½
Everything You Wanted To Know About Yourself But Were Afraid To Ask Freud
(written and directed by Eli Batalion and Jerome Saibil)

Welcome to...paradise. 

Ha—bet you thought I was going to use the word “hell” instead. Nah, that’s reserved for last year’s no-star psychotherapy disaster, The Nudist Colonic. 

This Freudian production, also out of Montreal, is everything The Nudist and Psych 101 isn’t—smart, hilarious, musical and educational. For 60 minutes, a cast of five actors bring Sigmund Freud’s history and theories about perversion, dreams and neurosis to life via crazy game shows, songs and naughty jokes about sleeping with one’s mother. (Easily-offended Fringers and their children should probably avoid Everything like the plague.)

There’s only one thing lacking: a proper rundown of who plays what. (The program handed out at the Walterdale only names the actors but not their roles.) That’s a shame, considering the guy who plays the game show host should be singled out—he’s excruciatingly charismatic and could teach psych professors a few lessons or two. 

As the only woman in the cast, Anna Woszczyna is sadly underused—but she almost steals the show when she tries to get a rise out of one of her male victims. Word of advice to the men in the crowd: volunteer for the audience participation number. I’m sure you’ll find it extremely touching. 

— Sandra Sperounes