the local pub) embarks upon his own quest in order to become a knight who will be deserving of such a title. The quest: to find and slay an individual named “The Great Evil”.
However, the path to this quest is filled with so many goofy obstacles, such as medieval loan sharks, a lollipop-licking child princess who wants a pink pony named Denise, and the over-artistic Elfins of the Forest with their lethal show flyers. With all those obstacles along the path, how will Artur ever accomplish his quest and retain his honour?
The classic legend of King Arthur is hilariously thrown out the window with A Knight Without A Quest (let’s be grateful Artur didn’t have to extract the sword Excalibur from the stone), and the ensemble managed to perform a variety of roles and employ many costume changes and never missed a beat. If you enjoyed this show, then catch Funny, I’m Home (the troupe behind A Knight Without A Quest) exhibit their sketch comedy skills at the Just For Laughs Festival on July 21 at the Theatre St. Catherine, as part of its Sketch Series.
Tickets
To purchase tickets to the above-mentioned shows, or any other Fringe Festival show, go to montrealfringe.ca.
