Montreal Fringe opens with bold storytelling

Montreal Fringe's lineup is testing audiences with intimate, high-stakes work — starting with three standout shows this week.

"Mashed," a brand-new solo piece by British comedian Jimmy Hogg, follows his anxious drive to impress his girlfriend's family. Hogg is a master of layered storytelling, weaving tales so expertly that the final joke connects back to the opening. His high-energy, non-stop banter and wry observations about life land fast and furious. "Highly recommended," according to early festival reviews.

"Intrusive Thoughts," created by and starring Andrea Thring, goes darker. It glimpses what a therapist named Annie thinks about during sessions — specifically, revenge fantasies against abusers. Thring brings Annie to life across different life stages, from childhood to her work as a therapist, exploring how trauma compounds and manifests. The physicality borders on dance; her movements convey the natural world, discomfort, and violence without prettifying it. The subject matter carries major trigger warnings, but the show doesn't offer easy answers — it witnesses. "A beautiful and intimate show that poetically goes for the jugular," reviewers noted.

"1-Man No-Show," from Isaac Kessler, registers high on the absurdity scale — bits of balls-out insanity strung together across an hour. It's performance art that defies neat summary.

All three show the festival's commitment to risk-taking storytelling. Montreal Fringe runs through the month.