Toronto Fringe Review: Bannock Republic

Pesch Nepoose as Destiny, Jeremy Proulx as Jacob, Sam Twinn as Isaac. Photo by: Taye Alvis

The description of Bannock Republic left me expecting a comedy, or a dramedy — it wasn’t really either but it was so much more than I anticipated. Though there are many comedic moments, they more often serve to break tension when the deep internal and interpersonal conflicts between characters become a bit too intense. 

Maybe I wasn’t able to see the humour in it as I would have before the discovery of residential school mass graves, or perhaps, how the director and cast chose to present it. It’s easy to see how it could be a comedy, but in light of the current situation, playing it more dramatically makes sense as a directorial choice. 

The story, written by acclaimed Cree playwright Kenneth T. Williams, and performed by an all Indigenous cast with the Centre for Indigenous Theatre, focuses on three First Nations characters. They are all trying to to do right by their communities in their own ways while dealing with their personal and collective traumas. Initially it looks like it’s going to be a loving poke at some common trauma created cultural archetypes: the recovering alcoholic, the conflict seeking/comfort in chaos type, and the driven and controlling one trying to order her world. It quickly turns into a deconstruction of each and and exploration of the complexities of band and government relations. 

The cast do a wonderful job of creating whole, nuanced, and believable characters. The choreography and videography work well together to create the illusion of watching theatre without feeling to stuck or rigid on a small stage. 

There is power in self determined art, seeing ourselves through our own lenses, sharing our complex stories on our own terms. Bannock Republic delivers that with empathy and humour while critically examining complex systems. My only quibble is that the description doesn’t quite match the content, and that I hope that doesn’t alienate people looking for a laugh riot or those looking for something more dramatic. It more pressing than ever that our stories are seen, heard, and felt by as wide an audience as possible!

Bannock Republic is part of the Digital Toronto Fringe Festival July 21 - 31, 2021.
Find tickets and show info here.