Small Fish returns to Fringe with sharper jokes and catchier songs
The comedy duo's back at the Ottawa Fringe Festival with refined sketches, tighter timing, and audience interaction that surprises.
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Small Fish is back at the Ottawa Fringe Festival and the duo has levelled up. Glenys Marshall and Maggie May Harder have tightened their sketches, sharpened their gags, and crafted catchier songs since last year's Fringe appearance.
The show is a comedy and variety revue where surprise is the only guarantee. Many sketches and songs are repeats from last year's sold-out performances, but Marshall and Harder have refined them through touring Canada over the past year. The turmeric bit—featuring Turmeric, a non-binary talking horse—returns, and the song "Tampon String" now takes place at a wedding instead of its original setting.
One of the standout moments is a music video featuring construction workers filmed at one of Ottawa's unsupervised construction sites—silly and utterly specific to the city.
This year the duo leaned harder into audience interaction. Harder worked the crowd to find the most interesting audience member, leading to hilarious, unpredictable results. The chemistry between Marshall and Harder is palpable; they move like seasoned performers who know exactly how to land a joke and build momentum.
Small Fish is a fixture in Ottawa's local comedy scene. If you've caught their sold-out shows at Irene's Pub, you know what you're getting. If you haven't, the Fringe is your chance. The show runs at Atelier Theatre through June 27. Tickets are $14 plus service fees.