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2013 Toronto Fringe Festival: Adventure!

Matthew Gorman takes a stab at death in this morbid medieval comedy

By Lauren Gillett • July 7, 2013

Presented by Your Good Friends
Written and directed by Matthew Gorman

Andy Trithardt in Adventure! by Matthew Gorman.

Life is a hard-won battle for the characters in Matthew Gorman's new play Adventure!, now playing at the Factory Theatre Mainspace as part of the Toronto Fringe Festival.

Set against the backdrop of the doomed People's Crusade of the late 11th century, the play follows the adventures of a knight, Sir Godfrey (Andy Trithardt), and his loyal squire Osric (Colin Edwards). Dying to escape his castle and unnaturally obese wife, Godfrey sets off on an adventure that leads to the rescue of Princess Pumpkin (Tara Koehler) from a tower where she is bored to death of being trapped with the dull Prince Langley (Carter Hayden), a sickly little boy (puppet controlled by Hewlings), and a silly lion. In freeing the inhabitants of the tower, Godfrey has unknowingly spread the boy's plague on the world and must fight to restore order, encountering a host of characters (and damned pilgrims) along the way.

Gorman's script examines gruesome topics such as sex, infant mortality, beheadings, venereal diseases and canibalism with bawdy humour and rapier wit. Sadly, the production has trouble keeping up with his outlandish imagination. The cast makes a valiant effort, but the characters and staging need more time to develop.

Adventure! runs until July 13 at the Factory Theatre Mainspace. Visit fringetoronto.com for showtimes.

Show Dates:

Thu, 2013-07-04 - Sat, 2013-07-13

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