{"data":{"id":"3ea04e00-92af-4e99-a7e2-eaa86a73a97a","originKind":"SYNDICATED","title":"Fringe review: Jon Bennett: Playing with Men is a wild ride","summary":"Jon Bennett: Playing with Men\n\n4 stars (out of 5)\n\nStage 2, The Backstage Theatre, 10330 84 Ave.\n\n“I don’t want to do this show,” Jon Bennett says over and over rather mysteriously in a whirl of stories about growing up not as butch as the other lads in rural Australia, and by the end of his solo show we learn why he’s hesitant.\n\nNot to spoil it, but in a blender of Aussie rules football playing, sentimental poetry about dogs, plus repeated encounters with urine, by this confessional’s end we learn Bennett is performing the thing as a sort of agreed-upon penance.\n\nThe specific, uncomfortable likes of which I’ve never seen at a Fringe play before, and I’ve been to hundreds.\n\nAs a performer, Bennett is better at the talking stuff than he’s willing to admit, self-deprecating past believability, though his self-flagellation is also very funny, especially during a certain body-decoration reveal that had me gasping “OMIGOD” out loud — and I’m not even talking about the ridiculous tattoos he has of his and other people’s signatures.\n\nThe fractalling stories he tells of a weird kid who named himself B.J. even though his name was really Aaron who decided (incorrectly) that they were best friends, are nicely told, all the way up to the brink of adulthood, when that old devil toxic masculinity really begins to show up at the keggers.\n\nHis fan-then-opponent relationship with footballer Eddie Hocking is an entire other captivating thread, all leading to the rather jarring question, “What are your hopes and dreams?” with the uncomfortable follow-up, and how’s that been going for you, exactly?\n\nThis is a wild ride, to say the least, where, besides learning the insane intricacies of Aussie football, you’ll also confront some pretty dark stuff about how we interact with each other as women and men.\n\nBe brave, go. And, if you get a chance, be better.\n\nfgriwkowsky@postmedia.com\n\nRelated Fringe review: Darrin Hagen does it again with the delightful Go West, Young Man\n\nFringe Review: The Game of Bluff deals a winning hand\n\nFringe Review: A Hellmark Christmas Musical has the hallmarks of a fantastic Fringe show\n\nBookmark our website and support our journalism: Don’t miss the news you need to know — add EdmontonJournal.com and EdmontonSun.com to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here.\n\nYou can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun.","url":"https://edmontonjournal.com/entertainment/theatre/fringe-review-jon-bennett-playing-with-men-is-a-wild-ride","imageUrl":"https://smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital/edmontonjournal/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/jon-bennett_304712621.jpg","publishedAt":"2026-08-14T22:01:51.000Z","sourceLabel":"Edmonton Journal Music","tags":["Entertainment","Festivals","Theatre"],"authorName":"Fish Griwkowsky","contentHtml":"\"Jon

Jon Bennett: Playing with Men

4 stars (out of 5)

Stage 2, The Backstage Theatre, 10330 84 Ave.

“I don’t want to do this show,” Jon Bennett says over and over rather mysteriously in a whirl of stories about growing up not as butch as the other lads in rural Australia, and by the end of his solo show we learn why he’s hesitant.

Not to spoil it, but in a blender of Aussie rules football playing, sentimental poetry about dogs, plus repeated encounters with urine, by this confessional’s end we learn Bennett is performing the thing as a sort of agreed-upon penance.

The specific, uncomfortable likes of which I’ve never seen at a Fringe play before, and I’ve been to hundreds.

As a performer, Bennett is better at the talking stuff than he’s willing to admit, self-deprecating past believability, though his self-flagellation is also very funny, especially during a certain body-decoration reveal that had me gasping “OMIGOD” out loud — and I’m not even talking about the ridiculous tattoos he has of his and other people’s signatures.

The fractalling stories he tells of a weird kid who named himself B.J. even though his name was really Aaron who decided (incorrectly) that they were best friends, are nicely told, all the way up to the brink of adulthood, when that old devil toxic masculinity really begins to show up at the keggers.

His fan-then-opponent relationship with footballer Eddie Hocking is an entire other captivating thread, all leading to the rather jarring question, “What are your hopes and dreams?” with the uncomfortable follow-up, and how’s that been going for you, exactly?

This is a wild ride, to say the least, where, besides learning the insane intricacies of Aussie football, you’ll also confront some pretty dark stuff about how we interact with each other as women and men.

Be brave, go. And, if you get a chance, be better.

fgriwkowsky@postmedia.com

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