Have you been to the Montreal Fringe Festival yet? On Saturday I took in a few shows, Existential Lingerie with Lou Laurence and A Lone Loon.
Let’s start off with Laurence, an award-winning Montreal singer, comedian, and storyteller. Existential Lingerie was described as a hilarious, absurd, sultry new musical comedy about an existential crash-out sparked by ill-fitting underwear and Lou’s ultimate quest for… fulfillment. Well explained indeed!
This 60 minute show, which Laurence admitted to the audience was written right on deadline, was marvelous. It was my first time seeing Laurence on stage and she is delightful: a ball full of energy.
Most of her routine centered around a date with a man named Carl. The interesting thing here is that Laurence actually sits at a table for two alone and plays both parts. At some point you think Carl is actually there. It is clever concept and Laurence’s back and forth is barrel of laughs. At one point, Laurence excuses herself to go to the washroom where she proceeds to perform a song with guitar in hand; and yes all of her numbers are funny and good to listen to. During her talkback, the audience gave her several loud ovations. This lady is a talent!
Laurence’s solo show, Love, Sharks & Frenching: a hot date w/ Lou Laurence, won Best Solo Show, Best Music Show, and was runner up for Best Show with Improv at the 2023 Victoria Fringe Festival. The show was also nominated for Best English Comedy at the Montreal Fringe Festival. In June 2023, her French solo show, C’est une date. Right?!, premiered at Montreal’s Festival Minifest. In February 2024, she produced, wrote, and hosted the live game show, Montreal’s Most Delicious Date. Spring 2024, she performed, It’s Time to Love Laurence, at Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival, Newfoundland & Labrador Sketchfest, and Montreal Sketchfest. In the summer, she is brought, Love, Sharks & Frenching, to the Montreal Fringe Festival, Regina Fringe Festival, Edmonton Fringe Festival with Grindstone Comedy, and Halifax Fringe. She was a featured performer at Toronto’s Comedy is Art Festival in October of 2024.
Laurence says she creates shows to bring a room together to share in the intimacy and singularity of live performance. Her deep, soulful voice brings to life her original songs which are jazzy-acoustic in style, and lyrically hilarious. Lou’s songs play with timing and rhythm in a distinct way that makes the laughs unexpected and the transitions through song and story seamless. Her real name is Lauren Katherine Clinton. Originally from Toronto, she relocated here in 2011 where she earned an MA in English Literature (with a Creative Writing thesis) from McGill. She has been trained in contemporary voice, improv, and storytelling.
You can still catch shows June 16 ( 5:30pm), June 18 (10:30pm) and June 19 ( 7 pm) at Petit Campus (57 rue Prince-Arthur E.)
Maggie Winston in Loon mode.
A Lone Loon from the Lost & Found Puppet Co is being presented at Café Santropol on Bagg Street near St. Urbain. Through clown and puppetry, this playful and poetic show is a delight for all ages. It was 30 minutes long and audiences are limited to 20 maximum. We sat on lawn chairs and lounges while performer Maggie Winston proceeded with a very clever piece of theatre. It begins with Maggie looking from behind a covering with binoculars while we hear sound effects of a lake. Maggie’s character keeps looking for the loon. She dives behind a curtain, with water sound effects as she carries on her search for the loon. These are lare large, aquatic diving birds famous for their haunting calls and strikingly patterned plumage. They are perfectly adapted for life on the water, featuring spear-like bills, ruby-red eyes, dense bones for deep diving, and legs positioned far back on their bodies.
Yes, we see the loon via puppetry. But Maggie keeps missing it. Finally, she makes a big reveal near the end of the play.
I spoke to Maggie after the presentation. She said she’d like to visit schools and talk to kids about loons. It sounds interesting.
You can still catch A Lone Loon Sat. June 20 (Noon and 2 pm) at Café Centropol, which is making its debut as a Fringe venue. Log on to: https://www.montrealfringe.ca/
BILLION DOLLAR SPORTS INDUSTRY: Documentary producer Giancarlo Mirabella and GM12 Productions are gearing up for the world premiere of “Signed, Sealed & Delivered,” a feature-length documentary exploring the global sports collectibles industry and the passion, psychology, and business behind one of the world’s most rapidly growing markets. It will make its debut will premiere on Wed. June 17 at the Cineplex Forum downtown before its digital release on major streaming platforms. The film takes viewers behind the scenes of the sports memorabilia and trading card world, examining the people, companies, and collectors driving a multi-billion-dollar industry that has evolved from a childhood hobby into a global marketplace.
Giancarlo Mirabella
The documentary features appearances and content involving notable figures including Kevin O’Leary, Gary Vaynerchuk, Lionel Messi content through licensed partners, Brandon Steiner, leading authentication companies, major auction houses, card shop owners, collectors, and industry insiders from across North America. hrough exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes access, the film explores the explosive growth of the sports collectibles market, the role of authentication and grading in establishing value, high-profile memorabilia and trading card investments, the emotional connection between fans and collectibles and the risks, rewards, and future of the hobby.
“Whether you’re a lifelong collector or someone discovering the hobby for the first time, this documentary showcases the incredible stories, personalities, and businesses that have transformed sports collectibles into a worldwide phenomenon,” Mirabella said.
Produced by GM12 Productions, the film combines interviews, industry access, and real-world stories to provide an inside look at a market that continues to attract collectors, investors, athletes, and entrepreneurs worldwide.
LES BELLES SOEURS IN YIDDISH: The Segal Centre for Performing Arts is now presenting Di Shvegerins, a vibrant Yiddish translation of Michel Tremblay’s masterpiece, Les Belles-sœurs. This iconic work, acclaimed since its Yiddish premiere in 1992, has returned to the stage for a new generation nearly 60 years after the original play. It will run until June 28.
One million stamps, a bit of mazel, and a whole lot of tsuris: Di Shvegerins plunges us back into the colourful, raw world of Germaine Lauzon and her neighbours, gathered for a frenzied stamp-gluing session. In this kitchen-party gone awry, the daily lives of working-class Montreal women in the 1960s come to life with humour, tenderness, and authenticity. I saw the most recent motion picture two years ago and loved it!
The show is being presented in Yiddish with English and French supertitles. Info: www.segalcentre.org
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DAGENAIS TOUR: Children’s books writer Richard Dagenais will be at Indigo Pointe Claire on July 11 to promote his book , Clare the Bear, recently endorsed by the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS). He will also be doing a private reading for the non-profit literacy group, minibiblioPLUS this week. In addition, he is aiming to have his 10th rhyming, read aloud, picture book in stores by Positive Thinking Day in September!
SUMMER PROGRAMMING: June 21 (9 am) is International Yoga Day and Royalmount will present a large-scale outdoor session by an Alo Yoga instructor, featuring a live DJ and an immersive art installation at the Urban Park. Turning to June 28 and 29 (10 am), in partnership with Soccer IQ, Royalmount will host a free outdoor activation for young soccer enthusiasts and their families. And there is much more to come in July, Stay tuned!
POINTE NOIRE: Noble Arts and Pat Mire Films will present a special screening of the feature film Pointe Noire starring Roy Dupuis, Myriam Cyr, Zachary Richard and Michael Bienvenu. The film will be shown on Sunday, June 21 (3 p.m0 . at Cinéma du Musée, in its original version with French and English subtitles. The screening will be followed by a discussion with director and co-writer Pat Mire, co-writer Rebecca Hudsmith, actors Roy Dupuis and Michael Bienvenu, as well as editor Maxime-Claude L’Écuyer. A great opportunity to celebrate the ties between French-speaking Louisiana and Quebec.
Selected for several national and international festivals, including the New Orleans French Film Festival, the Cinema on the Bayou Film Festival, the Festival international du cinéma francophone en Acadie (FICFA), and Les Percéides — Percé International Arts and Film Festival, Pointe Noire was also released theatrically in Louisiana during the winter of 2026. The film will soon be available on major digital platforms
The storyline revolves around Joel Richard, a falsely accused Cajun man on Death Row. He faces execution for a double murder in the rural French Louisiana community of Pointe Noire. Criminal defense lawyer Dolores Arceneaux agrees to represent him to try to save his life. She returns to her family home in Pointe Noire where she enlists renown documentary filmmaker Louis Leger to help her find out what really happened 30 years ago when two people were killed on the night of the traditional Courir de Mardi Gras. What they uncover is a hauntingly beautiful, isolated community suffering from genetic bottlenecking, secrecy and deceit, yet striving to achieve its own form of folk justice.
Here is the trailer : vimeo.com/1122507463
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.thesuburban.com ’
