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Canterbury Tales
Stage 18, Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, 10014 81 Ave.
3 Stars out of 5
Six strangers meet in a tavern on their pilgrimage from London to Canterbury. How do they pass the time? A storytelling contest, obviously.
Geoffrey Chaucer wrote The Canterbury Tales in the late 14th Century, a time before cell phones and social media. So obviously the Wife of Bath, the Miller, the Friar, the Merchant, the Pardoner and the Knight would resort to spinning tales of fancy in order to pass the time.
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Town & Country have adapted that early English poetry into a show at this year’s Fringe, one where storytelling takes centre stage. The host of the evening, the owner of the Tabard Inn, has promised a free meal to whomsoever should provide the most entertaining and vivid tale for the enjoyment of all.
It was an impressively expensive reward at the time, one that might be just as good now with inflation ramping up the cost of everything. And while I won’t spoil the six tales or who comes out victorious, it’s suffice to say it’s a fun time for all.
The stories range from cute and comical to almost inaccessible; the knight was drummed off stage before he could get going and one story involved some chickens, a man in a red mask and … I completely lost the thread at that point.
But it’s a problem with the material, not the performances. Everyone on stage was superb and brought the material to life with glee and passion. Definitely check this out if you’re a fan of the original material, or even just looking for something a bit different. I promise you’ll have a good time.
Find your fringe! You can read all of our reviews here.
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