Atomic Vaudeville is not your grandmother's vaudeville show Monday Magazine, p. 18, When it comes to a night out at the theatre, the last thing an audience would expect is a naughty ukulele act, a German expressionist sitcom or a mouthy mother laced on vodka. But such is the beauty of Atomic Vaudeville, the monthly cabaret showcase where the "anything goes" rule is strictly enforced-with often hilarious results. "It's sooooo fun," laughs Gina McIntosh who, in her recurring role as the drunken housewife, acts as hostess for each month's zaniness. "It's so freeing. I can do whatever I want, say whatever I want, and nobody seems to care -but everybody laughs, and that's what it's all about. For example, the last bit I did was explain my character's life story in sugar cookies . . . and then I showed everybody how to decorate the cookies with, uh, pills." She pauses, and then rushes to explain. "They were just Skittles, of course, but they looked kinda like pills." |
Baking tips with "mother's little helpers" is typical of the off-beat humour you'll find at each episode of Atomic Vaudeville. The brainchild of award-winning local director and actor Britt Small and Montreal playwright-performer Jacob Richmond, Atomic Vaudeville has been lighting up the Victoria Event Centre for the past six months. And while each previous episode has been based on a loose theme-such as "fear," "sport" or "Santa"-this week will give audiences the opportunity to get caught up on all the shenanigans when McIntosh hosts a pair of "Best In Show" evenings featuring such tasty reruns as "Forbidden Ukes," "Rocky the Talking Dog," "Full Hause" and a live rendition of Michael Jackson's Thriller video. (And yes, you can drink during the show.) Putting the funny business aside for a moment, a large part of Atomic Vaudeville's appeal is that it pairs some of the city's top actors with a great selection of emerging talent. Past shows, for instance, have seen the stage filled with the likes of Matthew Payne, Tim Sutherland, both Treena and Celine Stubel, Amanda Lisman, J. McLaughlin, Sean Cowie, Meg Braem, Carolyn Birch plus show creators Richmond and Small-to say nothing of the talent often seen in the audience-so it's no surprise that someone like Gina McIntosh would be tapped to host it all. McIntosh, who has made a name for herself by her willingness to take on a variety of roles, won Monday's M Award in 2004 for "Most Versatile Performer" and was also shortlisted in the "Best Performance in a Professional Production" category in this year's Critic's Choice Awards. |
This past year alone saw her tackle such diverse shows as the melodramatic The Mysterious Mr. Love, the funny Fringe offering The Terrible Preservation of Valentine Pilate and the challenging sibling rivalry The Attic, The Pearls and Three Fine Girls, as well as continue her role as part of Kaleidoscope Theatre's teaching faculty. But given such a meaty resume, how does she feel about acting as den mother to such a wacky monthly gig as this? "This is meaty in its own way," counters McIntosh. "It's my chance to just play with an audience. It's so freeing, and you get the chance to do things you couldn't normally do. And the people who are working up there with me are fantastic. We just have a hoot." With its unique mix of scripted and off-the-cuff segments, Atomic Vaudeville continues to act as a kind of playtime for the local theatre community. "We've got a pretty good following," she continues. "It's had such a good response-better than I ever would've anticipated. I come out after the show to talk to people and they just can't believe it-what it is, in this town . . . they're all very excited! But I would've been too, if I had just walked in." With next month's theme already in place ("Girls! Girls! Girls!"), a rumoured spring tour to Vancouver in the offing and plans afoot to transform it into an umbrella production company for emerging local writers and performers, it looks like Atomic Vaudeville might well be the latest landmark in Mile Zero's ever-shifting theatrical landscape. Yet all this serious talk doesn't seem to phase McIntosh. "We don't know what we're doing," she admits with a laugh. "It's just fun, without the party." |