{"data":{"id":"98b083b5-cc54-4be3-bb73-315910a68fd1","originKind":"SYNDICATED","title":"Fringe Review: Onwards! a breezy dip into our existential dread","summary":"Onwards!\n\n3.5 stars (Out of 5)\n\nStage 23, The Bliss Stage at Holy Trinity Anglican Church, 10037 84 Ave.\n\nMark this the second show I’ve seen at the 2026 Fringe that tries to directly address the dread we’re all feeling because (gestures hands) of everything.\n\nCome to think of it, this is the second musical show I’ve seen at the 2026 Fringe that tries to directly address the dread we’re all feeling because (gestures hands) of everything.\n\nWhat are the odds?\n\nIn the case of Bremner Fletcher’s Onwards!, he tries to look on the bright side, while also having us laugh at the dark, making the decision to move onward in life with joy and defiance.\n\nI reviewed Fletcher during a previous Fringe in a more character-driven show looking at cabaret performers in Germany in the ’20s and ’30s and how things worked out for them.\n\nThis show is a little lighter, more personal, and yet delves into the universal.\n\nFletcher is an engaging performer, and great vocalist, and he weaves some semblance of a narrative between songs of combatting doubt, living life when everything is stacked against you, living in real but ephemeral moments and occasionally letting your freak flag fly.\n\nThere is also a hilariously dark bit of AI-generated audience involvement, but I won’t say more as not to spoil the surprise.\n\nIt’s infectious in its optimism, even in the face of all the things that fight for our attention.\n\nDoes this musical journey help erase the dread we’re all feeling? Not necessarily, but it gives a sense that we’re not in it alone, and there are ways we can find joy.\n\nRelated Fringe Review: What the hell was that!? is a musical examination of the soul\n\nEvery Journal review from the 2026 Edmonton Fringe\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/edmonton-fringe-review-onwards","imageUrl":"https://smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital/edmontonjournal/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/onwards_304752621.jpg","publishedAt":"2026-08-18T20:49:12.000Z","sourceLabel":"Edmonton Journal Music","tags":["Entertainment","Festivals","Local Arts","Theatre"],"authorName":"Dave Breakenridge","contentHtml":"<img alt=\"Onwards!, at the Edmonton Fringe Festival.\" src=\"https://smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital/edmontonjournal/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/onwards_304752621.jpg\" title=\"Onwards!, at the Edmonton Fringe Festival.\" /><p> <strong>Onwards!</strong> </p><p> <strong>3.5 stars (Out of 5)</strong> </p><p> <strong>Stage 23, The Bliss Stage at Holy Trinity Anglican Church, 10037 84 Ave. </strong> </p><p> Mark this the second show I’ve seen at the 2026 Fringe that tries to directly address the dread we’re all feeling because (gestures hands) of everything. </p><p> Come to think of it, this is the second musical show I’ve seen at the 2026 Fringe that tries to directly address the dread we’re all feeling because (gestures hands) of everything. </p><p> What are the odds? </p><p> In the case of Bremner Fletcher’s Onwards!, he tries to look on the bright side, while also having us laugh at the dark, making the decision to move onward in life with joy and defiance. </p><p> I reviewed Fletcher during a previous Fringe in a more character-driven show looking at cabaret performers in Germany in the ’20s and ’30s and how things worked out for them.  </p><p> This show is a little lighter, more personal, and yet delves into the universal.  </p><p> Fletcher is an engaging performer, and great vocalist, and he weaves some semblance of a narrative between songs of combatting doubt, living life when everything is stacked against you, living in real but ephemeral moments and occasionally letting your freak flag fly.  </p><p> There is also a hilariously dark bit of AI-generated audience involvement, but I won’t say more as not to spoil the surprise. </p><p> It’s infectious in its optimism, even in the face of all the things that fight for our attention.  </p><p> Does this musical journey help erase the dread we’re all feeling? Not necessarily, but it gives a sense that we’re not in it alone, and there are ways we can find joy. </p><h2>Related</h2><ul><li><a href=\"https://edmontonjournal.com/entertainment/edmonton-fringe-review-what-the-hell-was-that\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Fringe Review: What the hell was that!? is a musical examination of the soul</a></li><li><a href=\"https://edmontonjournal.com/entertainment/every-journal-review-from-the-2026-edmonton-fringe\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Every Journal review from the 2026 Edmonton Fringe</a></li></ul><p> <strong>Bookmark our website and support our journalism:</strong><em>Don’t miss the news you need to know — add <a href=\"http://edmontonjournal.com/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">EdmontonJournal.com</a> and <a href=\"http://edmontonsun.com/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">EdmontonSun.com</a> to your bookmarks and <a href=\"https://edmontonjournal.com/newsletters/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">sign up for our newsletters here.</a></em> </p><p> <em>You 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: <a href=\"https://edmontonjournal.com/subscribe/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">The Edmonton Journal</a> | <a href=\"https://edmontonsun.com/subscribe/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">The Edmonton Sun.</a></em> </p>","slug":"fringe-review-onwards-a-breezy-dip-into-our-existential-dread","publicPath":"/news/2026-08-18-fringe-review-onwards-a-breezy-dip-into-our-existential-dread"}}