Review: Medicine (Fringe)

by Jason Booker

Another year, another TJ Dawe show.  TJ is a Canadian legend of the Fringe, who never fails to deliver a great story. Among his previous hits as a writer and performer are The Slip-Knot and A Canadian Bartender at Butlins. This time, it's Medicine, a show that features his usual one man on a blank stage, two alternating light cues – one for the main storyline and one for the tangents, like a rant about the layout of the keyboard (based on a typewriter keyboard) – and an hour of time. With his varying speeds and voice modulations with the occasional background music, Dawe narrates a tale of self-discovery, involving a week-long retreat with Dr. Gabor Maté and a trip on the therapeutic hallucinogen, ayahuasca.  Dealing with some personal and sexual issues, Medicine is not intended for families but remains a very strong show, with the audience remaining focused, interested and entertained throughout, often laughing at Dawe's monologue, especially when he veers off script to address the flies buzzing about the theatre.  This is a master storyteller at work; he knows how to craft a tale so that an audience always wonders what happens next and he plays to whatever response his crowd offers.


My only qualm is that TJ is a better storyteller than performer but the strength of the content negates that issue, he uses every second of his time slot when I would gladly have trimmed a few seconds and he speaks of vomiting a fair bit and dry heaves onstage so if you're suggestive or easily made nauseous, be warned.  Regardless, this show is another very strong work for Dawe’s canon.

Tickets

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