From press release
The Emotive Emu Incorporation presents
RADIOACTIVE DRAG QUEENS FROM THE YEAR 3000
A fabulous sci-fi comedy at the Toronto Fringe Festival (July 8–17)
Radioactive Drag Queens from the Year 3000 promises to be the most fabulous and campy sci-fi comedy at the 2011 Fringe! It tells the story of Mademoiselle Betty Croquet, a struggling present-day drag queen who confronts her deepest fears when she’s visited by time-travelling radioactive colleagues from the future.
The show combines two campy worlds – drag queen shows, and 1950s science fiction movies – in a zany, mad-cap comedy with plenty of twists and turns, including an evil saboteur, cases of mistaken identity, and a nuclear-powered robot drag queen who finds love in all the wrong places.
The show delivers laughs, with a mix of snappy, clever word play, adult humour, and physical comedy. It also explores serious issues, like the consequences of stigmatizing disease, the power of community, and the ongoing debate over what it means to be “gay” today. Preview audiences were moved to tears by the final scene, in which Betty reflects on her life and identity.
* * * * *
The show’s outrageous costumes complicated the production process. With some cast members wearing wigs and heels with a combined height of over 18 inches, hours of rehearsals were spent just learning how to walk without falling!
* * * * *
Co-writer/director Jon Hoss is a Fringe veteran. He co-wrote the absurd musical comedy The Popcorn Show (Toronto Fringe, 2007) which critics called “hilarious” and “well-nigh un-missable”, and the acclaimed drama Ever (2009) that critics called an “amazing, engrossing, unusually rich gem” and “the kind of thing Ontario Theatre needs more of”. He has also written songs for “The Moustache Show” (Halifax, 2008) and “The Man on My Face” (Toronto, 2011). He and co-writer/director Agnes ‘bob’ Gentili have been collaborating on comedy for ten years, and shared a background in engineering before entering theatre.
* * * * *
RADIOACTIVE DRAG QUEENS FROM THE YEAR 3000 opens this Friday, July 8.
Starring George Bertwell, Nicole Fairbairn, Anne-Marie Krytiuk, Kevin Vidal
Written and directed by Agnes ‘bob’ Gentili & Jon Hoss
Onstage at the Factory Theatre Mainspace (125 Bathurst St.) on:
Fri July 8, 2011 @ 8:45pm
Wed July 13, 2011 @ 1:45pm
Sat July 9, 2011 @ 3:30pm
Thu July 14, 2011 @ 7:30pm
Sun July 10, 2011 @ 10:30pm
Sun July 17, 2011 @ 5:15pm
Tue July 12, 2011 @ 3:00pm
Tickets are $10 at the door (on sale on hour before each show), or $11 in advance via the Fringe box office (call 416-966-1062 or visit fringetoronto.com). Discounted multi-show passes are available.