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FRINGE REVIEW: The Great Pretender – wonderful and heartwarming

Monday Magazine's theatre critic Sheila Martindale reviews The Great Pretender

Trent Arterberry is brilliant! The Great Pretender is the story of his life and career, told in his inimitable mime – well, with  a few actual words thrown in!  This guy’s movements are fluid, are staccato, are precise.  They tell the tale, they describe the story, and we know exactly what they mean.

Not only that, but he is genuine, authentic; he doesn’t gloss over the bad stuff, like the failure of his first marriage due to the stress of touring.  But he celebrates the good stuff with heartwarming joy.  And he has a million dollar smile.

A native Californian, he found himself performing in the remote and uncivilized province of British Columbia, and he stayed!  Definitely our gain, folks.

You can see this wonderful artist at the Downtown Community Centre (755 Pandora): Tuesday August 29 at 5:30 pm, Wednesday August 30 at 7:00 pm and Saturday September 2 at 7:00 pm. Tickets are $11, or $9 for students and seniors.  Remember your Fringe Button.