Fringe Theatre – Fringe With Us All Year Long

Basic Training

Written and performed by Kahlil Ashanti Basic Training chronicles Ashanti’s time on tour as a comedian, actor, dancer, and soldier while enlisted in the U.S. Air Force as a member of the elite entertainment troupe ‘Tops in Blue.’ Less than 24 hours before departing for boot camp, a life-altering event forces him home to face the childhood he was trying so hard to forget. A staggering twenty-three characters, all dexterously played by Ashanti, guide Audiences through this award-winning true story.

"Amid the hype fuelled blast of any arts festival comes at least a dozen wheezing promises that here, at last, is The Next Big Thing. In the case of the unlawfully gifted Kahlil Ashanti, the promise happens, on this occasion, to be completely, marvellously true. This show is killer. Recently hit with a salvo of prestigious awards and breathless reviews worldwide, Ashanti performed with the flawless aplomb of a seasoned Broadway darling. Taking us through the tour of his theatrical duty as a US Air Force entertainer, Ashanti offers nothing but impeccable magic. His gift for dead-right mimicry is comparable to Eddie Murphy; his talent for seamless, feel-good melancholy brings Robin Williams to mind.

It's essential viewing." -The Age, Melbourne Australia

Evening performances at 8PM. Matinee performance on Saturday April 27 at 2PM.

Accessible Performances

Wednesday, April 17, 20:00

ASL Interpreted Performance and a Relaxed Performance. Thurga Kanagasekarampillai will be the on-stage deaf interpreter. Ebony Gooden and Connor Yuzwenko-Martin are the Deaf Theatre Consultants. Robyn Lavender is the Sign Language Coordinator.

Thursday, April 18, 20:00

ASL Interpreted Performance. Thurga Kanagasekarampillai will be the on-stage deaf interpreter. Ebony Gooden and Connor Yuzwenko-Martin are the Deaf Theatre Consultants. Robyn Lavender is the Sign Language Coordinator.