Baby Steps - There's an earnest bad Sears Drama festival feel to this issue-play about a young man's rights to his girlfriend's unborn child. Deanna Di Lello's script, performed by artists barely out of university, loses whatever power it displays in its first trimester. N (GS)

Balance - Puppeteers Frank Meschkuleit and Gordon Robertson create a table-top world of two characters who fight over food and affection. At times the moral tale is cutesy, but there are also subtle emotional moments and some admirable manipulating of the figures. Sit close. NNN (JK)

Bangkok - A woman reminisces about missed opportunities and foolish choices in this overlong yet ironically sometimes underwritten script. Still, it's given smart direction by Kim Purtell and features some strong performances, notably those by Stephanie Baptist as the woman and Stephen Reich as her friend/confessor. NN (JK)

Belize - David Austin's autobiographical account of being down, out and hooked on crack in Belize has a crude power, even if it's not really insightful about addiction or human behaviour, and not really theatre. Sometimes annoyingly smug and cocky, Austin knows how tospin a tale and his powers of description are often vivid, even if there's too much repetition in the 90 minute show. NNN (GS)

Billy Nothin' - A magical piece of theatre about a city slicker who develops a cowboy alter-ego is lyrical, funny and musical, a perfect blend of Sean Dixon's script and Theatre SKAM's production. Rootin'-tootin' entertainment, not to be missed. NNNNN (JK)

Bitty Idiot's Discombobulated - Squeaky-voiced clown Bitty Idiot (Sunday Muse) has an ingratiating way with the audience, a fast sense of improv and her flirtatious dance to the Star Trek theme is hilarious. There's a thinness, though, to much of the writing. NN (JK)

By the Bog of Cats - This pared-down version of Marina Carr's updated, lyrical Medea tale -- set in Ireland and filled with dark Irish humour -- feels like a work in progress. Still, there's lots to admire in the performances by the large ensemble cast. What it needs is more rehearsal time and a full production. NNN (JK)

A Canadian Bartender at Butlin's - One of the most engaging performers on the Fringe circuit, T.J. Dawe recounts his summer work at a British holiday camp, where he's the exotic because of his Canadian accent. A first-rate storyteller, Dawe weaves seemingly random moments into a complex, emotionally vivid tale. NNNN (JK)

The Hey Hey Girls In Double Team Supreme - This double bill of solo shows is irresistible, especially Rachel Hamilton's moving and funny account of surviving seventh grade. Hamilton and Tamara Bick - who delivers a monologue about completing a marathon for her friend with AIDS - are full of charisma and charm. NNNN (GS)

Encyclopedias - There's an intentionally claustrophobic feel to Joanne O'Sullivan's intriguing two-hander about a wife forced by her patronizing prof husband to memorize a set of encyclopedias in their basement. But the work feels forced and more subtle shading's needed for the characters. NNN (GS)

EN-GER-LAND - Fringe vets Screwed & Clued's look at two British friends who vow to attend every World Cup football match scores on nearly every level. Imaginatively staged, it's full of passion and suspense yet doesn't neglect the emotional side of the disintegrating friendship. NNNN (GS)

EROS AT BREAKFAST - Set in the solar plexus of a 21-year-old man newly in love, Robertson Davies' rarely produced 1940s play occasionally feels dated but is full of the writer's trademark gentle irony and satire. A pleasant curio given a solid production. NNN (GS)

FLOOD: A PLAY IN TEN ACTS - An ambitious, rambling satire on the commercialization of theatre, the ego-centred creative process and American foreign and domestic policy has a few laughs, but playwrights Gideon Arthurs and David Halls could have used some dramaturgy on this repetitive work. It makes its point, then it makes it again, then again. Still, the large cast features some talented people -- among them Greg Campbell and Gregory Thomas -- and Arthurs' direction holds the piece together surprisingly well, given the flabbiness of the storytelling. NN (JK)

The Glassblower's Children - Director Michael Shepherd's confused adaptation of this Hansel and Gretel-influenced children's book is too much telling and not enough showing, though Colleen Williams brings a strong presence to her role as narrator and wise woman. NN (JK)

The Great Recycling Circus - With energy to burn, writer/performer Jim Dalling develops immediate rapport with his young audience in this found-object puppet show about the importance of recycling. NNN (JK)

GREEN - Nicholas Carella's play about a love triangle that never quite jells is full of telling human moments. Written mostly as a series of monologues, the play works best when Carella himself is stage centre as Mark, a self-deluded young man with a crush on fellow student Laura (Inessa Frantowski); he can't help but put both feet in his mouth when he's near her. Carella brings charm and humour to the part. On the other hand, Laura's current partner Dan (Aaron Forward) never emerges as a fully-formed character. NNN (JK)

Happy - Goring plays a put-upon, confused man who rants about the environment and changing gender roles in this 60 minute rant (advertised in the program as 75) with an intermission that could easily make its banal points in 15. NN (GS)

The Interview - Elizabeth Helmers's script goes on a bit too long, but there's lots of absurd fun and solid acting in this account of a menacing, out-of-control job interview. NNN (GS)

It's Raining Fun - Seven talented sketch comics bring lots of energy and laughs to the premise of a group of friends collecting memories for a time capsule. Martin Gero and Ryan V. Hays are standouts in this audience-pleasing show. NNN (JK)

Job II - Jerome Saibil and Eli Batalion continue their rap-based tale after MC Cain shoots MC Abel. Though they move on from the biblical narrative of the first part to Nietzschean existentialism here, don't worry. You won't get a heavy philosophy text, but rather a rapid-paced, funny, exhilarating show that plays with rhymes and rhythms in an extraordinary fashion. Clever, clever, clever. NNNNN (JK)

Joint Account - Jason Jazrawy's account of the pleasures and paranoias of smoking weed is initially sparked up by the actor's electric stage presence and hyperkinetic delivery, but the wandering script only starts smoking halfway through in vividly detailed scenes about a bank teller. NNN (GS)

LAST OF THE RED-HOT DADAS - The Baroness Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven may be a fascinating character -- a feminist/performance artist/poet/visual artist in the early years of the 20th century -- but you wouldn't know it from Christina Augello's performance. There are some good sections in the text, but Augello doesn't connect with any of the character's emotions in this one-women (plus puppets) show. N (JK)

LA VIDA GRANDE - In this wordless but narrative-filled story, a man and a woman (authors David Cameron and Jackie Minns) meet in a bar, wed, have kids and win the lottery. There's lots of clever ideas here, especially in a clown vein, but despite the energetic performances, there's a sharpness lacking in the physical work. The production features perhaps the best multi-use set in this year's Fringe. NNN (JK)

LIVING ROOM - A man and a woman both want to and can't let go of each other and the graffiti-covered room they inhabit. This environmentally staged show doesn't stray far from Sartre's No Exit and Genet's power- and game-playing scenarios. There's a bit of good poetry here and there -- especially a monologue about the man's invading the woman's body when she yawns -- but we become bored with these two characters long before they resolve their situation. NN (JK)

Look Back In Anger - With the exception of Jessica Sherman, the actors in this kitchen sink classic, performed here in an actual rooming house kitchen, are one-note and dreary in this stiffly directed show. NN (GS)

Mardi Bra - Not every sketch works and the production's a little rough, but talents-to-watch Renee Percy and Jen Radomsky display lots of range, great comic charm and chutzpah in this look at breasts and other issues concerning women. NNN (GS)

Mothers - Vanessa Shaver's overlong, overwritten, overpopulated play about characters' connections to mothers feels slack and poorly directed (Shaver directed too). But Athena Lamarre and Michelle Polak, two actors with very different styles, shine as two workers at a bar. NN (GS)

Nharcolepsy - Gustave Flaubert (not that one) and his sidekick Nhar search for yetis at the North Pole in this ebullient clown show, featuring delightful performances by Richard Harrington and Chris Kauffman and audience participation that's not at all intimidating. NNNN (JK)

NOW HERE Emily Hurson's drama about two people who connect over books, private diary entries and memories one rainy day in a library is infused with warmth and humanity. Hurson is excellent as an engaged woman with doubts about her fiance, and Ryan McVittie understated and moving as an emotionally numb son grieving his dead mother. At heart, the subtle script is about how people use language to capture life's moments, but also to find escape and distraction. NNNN (GS)

Now Watch This Drive! - Ralph Chapman poses some interesting ideas about modern-day love and survival, but he needs to focus and see what he really wants to say. There's mystery to his characters and the weird and weirder scenario, but too much time is spent ranting about vegetarianism. NN (GS)

ONE MAN 80'S BLANK TAPE - Master caricaturist Charles Ross displays the same energy and imagination he brought to last Fringe's One Man Star Wars Trilogy in this look at the hilarious lows of 80s pop culture as seen on TV. If you didn't watch a lot of TV back then it'll be meaningless, but if you did you'll be laughing guiltily. NNN (GS)

On The Roof - Sara Weber recounts her mother's bout with cancer and actually makes it funny as well as touching. This homey, conversational show could easily have gone off the rails, but Weber's openness and honesty keep it on track. NNN (JK)

Our Daily Bread - Quick Change's latest is a largely serious piece about welfare mothers, raising children and male/female relationships. Sarah Quick gives a penetrating look at a low-income parent, but Tina Moreau's social worker is less well defined. NNN (JK)

A Pair Of Shorts - With its biblical overtones and strong performances by Russell Bennett and Stephen Flett, Matt Toner's sharply written Killing Time At The Crossroads Of The World generates theatrical tension. The other half of the double bill, Donald Molnar's Ring It, is more predictable and less engaging, though Blake Thorne as a carpenter recalling a childhood incident gives energy to the storytelling. NNN (JK)

Pointy Ears, Hairy Warts... - In this family show, an athletic elf and a lumbering troll -- long-time enemies -- discover that they can get along when each discovers the humanity in the other. Winning chemistry between actors Darryl Hinds and Sarah Sheps. NNN (JK)

THE POWER OF IGNORANCE - Popular Fringe performer Chris Gibbs plays Vaguen, a self-styled master ignoramus who preaches the importance of ignorance in our lives. There are some funny bits -- notably the riddles of ignorance and whether or not to teach your dog to play Monopoly -- but too much, surprisingly, falls flat. Gibbs is an ingratiating performer, but the material in his previous shows has been better. NN (JK)

P.S. 69 - Writer/performer Susan Jeremy plays all the characters in this funny script about a substitute teacher coping with demanding students and an even more bizarre faculty at a Brooklyn public school. Good entertainment, especially for anyone who's worked in the education system. NNN (JK)

The Queen's Hour - Warren's bevy of comic characters -- including the queen of the title -- aren't as funny as they might be, except for a supermodel given to physical and verbal excess, but the writer/performer sells her musical numbers strongly. NN (JK)

Rodeo Star - In this narratively twisted tale, Paulino Nunes and Marie-Josee Lefebvre play a couple trying to work out their past. The payoff's a bit truncated and confusing, but the sexuality generated between the actors heats up the cold theatre. NNN (JK)

Roller Girl - Writer/actor Andrea Shawcross skates past any kind of emotional truths in this rambling tale of a Thunder Bay roller skating queen who's got some competition. The play loses its balance, despite a funny portrait of a dictatorial coach. NN (GS)

Rutabagan in Downtown - Misshapen, gravel-voiced bouffon clown Rutabagan does drag, dines out of garbage cans and converses with himself in this funny, sometimes touching look at the life and dreams of a marginalized guy. NNN (JK)

The Seducer's Diary - There's a clever idea and some good moments in this piece that contrasts philosopher Soren Kierkegaard's relationship and a contemporary seduction, but the production relies on histrionics more than drama to present the stories. NN (JK)

Shakespeare's Gladiator Games - Those wacky Upstart Crow people are back with a third show that blends the Bard's text -- this time it's the Roman and Greek plays -- with vaudeville routines and corny jokes. Most of it is very funny, and the company never stints on the energy. NNNN (JK)

Sheroes - Martyn's script about three young women navigating drugs, sex and careers has been tightened and tweaked since its 2001 Passe Muraille production, but now it feels like a solid first act - albeit, a well-directed and -performed act. NNN (GS)

Small World - There's lots of suggestive moment, sound and imagery in this original show about a child and its universe both within and outside the womb. There's a dreamlike logic to the piece, and Sue Lee delivers a fine performance as the questing child and the flirtatious mother. NNN (GS)

Stuck - The duo's series of clown and comedy sketches frequently hit the mark with bull's-eye accuracy, and their energy and showbiz pizzazz are wonderful to behold. NNNN (JK)

Sugar - Rosa Laborde's entertaining look at two couples who give up caffeine, sugar and alcohol on a cottage vacation jolts us upright with clever insights about how we live our lives and what our friendships and relationships are based on. Slick production, surprising laughs and note-perfect performances. NNNN (GS)

Sweetheart At The Mosh Pit - This strange show about a young woman's ambivalent relationship with her mom (a focused Laryssa Yanchak) and her epiphany at an outdoor metal concert after the mom's death feels fake and contrived. We learn more about Tim Hortons coffee than we do about either of the characters. Don't rock on. NN (GS)

Tanguray and Manguray In Vortex Bunny! - Clowns Tanguray (Tim Doiron) and Manguray (Ryan Ward) display great chemistry and evoke childhood game-playing in this charming look at a magic body-chopping vortex. Lots of fun. NNN (GS)

Teaching Witchcraft - Keir Cutler keeps hitting the same few nudge nudge wink wink notes in this lecture on witches and the Catholic Church. But his self-righteous and smug onstage persona, with his misogynist and unscientific pronouncements, gets lots of chuckles. NNN (GS)

THAT BOY - Despite the occasional repetitive note, Gibson's intelligent, snappily-written play about two musicians finishing a song for a pop-rock diva while rehashing past grudges is full of fascinating insights about art, life and love. NNNN (GS)

THOUSAND-DOLLAR ZOMBIE - It's hard to resist this lewd and crude 40-minute farce about a film director making a horror flick who joins forces with a porn producer to create ­ well, a "horno." A guilty pleasure, especially the orgasm showdown. NNN (GS)

The Three B's - Greg Finnegan's sly but affectionate parody of the Nancy Drew books, presented as a kids' show, is smartly done and will appeal more to parents than their children. NNNN (JK)

Toothpaste and Cigars - A man and a woman meet at a party and have a kind-of relationship in this cleverly written show, which follows different scenarios of how their lives might develop. What nails it as good theatre is the chemistry between actors Tallulah Winkelman and Michael Rinaldi. NNN (JK)

Truck Driver - Kirk Gonnsen's script about the boredom, frustration and sexual fantasies of a long-haul trucker may stem from experience, but it doesn't ring theatrically true in the writing or the performances. N (JK)

TYRANNOUS REX - Nicola Gunn's one-person, seven-character show set in a mysterious Scottish estate goes beyond mere physical theatre to satisfy on nearly every level. Gunn's an exceptional performer, and Mark Chavez's direction helps make this gem shine brilliantly. Not to be missed. NNNNN (GS)

The Ugly Duchess - Janet Munsil's luminous script inspired by the homely 14th century Duchess Margaret of Bohemia opens up a fascinating world of politics, religion, sex, beauty and illness, including a glimpse at the Black Plague. Paul Terry delivers a nuanced, perfect performance in a play that shouldn't be missed. NNNN (GS)

UNLEAVABLE - A woman enters a short-story contest for her writer husband, opening a can of worms in terms of their relationship and questions about personal as well as artistic morals. Jason Cadieux's play, with its touch of meta-theatre, needs tightening, and the stop-start quality and awkward rhythms of the production don't help matters. Cadieux the actor comes off better than Cadieux the playwright; there's a sense of energy and tension about him that neither of the other actors capture. NN (JK)

The Women Who Stayed - A script pieced together from truncated Bible tales of nine strong women features some confusing writing and overwrought acting. For all the production's good intentions, neither text nor performance gives depth to the characters. N (JK)

Zigazig Ha! - A bad comic has as much trouble with his lovelife as with his act, while two devils offer commentary in verse. The plot's sophomoric, the acting a bit better, but the show actually has a few laughs. NN (JK)