Brownstein: Montreal Fringe Festival all grown up, but still out there

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He is an acrobat, a clown, a dancer, a juggler, a magician, a hip hop vocalist and, yes, the city’s self-proclaimed limbo king.

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It really doesn’t get much more Fringe than Hughes Sarra-Bournet, who will be unleashing all his artistic forces in his aptly titled, one-human offering, Mario an incredible talent, a mostly wordless spectacle running June 11-19 at Le Ministry on the Main.

Then again, the contemporary dance show Seven, a most non-static interpretation of the album Music, inspired by the Group of Seven, by Canadian indie rockers the Rheostatics, is pretty much out there as well. Directed by dancer-choreographer Naomi Gwynn, Seven marks its world premiere, June 12-19 at La Chapelle on St-Dominique St.

Gotta love the Montreal Fringe Festival! The fest not only helps usher in summer on the cultural front, but is also the most affordable and accessible of city fests, offering a smorgasbord of entertainment from all over the map. It may well be among the earthiest of fests as well, having decided to go completely ticketless and ban flyers.

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As good a deal as it is for patrons — with indoor tickets topping off at $15 and free outdoor shows — it’s also special for the artists, who keep 100 per cent of ticket sales. Donations, grants, sponsorship deals and refreshment sales cover the fest’s costs.

With the pandemic having taken its toll, the Fringe is now back to full throttle for the first time in three years. This year’s colossus brings together over 500 artists from 77 companies from around the globe — with about 50 from these parts — in 500 performances.

The 32^na fest officially got underway Monday evening with the annual Fringe-for-All at Club Soda, providing a soupçon of what is to come until it wraps June 19. Action really gets going with the June 9 opening of Fringe Park, on the corner of Rachel St. and St-Laurent Blvd., and a kickoff concert with local music hero Socalled.

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The shows, none lasting longer than an hour and taking place at 11 venues around the Main, largely run from June 9-19.

Amy Blackmore, the fest’s executive and artistic director since 2010, is particularly chuffed, having learned that the Fringe was cited in a nod to Montreal among CNN’s top 11 summer-travel destinations.

“The Fringe is still on the fringe, but is rapidly evolving and becoming mainstream,” Blackmore says. “We’re grown up now, but our core values ​​remain the same.

“It is also people-powered. When you come to this festival, you are coming to a community, not just to the shows. We have 250 dedicated volunteers, without whom we wouldn’t be able to do this.”

Prior to running it, Blackmore first made her mark performing as a modern dancer at the 2001 fest.

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“I kept showing up every year, just begging for work. They had me cleaning the toilets and mopping the stage at the beginning. And then when a Fringe job opened, I just happened to be standing in the right place,” she recalls. “But I’m still cleaning toilets.”

Sarra-Bournet, a former Cirque du Soleil acrobat, is in rehearsal mode at Fringe headquarters at the Mainline Theatre. Following a clowning/dancing/juggling routine, Sarra-Bournet dons his magic chapeau and a cape — actually a giant eco-friendly garbage bag — and bedazzles those of us in attendance with a mind-blowing, sleight of hand card trick that would also suggest he has X-ray vision.

“Some people say clowns have no business doing magic, but I like to break the rules, trying to do everything I can,” says the Montrealer performing in his second Fringe. “I like to think of myself as a generalist. My character Mario goes to a talent contest every year, but he never succeeds at any particular talent. So he’s always preparing something else. Sadly, he’s really not so good at anything.”

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Disagree. From what we can see, this clown is a master of many metiers.

No juggling or magic shtick from Gwynn, originally from Ottawa before settling here five years ago. She takes to the rehearsal stage next and brings new meaning to limber while demonstrating a series of deft, decidedly fluid moves in a unique homage to the Group of Seven with help from the music of the Rheostatics.

“The idea was to bring paintings alive with our group of seven dancers who have taken inspiration from that Group of Seven,” says Gwynn, whose group of seven comprises six women and one male dancer.

“Anything goes at the Fringe,” Blackmore pipes in. “That’s the beauty of this festival. It’s about discovery, for the audience as well as the artists, who are creatively uncensored and can do whatever they choose.”

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On that note, Sarra-Bournet announces he is prepared to prove he’s the best limbo dude around, able to slip under SUVs and slide through to the other side.

“I’m taking my career to new lows now,” he cracks.

Adds a smiling Blackmore: “Actually, I like to think the Fringe is going to heights never seen before.”

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AT A GLANCE

The 32^na Montreal Fringe Festival runs until June 19. Schedule and ticket information: montrealfringe.ca