Toronto Fringe Review: Meatball Séance

Photo by Paul Clark

Meatball Séance is a funny and heartfelt interactive comedy created and performed by John Michael.

John Michael has a new boyfriend (or several, actually, over the course of the show, all played by members of the audience) and he wants to introduce him to his mother, which is very sweet, except for the fact that she is deceased, which makes it still sweet but also sad. He tries to summon her back from the dead by cooking her meatball recipe.

John Michael gives an energetic, vulnerable, and bordering unhinged performance reminiscent of if someone literally had their chest ripped open and their heart partially exposed. At the same time, he is sweet and childlike in his affection and grief for his mother. Meatball Séance is a genuine look at loss and the impact it has on us. Despite this, it is not a heavy show at all. John Michael is as full of life and joy as he is pain.

The audience interaction is fun and respectful of those who don’t want to participate. There is a cue when John Michael is going to pick the next participant and anyone who doesn’t want to take part can simply cross their arms. There are also lower-level, shorter interactions where John Michael comes into the audience instead of bringing someone on stage. I tore up some bread for him and that was a level of interaction I was comfortable with. I’m sure it’s very fun to be one of the boyfriends as well if you want to be part of the show in a bigger way.

Honestly, there was not as much meatball cooking on stage as I expected, but the meatballs were indeed cooked, so the show fulfilled its promise.

Equal parts exciting, touching, and ridiculous, Meatball Séance has whatever you’re hungry for.

Meatball Séance is on now until July 16 as part of the 2022 Toronto Fringe Festival.
Find show times and tickets here.