Erik de Waal’s TROLLS, BULLIES & ROCK STARS or A Kerfuffle in a Doodlesack (FRINGE FESTIVAL 2019)

Acclaimed South African performer and playwright Erik de Waal delves into the stories lurking behind the sensational posts, tweets and scandals on our feeds. Exploring the dark side of human sexuality, de Waal shines a light on the fear and ignorance that lead to indifference and suffering. He focuses on how society normalizes violence (especially sexual violence) against children, women and the queer community. Dismissed as a “kerfuffle in a doodlesack” these true stories are the hard currency behind the titillation, belly laughs and call-outs that punctuate our daily lives.
Just before Christmas last year a South African rock star sent out a shockingly homophobic tweet. De Waal and another queer South African artist spoke out about it. They got no reaction from the media or the rock star’s sponsors. The rock star responded that it was just words and that nobody was hurt. Then people began contacting de Waal with their own stories of how the attitudes behind the words that people use everyday adversely affected their lives. De Waal took his own story as well as some of the stories shared with him and (with the sharers’ permission) crafted a show exploring the effects of words and the attitudes they disguise and the acts of horror that can result from them.
Shocking and disturbing, Erik de Waal’s TROLLS, BULLIES & ROCK STARS or A Kerfuffle in a Doodlesack, though funny at times, is a harrowing journey into the pain and abuse suffered by those at the receiving of society’s prejudice. The show contains coarse language, explicit sexual content and graphic violence. It is ONLY suitable for adult audiences (or 14+ with parental guidance).
Erik de Waal’s unique productions have earned him a passionate following on the Canadian Fringe Circuit. He has created and toured fourteen original productions in Canada ~ Angel, UBULOLO or the witch, Thandweni where the ghosts scream, Blue is the Water, The Erotic Memoirs of St. Gilles, Off de Waal, The Canterbury Tales, Decameron, Quixote, SHORTS, Head in the Clouds, Nothing to Declare, The PreHistory of Moses P, and last year’s Daddy’s Boy and numerous versions of the hugely popular African Folktales with Erik de Waal. Reviewers have described his productions as “haunting and sensual”, and “intense, exotic experiences”.

Venue #3 – ALTO – Portage Place (3rd Floor)

Thursday, July 18 @ 5:15PM
Friday. July 19 @ 7:15pm
Sunday, July 21 @ Noon
Monday, July 22 @ 3:30pm
Tuesday, July 23 @ 7:00pm
Wednesday, July 24 @ 1:45pm
Thursday, July 25 @ 10:15pm
Friday, July 26 @ 5:30pm

Wheelchair accessible
Low Vision/Blind