The Big Fat Surprise at the Edmonton Fringe Festival

The Big Fat Surprise by Jake Tkaczyk and Sarah Ormandy. Curated by Kristine Nutting.
August 11 – 13, 16, 17, 19 at Venue #11: Nordic Studio Theatre

An interview with Kristine Nutting.

Describe your show in five words.

Resilient, abject, failure (real failure), anti-product.

Okay, now that we’re intrigued… what’s the longer description?

Currently in the culture of endless simulation and repetition our world demands its art and its culture delivered as a product based on a dubious history of questionable hierarchies. The question arises for the young artist as they emerge from art school am I not just another nameless faceless product? And if my training is based on the system of cultural production where do my actual instincts as an artist fit in? This show challenges the limitations of the history of western Canadian theatre while volunteering itself as the virgin lamb to be slaughtered by its audience. With a fundamental deep respect for live performance and the audience this show questions the role of the young artist and her ability to entertain in a culture of consumption.

You describe The Big Fat Surprise as a non-sensical, plot-less show. What freedoms do these styles allow you and why was it right for the show?

See above

What questions did you set out to explore through creating The Big Fat Surprise?

How do you create a new way of working in theatre if you can’t tell a linear story? how can you entertain and truly fail in your search to create something new with no guide or cultural history of such pursuits?

Can you give audiences a sense of some of the theatre norms you explore in The Big Fat Surprise?

Absolutely not! its a surprise! Duh. And sorry for the duh but can’t help it because I am personally a jerk. Also can’t be helped.

Anything else you want audiences to know about the show?

Come when you need a break from a show and just want something for your eyes. No meaning required here.