By Jay Menard

Full Tilt Boogie, by Sean Quigley, is an ambitious production that attempts to tackle multiple topics: distribution of wealth, xenophobia, social media discourse, and hope. It’s at once both too much and not enough. And while there are elements of a solid production there, it remains too much of a superficial examination of today’s life to actually be moving.

Quigley plays the role of storyteller, songster, and raconteur. Unfortunately the tone he uses, especially with a largely familiar audience that skewed larger than the average Fringe show, was fairly condescending. Conscripting Friendly Giant-esque story time and using an elementary teacher-esque delivery undermines the messages Quigley’s trying to tell.

He spends much of his time verbally pointing at things: xenophobia, those who opposed BRT and sanctuary cities, our lack of compassion towards the homeless, and the faults of big business in their greed and failure to redistribute wealth. He tackles the “check your privilege” mentality with a cursory statement about how perhaps we just need to show more compassion. Continue reading →