Fringe Review: Peter Pansexual
Peter Pansexual. Glam Gam Productions.
You know a few things going into a Glam Gam production. There will be tits. There will be ass. There will be genitals. There will be representations of sexual acts by people from a rainbow of sexual orientations. There will be bodies of all shapes, sizes, colors, bendiness, and hirsute-ness. There will be some politicizing. There will be some good jokes. There will be some lame ones. There will be enthusiasm and joy and 110% commitment to the performance.
Peter Pansexual. Glam Gam Productions.
No surprise, then, that Glam Gam’s Fringe offering, Peter Pansexual is all that and more. The send-up of the Peter Pan story has the man-boy imp re-imagined as a narcissistic DJ who performs at The Ranch, accompanied by Twinkerbell, his fairy in pink shorts. Pan and Twink take Wendy Darling and her brothers, Michael and John, from London (Ontario) to the loft life of Montreal. The suburban kids are given an over-the-top make-over by the Lost Boiz and begin a life of clubbing and trying to “get by” with different jobs. Opposing them is Captain Hooker, who fears Crocs, with her sexy side-kick in high heels Smee, and two prostitute pirates. When homophobic John has a sexual experience that disgusts him, he joins Captain Hooker. Wendy, Pete, and the gang may or may not actually try to rescue him.
Peter Pansexual is a gleefully campy production with song and dance, acrobatics, and burlesque. Most actors get their turn performing a solo number and each one delivers. Without losing its indie theatre Fringe feel or the mission of Glam Gam productions, Peter Pansexual is evidence that the company’s productions have evolved. Gone are the days when the plot seemed to be an afterthought to letting people get their kink on on-stage. Peter Pansexual has a coherent and entertaining story that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
To some, Peter Pansexual might seem mere silliness or the latest iteration of an on-going anarchist theatre project. True, its most appreciative audiences are likely to be those of the QPIRG demographic — feminist, queer, sex positive, pro-environment, etc. But behind the one-liners and the cartoonish characters, are seriously choreographed dance numbers, excellent costuming, and the whole-hearted gusto with which everyone performs. Perhaps most radical of all, and the message most applicable to everyone in the audience, is that Glam Gam celebrates the sexiness and sexuality of all bodies.
Peter Pansexual is playing at the Montreal Fringe in Cafe Cleopatra (1230 St. Laurent). It runs on June 8 (21:00), 9 (22:00), 10 (19:00 and 23:00), 14 (19:00), 15 (19:00), and 16 (22:00). Tickets can be purchased HERE.
