CRUMBS again

Let's CRUMBS again. Let's keep CRUMBSing together shall we? CRUMBS is returning to the Fringe to perform at the King's Head pub again. You love it, we love, everybody loves it.

"It takes a lot of practice to be this good at making stuff up."   -CBC 2015 (5 STARS)

Here are the dates and times for you to program into you phone or write into your calendar:

Wed July 15 8:45pm

Thu July 16 10:30pm

Fri July 17 7pm

Sat July 18 10:30pm

Sun July 19 10:30pm

Mon July 20 7pm

Tue July 21 8:45pm

Wed July 22 7pm

Thu July 23 10:30pm

Fri July 24 10:30pm

Sat July 25 8:45pm

Venue #14 King's Head Pub

Here is the LINK to buy advance TIX

Here is the LINK to the facebook event page

Here is the link to a map to the King's Head

LINK to the 5 star review on the CBC website

But what other Fringe shows do you need to know about?

The Big Stupid Improv Show

The improv jam show hosted by CRUMBS and featuring all of your favourite fringe performers and improvisers and comedians together on one stage. An improv show that is so big and so stupid we were required by fringe laws to name it what we did. 

"Put it at the top of your list if you're looking for a laugh and are unafraid to put your best and worst ideas into action."   -CBC 2015 (4 STARS)

Wed July 15 6:30pm

Thu July 16 12pm

Fri July 17 9pm

Sat July 18 5:15pm

Sun July 19 12pm

Mon July 20 4:15pm

Wed July 22 9:45pm

Fri July 24 2:45pm

Sat July 25 5:30pm

Sun July 26 7:15pm

Venue #21

MTYP - Mainstage   2 Forks Market Rd. (The Forks)

The LINK to buy your advance tix

The LINK to the facebook event page

The LINK to the CBC review for 2015

What Could Go Wrong?

Hold on, you get a comedy show written AND performed by Caitlin Curtis AND Stephen Sim? What could go wrong?  

Thu July 16 9pm

Sat July 18 1:45pm

Sun July 19 7:15pm

Thu July 23 12pm

Fri July 24 5pm

Sat July 25 3:30pm

Sun July 26 5:30pm

Venue #2

MTC Up the Alley    174 Market Ave.

Enter from back alley (John Hirsch Pl.)

The LINK to buy your advance tix!

Facebook Event Page LINK

Revenge of the Meek

Andrew Lizotte has crafted a comedy play about religion. Hilarious right? Throw in a stellar cast of performers and some comedic and production guidance from Stephen Sim, and you have a very fringy play with a brain a heart and an everlasting soul. It's a comedy, we swear to God!

Wed July 15 10pm

Sat July 18 Noon 

Sun July 19 7:15pm

Mon July 20 6:15pm

Wed July 22 2:30pm

Fri July 24 4:45pm

Sat July 25 7:15pm

Venue #6    Tom Hendry Warehouse

LINK to get your advance TIX

LINK to the facebook event page

What other shows are coming up before the Fringe?

June 24th
HUNKS & Big Stupid Improv Show

See Winnipeg's newest improv troupe do their 3rd show at the Park Theatre and then take part in an improv show guided by the improv mastery of the Big Stupid Improv Show!

Facebook event LINK!

Tuesday, June 30th
Fringe Preview at the King's Head

The Comedy Knights last show of the season will be a Fringe Preview show! Come and get a free tasting menu of all the comedy and improv shows at the Fringe. Then when the Fringe comes along in July you'll know exactly what gourmet shows you'll want to gorge yourself on. (Metaphors)

CRUMBS, The Big Stupid Improv Show, DnD Improv, Hot Thespian Action, Revenge of the Meek (Thin Lizotte Productions), What Could Go Wrong? (Stephen Sim & Caitlin Curtis), Turned (the Zombie Improv Show), Biggest Little Child Star (Melanie Dahling), The Unchosen One (Cathy Herbert), and maybe even more.


Thank you, and we will see you at the shows.


p.s. Hi Dad

The Winnipeg Fringe Festival 2014

So here we are knee deep in Winnipeg Fringe Festival. The weather is nice, the shows are nicer and the crowds are great. It's that time of year when Winnipeg actually looks like a real live city and people descend on the downtown in droves. It's also the time of year when Winnipeg goes to theatre in as many droves.

Winnipeg does live theatre and improv and comedy and other performance types all year round, but during the Fringe, everyone knows it and lines up to see.

So the clock is ticking on the Fringe and in no time at all the Fringe shows will be just memories... amazing and mind blowing memories. So to ensure that your Fringe memories are filled with mind blowing "show" memories and not mind blowing "I missed all the shows I should have seen" memories.


CRUMBS: Made up Truths

Every night at the King's Head Pub

Mon, July 21 7:00 PM
Tue, July 22 10:45 PM
Wed, July 23 10:45 PM
Thu, July 24 10:45 PM
Fri, July 25 9:00 PM
Sat, July 26 10:45 PM

Buy your tickets online now so you are not disappointed. The shows have been selling out very quickly. Also, did you know you can get into the King's Head 30 minutes before the show starts so you can enjoy your nachos and boozy drinks.

ONLINE TICKET LINK

Some reviews from this year:

Dear CRUMBS,

Another review would be redundant, no? I mean, you already have a five star quote from 2012 on your sandwich board. I stand by it, but we all know you don’t need it to pack the Fringetime King’s Head.

It’s not that I can’t think of new things to say. Check this out: CRUMBS implausibly defy the law of diminishing returns. They get funnier each time I see them; their caricatures more deft and their on-the-fly story structures more satisfying. Bam. Reviewed anew.

But at this point it’s just gushing, isn’t it? Like your program says, you already have a career 69 stars.

Instead I want to thank you here for your contributions to building an improv community in Winnipeg through the Improv Festival and your support for other performers, as well as your own year round shows. It’s important.

Oh alright, here’s another five for the stats.

5 stars CBC website 2014

CRUMBS

If you’re a Winnipegger and a fan of improv, hopefully you’ve already booked your tickets for Crumbs. Grizzled veterans of the festival, Stephen Sim and Lee White are back for their 17th fringe in a row. You don’t sell out fringe shows for that long without being consistently excellent and this year’s show, Made Up Truths, is no exception. They ask brave souls in the audience for a painful or embarrassing secret and then mine it for an hour of comedy gold. Sim and Lee invent a cast of characters and devise stories before your eyes, all with witty musical counterpoint courtesy of DJ Hunnicutt.

All these years together has helped them hone their skills to the point that they seem to be communicating telepathically. As with any improv, there are always moments that will fall flat, but Crumbs shows are exceptionally low on filler.

— Ben Wiebe Winnipeg Free Press 2014

4 stars

Big Stupid Improv Show

At the MTYP Mainstage at the Forks

Mon,   July 21   5:00 PM

Wed,   July 23    7:00 PM

Thu,    July 24    8:30 PM

Sat,     July 26       NooN!

Sun,    July 27    7:45 PM

ONLINE TICKET LINK

Some reviews from this year:

What do the Fringe’s best improv performers do with their between-shows downtime? More improv, obviously!

This show is a much-loved Fringe tradition, and a must-see for improv fans. The rotating cast guarantees that each show is a wild ride – for the performers as much as for the audience. Some of the performers have worked together for years and know each other’s every cue and rhythm. Some are total strangers, and may have met briefly backstage or in the beer tent. It doesn’t really matter because they all have chops. This is playtime for everyone.

The format is simple. Five performers take turns directing the others in five impromptu scenes based on audience suggestions. Survivor-style, the audience votes out the scenarios one by one and the remainders get weirder and wilder. It’s all held together by improvised DJing, and someone in the audience wins a T-shirt. What more could you want?

4 stars CBC radio 2014

Mix some of this fringe’s best improvisers, comedians and artists on stage and greatness is bound to happen. It’s the solid theory that’s brought the BSIS back to the festival for 16 years under the guidance of local improv master Stephen Sim.

It’s hard to review improv, where a play opens and closes each show. It’s harder when a rotating cast of locals (Crumbs, Outside Joke, DnD, etc.) and tourists (Chris Gibbs, Caitlin Curtis, Rumble Pak, etc.) find new dynamics each night.

But this much talent can hardly go wrong and at least one bit is guaranteed to rock your socks. The added fun of seeing different groups merge is there in the performers’ smiles and fans’ laughs.

You’re in for a treat.

— Matt TenBruggencate

4 stars Winnipeg Free Press

FRAZ vs The Future

Venue #5 Son of Warehouse

Tue, July  22nd    3:15pm

Thu, July  24th    7:00pm

Sat, July  26th    2:00pm

Reviews:

Fraz Wiest delivers up a compelling hour of comedy as a somewhat confused time traveller from the future (but not really) who lectures the present (us in the crowd) on the dangers of social media and other coming perils.

From this clever idea comes a patchwork of creative vignettes that vary too much in tone, from melancholy rumination to full tilt stand-up satire. It’s best when it’s funny. The thinky stuff needs more thinking and sharper writing.

The performance is exceptional, the direction strong and one day in the future a new revised and smoother script will emerge, turning this show that’s well worth seeing into a bona fide Fringe classic.

4 stars CBC Website 2014 Al Rae

SPEECHLESS

The improv show with no words! Our friends Felipe and Daniel (from Colombia) team up with our friend Mama Cutsworth and give you this show. Go see it.

Here is a picture of Felipe at the Goldeyes games. He is not only enjoying his first ever baseball game, it's also his first ever hotdog shot into a crowd.

Tue, July 22nd     4:15PM

Wed, July 23rd    8:45PM

Fri, July 25th       1:45PM

Sat, July 26th     5:00PM

And when the Fringe is over and we are all soaking in out memories of how amazing the shows were, we can look forward to the Winnipeg IF... Improv Festival. The magic doesn't have to end.

CRUMBS and the Winnipeg IF... Improv Festival 2013

As the long long title more than hints at... the Winnipeg IF... Improv Festival is coming and coming fast! With guests from Chicago, Vancouver, Regina, Edmonton and with amazing improvisers from right here in Winnipeg!

Tue, Oct 1st it all starts with a free sampler show at the King's Head Pub.

Wed, Oct 2nd
The Gas Station Arts Centre breaks out the 20-sided dice for the DnD Improv Show (festival edition)

Thu, Oct 3rd
The Gas Station Arts Centre hosts a very special Big Stupid Improv Show with a very special guest Kevin McDonald from The Kids in the Hall! He'll tell true stories and the festival ensemble will improvise hilariousness inspired by it!

Fri, Oct 4th
The Gas Station Arts Centre showcases four different acts!
First we get Business from Regina, then a Sci-Fi improv format from Vancouver's Instant Theatre.
And then we get the festival ensemble premiering a brand new improv form.
PLUS:
CRUMBS doing a late night set at 11pm.
So much improv!

Sat, Oct 5th
The Gas Station Arts Centre showcases more shows. Yes, we're not done yet. Outside Joke shows off their hit show. The festival ensemble unites to create something amazing again.
PLUS:
We end the whole festival with a late night performance of Lee White's very own Game Show Improv Show!

For tickets:

Online Tickets HERE

Call the GSAC at 204-284-9477


For more info you can go directly to the Winnipeg IF... Improv Festival site HERE

CRUMBS in the Summer time

So, it's summer time, the weather is hot and it's time to relax. So what if the weather isn't exactly hot, it is still time to relax.

CRUMBS thanks all those many people who enjoyed our show this year at the Fringe. It was another sold out run of shows at the King's Head Pub. We certainly hope there weren't too many of you out there that stood in line only to be disappointed by the SOLD OUT sign being posted right before your turn to buy tickets. We are serious when we say "Get your advance tickets NOW!".

The CRUMBS show this year at the festival involved TRUTH, and truth be told, it worked out famously. Some of the stories that inspired the shows include:

-A woman who was picked up in Ireland at the airport by her professional wrestler fiancé... along with his pregnant girlfriend. (Yes, that's an actual picture of the actual guy)

-A married couple who had the husband tell the wife to be that they would never ever ever get married.



-A cook (just a cook) on a US military submarine who moved to Winnipeg for love.



-A rocket scientist (who insisted that he was just a technician) who travelled on a "bumpy" road in a short cut at the Grand Canyon.



-A drunken kiss at a Bomber game becomes love.



-A break up story... where friends of the ex-girlfriend were actually in the audience too... amazing!


We should also mention the amazing run of shows that the Big Stupid Improv Show had at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. We had so many great guests play some improv make'em ups with us. Lee also had the chance to again display his improv game show format (The Big Smart Improv Show) and Mama Cutsworth made the music sound even better than music should even sound. A thank you to all the players and people involved with making that show a success.

In fact, a huge shout out goes out to all the improv that happened at the Winnipeg Fringe this year. This was a record year for Fringe attendance, and a record year for the amount of improv there was. Over 11% of the total number of companies were listed as either improv or sketch comedy (as I've mentioned before). This is huge. And great.

Look for more CRUMBS in your future.

Perhaps on the Radio. We still do our long running live radio show every Monday at 5PM CST on 101.5 UMFM.

Perhaps at the King's Head. We continue our long running shows on Tuesday nights upstairs at the pub. The Free Laughs Comedy Show does a FREE show every Tuesday at 9PM. The show is sometimes IMPROV, sometimes STAND-UP, and sometimes SKETCH COMEDY, and is ALWAYS great!

Perhaps just walking down the street, sometimes we walk down the street.

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CRUMBS is now in Winnipeg!

CRUMBS has finished touring all over the world and is now home in Winnipeg. As far as updates go, sometimes the internet gets ignored and real life in reality takes over. Not that the internet isn't a reality, and not that you reading this aren't a part of reality. It's just that sometimes the updates don't get updated as rigorously as one hopes.

So Winnipeg, what do you have for CRUMBS?

The Winnipeg FRINGE Festival! The festival runs from July 17th to July 28th at Old Market Square and it houses the most mad and crazy and hugest selection of theatre, comedy, dance, music and other live performance in the city.

You will want to catch the CRUMBS show as well as the improv jam show that CRUMBS hosts that is called the Big Stupid Improv Show.

CRUMBS: Based on a True Story
CRUMBS returns to the FRINGE and to the King's Head Pub to again blow people's minds with made up theatre. CRUMBS this year will be playing with the theme of "truth". This means that CRUMBS will get a suggestion and an inspiration from the audience in the form of something true or some sort of true story. CRUMBS will then launch from this truth and travel light years away from this truth, perhaps even make you forget what the truth even was. Truth is stranger than fiction... and more hilarious too.

Venue #14 The King's Head Pub 120 King Street

Wed July 17, 9:00 PM 

Thu July 18, 8:45 PM 

Sat July 20, 7:00 PM 

Sun July 21, 8:45 PM 

Mon July 22, 10:30 PM 

Tue July 23, 7:00 PM 

Wed July 24, 8:45 PM 

Thu July 25, 10:30 PM 

Fri July 26, 7:00 PM 

Sat July 27, 7:45 PM


But wait... there's also the Big Stupid Improv Show to check out...

The Probable Cast presents: The Big Stupid Improv Show

Here we see the return of the FRINGE tradition, the Big Stupid Improv Show is an improvised jam show that collects improvisers, comedians and actors from across the world and throws them onstage to perform a made up masterpiece. Come on and see a new cast every night perform a new show every night.

Venue #12 The Muriel Richardson Auditorium (the WAG)

Wednesday, July 17, 2013 10:15 PM

Friday, July 19, 2013 1:45 PM

Saturday, July 20, 2013 7:30 PM

Monday, July 22, 2013 5:15 PM

Wednesday, July 24, 2013 9:00 PM

Friday, July 26, 2013 2:00 PM

Sunday, July 28, 2013 5:30 PM

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To buy your tickets NOW (which you should really be doing) just simply click on this LINK (and get your credit card ready).


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Did you know that the TEDxManitoba happened in Winnipeg and CRUMBS very own Stephen Sim was one of the speakers?

The day was filled with some amazing talks, and dare I say, ideas worth sharing. Here is a short video highlighting the day of ideas at TEDx.

 
CRUMBS even returned from Edmonton's IMPROVAGANZA, which happens to be the largest improv festival in Canada. The festival is hosted by Rapid Fire Theatre and will include improv acts from around the globe! It was so great getting to play with Rapid Fire and see all the great improvisers that were in town for the festival.

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And so... until anything else comes up, let me just say thank you for reading this little corner of the internet. Keep coming to see our live shows, keep listening to our radio show and our podcasts and keep living the dream.


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