Panacea Presents: Be a STAR or Get The F**K Out!

Rating:

Company: OGillian Bartolucci

Genre: Sketch

Venue: 9 - Eckhardt-Gramatte Hall

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I really wanted to like Panacea. The Toronto sketch company gave it their all for a smallish crowd during a late-night show at their relatively far-flung U of W venue. Unfortunately, I don't think the size of the crowd was to blame for the scarcity of laughs.

• Winnipeg Fringe 2017: read our reviews

Sketch shows are often a mixed bag, and a few of Panacea's are hits. A bit about an oversharing bartender (Marshall Lorenzo) drew good laughs, and GillianBartoluccihandled some wickedly funny wordplay with spectacular results in a sketch revolving around euphemisms for sleeping naked.

As performers, Panacea are fantastic their characters are sharply defined and they have great energy and rapport on stage.

It's the writing in this sketch collection that lets them down. Too few sketches result in big enough laughs for me to recommend the show.

It's the writing in this sketch collection that lets them down.- Joff Schmidt

The potential is there for them to be stars, but they'll need more consistently solid materialforthat.