A number of local performers are involved in the 2022 Winnipeg Fringe Festival including Cora Fast from Grunthal and the Sidetrack Bandits sketch comedy troupe.

Cora Fast is excited to have an original play featured in the festival.

Being from Grunthal, she says it’s an honour to help represent the Southeast in the Fringe Festival.  

“It’s so important because there are so many creative people in the southeast, but I feel like so many people don’t get themselves involved, they don’t take that step, so I think it’s just so important to have a voice for the people outside of Winnipeg.” 

Write, Rewrite, Repeat is a show that Cora Fast wrote herself. It is about a university student writing a short story for her class. The twist is that she has conversations with the characters she writes about. 

“One of the characters, he’s kind of like the connection between the story and the real world, and so they have a bit of a relationship and he’ll step out and be like ‘what are you doing? This is so bad, let’s try something else.’” 

Fast says that it’s exciting to have a piece she wrote to be put up on stage, but it’s also terrifying. “The Fringe reviews can be harsh and I’m a little bit nervous about that, but I’m so excited to have people come and see this show.” 

Fast will also perform in “Charming and Roses” which is more targeted toward adults, as well as an improv show called The Crosseyed Rascals, both of which will be at Fringe Fest. 

You can buy tickets to see Write, Rewrite, Repeat HERE. You can see Write, Rewrite, Repeat at these times: 

  • July 14 11:00am  
  • July 15 3:00pm  
  • July 16 6:00pm  
  • July 17 9:45pm  
  • July 20 12:45pm  
  • July 21 4:30pm  
  • July 22 8:15pm  
  • July 24 11:00am 

The Sidetrack Bandits are also performing at this year's Winnipeg Fringe Festival.

The Steinbach troupe is made of three married couples; Cameron Penner, Heather Penner, Jeremy Plett, Michelle Plett, Kenton Dyck, and Thalin Dyck. 

Jeremy Plett explains that it has been hard not being able to do the Fringe Festival for the past couple of years due to COVID, and everyone is excited to be back at it. 

“We've been downtown a little bit getting ready, and it's exciting meeting up with people from other shows and seeing everyone starting to get excited again for this thing that we haven't had for a couple of years. It's really cool to see that happening again.” 

Plett says their all-new original sketch comedy show features a bunch of physical comedy and larger-than-life characters. He adds the whole thing is bookended by two new comedy songs. 

Both Jeremy Plett and Kenton Dyck are also cast members in the Dungeons N' Dragons Improv Show XIII and the Dungeons N' Dragons Improv Show: Kids Edition. 

You can buy tickets to see the Sidetrack Bandits HERE. The Sidetrack Bandits are performing at these times: 

  • July 13 at 6:30pm 
  • July 14 at 8:15pm 
  • July 15 at 6:30pm 
  • July 16 at 8:15pm 
  • July 21 at 8:15pm 
  • July 22 at 6:30pm 
  • July 23 at 7:30pm 
Related Stories