These 10 shows just won awards at Fringe Fest 2023

“This year we had an incredible diversity of artists and shows. It was a showcase of the art in the Fringe movement, and so many newcomers who absolutely blew us away. The Batrabbit team and their hysterical Rat Academy represents so much of what Fringe is for, giving emerging artists the chance to take risks and try new things,” says Fringe executive director Duncan Watts-Grant, in a release. “Brunch Comedy deserves a special shout out as Vancouver locals in our ‘Vancouver Special’ selection, recognizing excellence from Vancouver. Ragmop Theatre with UNDERBELLY had us laughing so hard we could barely breathe, and both Cameryn Moore and Maarika [Freund] brought moving, thoughtful and, at times, challenging shows that asked audiences to leave preconceptions at the door.”

Read the article here

Vancouver Fringe Announces 10 Award-Winning Shows for 2023

Pushing the limits of performing arts over a grand total of 11 days (and featuring more than 500 performances across 85+ shows), Vancouver Fringe played out its 2023 Festival to crowds of over 10,000 – packing houses and selling-out shows across the board.

Runner-up: “Maarika is Funny” Productions with Peaches: The Play!

The most renowned and beloved accolade within this year’s awards slate, the ‘Best of the Fest Award’ spotlights the top shows that display an extraordinary level of theatrical quality and creativity. Also known as “the shows that everyone is talking about”, Vancouver Fringe is proud to deliver this award to support each production’s future life.

Read the press release here

Theatre reviews: Sultry tango, orange puppets, and orca laments—a first look at Vancouver Fringe Festival shows
Peaches: The Play!’s cutting social critique; Tango in the Dark’s mad dancing skills, and more

”Peaches: the play! offers wry humour that will have you rooting for its protagonist while painfully acknowledging her impossible situation. The absurdity begins with a voice message from her agent, Carol, touting the musical as a heartwarming avant-garde tale of redemption, with the lead role being none other than Harvey Weinstein. This offbeat premise descends into even darker hilarity as no one seems to see anything amiss, instead praising its ground-breaking potential.”

Read the rest of the review here

Peaches: The Play! At The 2023 Vancouver Fringe Festival

Maarika Freund, founder of “MAARIKA IS FUNNY” Productions, is the writer, director and performer of PEACHES: THE PLAY!, which is having it’s world premiere at the 2023 Vancouver Fringe Festival. Synopsis: It’s the dystopian future of 2028, and Maarika finally has a big audition! Only, there’s a catch: she has to audition for the role of Harvey Weinstein. We chatted with Maarika to learn more. —Noa Nichol

Read the interview here

60 Seconds With… Maarika Freund of thought-provoking show ‘Peaches: The Play!’

We speak with Maarika Freud about her inspiring show Peaches: The Play!. Learn about the backstory behind this thought-provoking play.

Read the interview here

Episode 97 - On Laughter & Loneliness - With Peaches

Maarika & Peaches join Madeleine for an incredible discussion that covers surviving sexual assault, Maarika dedicating her life to never being raped again and finding the laughs where we can to take back the power that was taken from us.

This is such an incredible discussion which really embraces creativity and highlights other create ways and outlets that may be pathways for healing for many people who have survived abuses in their lives.

This truly incredible human and Peaches are a wonderful team, and its truly amazing to have chats that are so unique and enjoyable when considering the origin or topic, and thats the point!!!!

Listen on Spotify
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Who are the English-language podcasters of Israel?

“You’d never guess the topic of Maarika Freund’s new podcast, based on its name. Freund explained that Peaches “explores everything I learned while dedicating my life to never being raped again.”

For two years, she was subject to “a ban that made it a federal crime for me to tell my story. Once the ban was lifted, it took me a whole year to find the right words, figure out how to structure the podcast and, of course, heal from the whole experience so I’m not transferring my trauma onto my listeners.”

Read the article here

Williams Whirlwind

”The red light district staged the best-known of the festival’s plays, Suddenly, Last Summer, in which a Southern matriarch, Violet Venable, tries to keep the memory of her adored poet son, Sebastian, pure by having his cousin and companion Catherine lobotomized so she won’t tell the details of his horrible death….

Nicky Guadagni made a magisterial Violet, attempting to bribe and intimidate everyone to get her way, while Maarika Pinkney as Catherine, the woman whose memories she wants erased, was her ultimately formidable and steely opponent, delivering a powerful final monologue.”

Read the review here

Woman power in a new comedy series

“A young woman is full of excitement and enthusiasm. Last weeks have been busy with meetings and organizing. Still she is full of positive energy. The hard work that started in the beginning of the year will culminate in the coming weekend at the launch party of a new comedy series named Millie&Midge.

I’m very excited that we have come as far as this and that we have received so much support and encouragement along the way, smiles Maarika Pinkney.”

Read the interview here

…la ronde…

“Witzel’s … la ronde… exposes an almost adolescent fascination with sexuality that charms and engages. Club Wicked, with its gilded mirrors and red walls, emphasizes the funhouse salaciousness of sexual pursuit, the 10 characters (several of them queer) and their respective hook-ups playing out like a dogged, sweaty waltz.

Often titillating for laughs, the sex is expressed figuratively – like the neurotic playwright (Eve Wylden) and the feng-shui-loving actor (Maarika Pinkney) who bang rocks together, wailing like dying loons. The performers are agile and unembarrassed as they grope and gyrate, continually asking partners, “Are you not fond of me?”

Read the review here

FRINGE FOR FREE – THE FECAL MONOLOGUES

“I know a lot of people are trepidations about this one, but from what I’ve heard it’s actually pretty funny. As Crystal said in the Mooney on Theatre review of this show: “Any play called The Fecal Monologues is going to be 60 minutes of scatological humour. Know that, accept that, and then you can just sit back and enjoy the jokes. And I did.”

So, in the sprit of Fringe, where part of the point is that it’s all short enough and cheap enough that you can take a risk on something, I think you should check this one out.”

Read the press release here
Read the review here

Lame Lysistrata

“One of the best (and funniest) scenes in the whole production featured an exasperated Cinesias trying to convince his rebelling wife Myrrhine (played by above-this-crap actress Maarika Pinkney) to go to bed with him.

Despite her ditzy one-dimensional character (no fault of Pinkney’s) she stood out as a strong actress and dancer-the latter showcased in a solo dance she performed towards the end of the show.”

Read the rest here

*NOTE: while the reviewer was generally critical of this production (it’s actually a hilariously scathing review), this was my very first positive review, and it will always hold a very special place in my heart. So thank you, Jordan Bimm. :)