Toronto Fringe Review: The Animal That Talks

Doctor Sheldon Wagner

The Animal That Talks is a show written and performed by Sheldon Wagner, MD, who is here to tell us all the secret formula for understanding the human condition (from which we all suffer). 

Using his background in psychiatry and theatre training (as Wagner was once directed by Robert Gill, the namesake of the theatre he was performing in), he posits a solution to understanding ourselves and our problems.

The show has a few folk covers played by Wagner on ukulele but this is less of a proper one-man show and structured more like a lecture from an intro to psychology class you’d receive on the first day of the semester. 

There were a few well-placed jokes, and the ukulele covers were charming, but overall, the show lacked direction and coherence. It felt as though Wagner was trying to buff out the runtime to make it to the 60-minute mark. It was hard to keep focused on what he was saying, as he was mostly in his head.

Produced entirely by Wagner, the show could’ve used a director, as the premise and overall sense of the show was pretty thin.  It needed a little more meat on its bones with a more fleshed out script before it hit the stage. It also would have benefited from more rehearsal time, as this first performance felt more like a rehearsal than a proper, polished show.

The message found in The Animal That Talks was, ultimately, sweet and hopeful, but it was muddied up with a lack of script that makes for a long and bumpy road to the end.

The Animal That Talks is on now until July 17 as part of the 2022 Toronto Fringe Festival.
Find show times and tickets here.