Portage and Mayhem
Winnipeg is a Lie is a fast-paced, funny love letter to this great city: part game show, part improvised history(ish) lesson.
A cast of players answer questions about the weirdest bits of Winnipeg’s past, then spin either a truth or a lie. You decide what’s fact and what’s fiction, finally settling whether that thing your uncle swears happened in 1978 is real. Audience judgment is final, but rarely correct.
“None of this is historically accurate – please tell these people to stop quoting my work,” warns local historian Christian Cassidy. Expect fast games, wild claims, surprise guests, cheap beer and deep love for this city: tall tales, self-deprecating pride and utter ridiculousness.
I didn’t just laugh, I guffawed. Just ask to hear the jingle for the bookstore! I may not have guessed all the correct answers, but I felt much better after witnessing the pictorial scoreboard. I love the rotating guests and want to go back.
The format of the show is perfect for Fringe! The premise of a “Liar’s Club” type game show with both actors and invited special guests is brilliant. Semi-planned and semi-improv, it just works.
With each show having a different topic and different invited guests, you’ll want to go to them all. Some shows have already sold out in advance, so get your tickets while you can.
The Legion is a perfect venue for this show, which engages the audience from the moment they walk in. The concept has legs to be a perennial Fringe favourite.