Calgary Fringe's 20th edition offers wrestling tributes and diva celebrations through August 8

Calgary's 20th Fringe Theatre Festival runs through Saturday, August 8, with 26 plays staged across eight venues — a mix of solo shows and ensemble pieces featuring artists from Calgary, New Zealand, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

Among the standout productions is "Randy & Elizabeth: A Savage Love Story," created by and starring Geoff Hughes, who wrote and directed the tribute to wrestling icon Randy "Macho Man" Savage. Hughes maintains the Macho Man persona throughout the full 60-minute show, delivering an exhausting physical and vocal transformation. He recounts how Savage met Miss Elizabeth while introducing wrestling greats like Hulk Hogan, Owen Hart, and Andre the Giant — but the real story is Hughes' own journey as an ultimate fan. As a teenager, he met Savage, who initially brushed him off. That painful moment drives Hughes' decision to pour his talents into this show, which includes a poignant resolution to that early rejection.

Another highlight is "Celine & Cher: Divine Divas," a solo show by Marysia Trembecka that explores the lives of Celine Dion and Cher through their music and personal stories. Trembecka, who is not a trained singer, cleverly uses the audience to perform the songs, displaying lyrics on a screen so everyone can sing along. She shares stories about both women without judgment — Celine's relationship with manager Rene Angelil, who was 26 years her senior, and Cher's experience with Sonny Bono controlling her royalties and her brief marriage to Gregg Allman. Trembecka easily connects with audiences, drawing them into the stories and even teaching them Celine's famous power move. The show runs 60 minutes and includes a fun interactive element where audience members pick song cards to learn how the tracks apply to their own lives.