Reviews

Patti Fedy in . . . The HUNT

"I am so excited-I wonder what I believe in!" says Vancouver based Emelia Symington Fedy as her alter ego Patti Fedy. Later she waxes, "I just want someone to tell me who I am so that I can be myself."

This is Fedy's one-woman clown show directed and co-written by Anita Rochon, about trying to capture a unicorn. Patti orders a kit from a local newspaper that promises to give her faith and answers all her dreams. What she receives is a membership to Unicorn Lovers Anonymous. "Finding a unicorn is going to be way easier than finding meaning. I’ve been looking for meaning for years, and man that bugger likes his privacy," she reasons.

For the next hour, we see Patti alternating between vulgar confidence and determined insecurity: dancing to Beyoncé, sniffing out virgins from the audience and hunting for her one-horned beast in "the darkest end of the dark, dark woods." Obviously, one can’t talk about unicorns without making barely-concealed allusions to something else entirely. Hence the 'adult themes' that her publicity promises. Yes, this pig-tailed little woman with the 'Canadian Girls Kick Ass' tank top has a kinky side. There is an equally unexpected serious note to this clown show: the sadness of searching in vain, even if it’s poised with a short length of rope and a bucket of corn, waiting for a mythical creature.

We are all hunting some kind of unicorn.

The show is also audience-friendly. Fedy does not shy away from crowd participation and is egged on by healthy applause. A gifted entertainer with a script that is both hilarious and thought-provoking, this is a must-see."

-Caroline Skelton
Times Colonist 2004

Patti Fedy in . . . Lovers' Rock!

"Cheeky and irreverent, Patti inhabits a vaguely dysfunctional space somewhere between stand up comic and traditional clown. And she is able to take the best of both worlds. Patti has the childlike manner of the traditional clown, so she can get away with the most outrageous behavior while creating universes of fancy and fantasy, and yet fires off her lines with the timing and delivery of a well-practiced comic. Like most clowns, Patti works the audience for some of her best material, demanding that we go along with her. She asks us to "get real" with each other by telling our most embarrassing moments to the stranger sitting next to us. In her hippy phase, she invites us to "get nude" (Luckily that progresses no farther than in her mind.) But Bob Marley does show up and takes off his clothes. She tries to persuade Margaret, her best friend in the entire world, not to leave for university by having a wild night of hot sex with her sleazy boyfriend, Mervin and then phoning her the pictures. Fedy, in her red beret and outsized glasses, is an assured performer in command of herself and her audience. You can see the fine hand of John Turner (Mump and Smoot) in this show. Did I mention she plays accordion? The audience loved her.
Edmonton Sun, 2005

Sometimes you see a show that flies you to Venus and back, breaks your heart and reignites your love of theatre. This is that show.
It's directed by John Turner of Mump and Smoot-with Anita Rochon. Like Mump and Smoot’s terrific work of olden days, this one-woman show takes us to another dimension. A dimension of absolutely bizarre and extreme hilarity. It's performed luminescently by Emelia Symington Fedy, who seamlessly weaves off-the-cuff jems into her sweet script. Fedy is a spacey, hobbit-like presence who treats us to the most poignant stream-of-consciousness comedy you’ve ever been witness to in your life. You’ll learn about the hairy ugly balloon knot. You’ll brush Patti’s hair. She sings weird songs. She might be the reincarnation of Andy Kaufman. Go.
-CBC Winnipeg, Chris Read

Emelia Symington Fedy's commitment to her alter ego goes down to the tips of her bird-like fingers, creating a soft yet hysterical clown show about love, friends and being genuine.
-Now magazine, 2005

"The only thing that sucks about seeing a show this good is that it ruins everything else."
-Saskatoon StarPhoenix 2005

"Edgy and Hilarious"
-Colin Thomas, Georgia Straight 2004

"Ridiculously Funny"
-Sarah Petrescu, Times Colonist 2005

"Hilarious and thought provoking. This is a must see."
-Caroline Skelton, Times Colonist 2004

"Absolutely hilarious. A touching vulnerability"
-Gail Johnson, Georgia Straight 2003

"Patti will warm your heart and make you laugh hysterically at the same time."
-Winnipeg Sun 2004