Hamilton Theatre Fun - Frost Bites Festival

For the next few days the fine folks at Hamilton Festival Theatre Company (the people that bring you the Hamilton Fringe Festival every summer) are presenting a imaginative and fun theatre experience that is a perfect respite from the cold of February.  You should go!  It's a really fun experience.

Frost Bites is staged at the Cotton Factory located at 270 Sherman Street North.  This spectacular facility was up until as recently as 1972 home to the The Imperial Cotton Company Limited.  In it's heyday the Cotton Company was only second to the steel industry in its contribution to the local economy.  Today the the building has taken on a second life as a home to many local art and creative based enterprises and as an event space.

The Hamilton Fringe Frost Bites Festival has taken full advantage of this remarkable and historic building to stage several bite sized theatrical presentations from a number of genres and when I say full advantage I mean it.
 From the darkest (and kinda creepy) recesses of the buildings basement, to a freight elevator shaft, to a short play that takes place in a women's washroom, the space and the history of the building often (but not always) are key elements of the work.

As you enter you're greeted in the licensed Festival Lounge where you can mingle and discuss the performances between shows.  The format allows you to see as many or as few of the performances that you wish.

You simply check the next show times on the chalk boards for each show and grab a flag for the next show you want to see.  Some of the performances have very little space for the audience so the flag reserves your spot.

Kelly Wolf - One Small Drop 

I started my experience with One Small Drop which tells the stories of women workers throughout the history of the mills.  The production created and performed by Paula Grove and Kelly Wolf uses the somewhat private environment of the factory washroom to give the audience a sense of intimacy with the characters and insight into their private thoughts.  This is contrasted with the sounds of the outside factory and various other sounds bites.  In 15 short minutes the piece manages to create some rather beautiful and touching moments that involve the audience in the scene and that portray both the strength of the women and their struggles.

Another far removed corner of the building was the rather appropriate location for the moving presentation of The Hidden One - Created and performed by Izad Etemadi.   Izad makes full use of the space to add an intensity to this monologue that discusses self discovery, hiding, identity and revelation.

Probably the most challenging piece of the festival is also a must see - The Memory Project is a performance piece that incorporates movement, photography, sound and light into an experiential and evocative examination of the role and the fate of labourers in the enterprise of Hamilton. This three way collaboration was created and is Performed by John Henry Gerena (movement), Edgardo Moreno (sound),
Peter Riddihough (image).  This is a powerful piece that works your mind and senses pretty hard.

There are seven shows at the festival and because each show is performed several times throughout the night you are able to take in most (if not all) of the shows if you are motivated.  I managed to see five of them in the evening and enjoyed the experience thoroughly.

Admission is a steal of a deal at $20 per person for one night or you can buy a festival pass and come to additional dates.  However you do it...just make sure you do it. One of the best theatre experiences I've had in a while and a great excuse to check out the Cotton Factory.

Frost Bites runs from February 11 through to the 14th

Thursday, February 11 - 7pm

Friday, February 12 - 7pm

Saturday, February 13 – 7pm

Sunday, February 14 – 1pm

At The Cotton Factory

270 Sherman Ave N, Hamilton

Tickets: $20

Available in advance and at the door

For more information you can check out their website http://hamiltonfringe.ca/frost-bites-festival/