Tales from the Fiefdom

Feudal Fun

A series of vignettes edited down from its original stage version.This piece is a wonderful addition to our fringe stages. Gnarly Bard I believe, are first time fringe producers. The Bard ensembles strength for the Fiefdom lay in creating a melange of disparate music genres (structural akin to hitting the beats in say a traditional or juke box musical) this musical offering, just as varied and complex in their compostional elements and themes is symbiotically matched in it's depiction of class based characters. These sympathetic characters are featured/ showcased by a talented range of multi genred effervescent and fully commited actors.

I don’t think I’ve ever laughed for that long

This show was actually the funniest thing I’ve ever seen. I was genuinely laughing the whole time. The bathroom comedy was through the roof and the actors were PERFECTION. the audience was in tears laughing. The writing combined with the directing and the actors made this show a MUST SEE.

Such fun!

This show was a delight! Super funny with terrific music. The characters are hilarious with talented actors/singers giving them life. Go see this show for a ye ol' fringey time!

Very well done

I wish I was able to see it again!!! Great acting job by all!!! Our granddaughters were very happy to see it and it really held their attention!!! Bravo!!! 👏👏👏

Ren Fest & Fringe Fest UNITE

Dynamic Voices and exceptional use of lighting and costumes. The unique songs were Laugh Out Long Funny and I felt like the character backstory showed through more than just music- it went down to body language with is iconic. Had a little volume issue in the opening. Felt like the music was a little too loud for actors to not be using mics and I sat in the front.

Fun But Inconsistent

I enjoy musicals and this one was fun, but like other shows I've seen in its space, some performers had a hard time meeting their voice to the volume of the recorded music. Of the three most prominent performers, one was the quietest and another was the most off-key/discordant. Worth a watch, but sit down front if you want to ensure you hear all the words. On the positive, the songs were well written and amusing and I was entertained the entire show.

HUZZAH TO GNARLY BARD!

This was my first musical experience at the Fringe fest, and I have to say, big props to the actors for singing through the material with no mics. It’s a tough thing to do, especially when you have music blasting through the speakers for the performers to hear. While there are moments of text I missed from that, we do get to hear some stunning harmonies in almost every single song which is always a beautiful bonus. While I wished there was a clearer through line in the story of The Apothecary helping everyone and the challenges she faces surrounding that, it’s not super necessary for an enjoyable time with some enjoyable songs mixed throughout the show. Stand out performances to me were Madison Fairbanks as The Witch, and Clare Rolinger with an absolutely HILARIOUS song with a bucket… no spoilers on that song though. If you are a fan of the medieval times and the Dark Ages, this is absolutely a show for you. Brava for a fun time, Gnarly Bard!

Great cast, charming material

This farce about medieval life is sometimes pretty broad, but so what? The music is catchy and the lyrics are often very clever, and broad humor of the dialogue can create big laughs. Besides, a cast that acts well and sings phenomenally really sells this show. The material is good, but the performers are the real reason to not miss Tales of the Fiefdom.

Truly professional fun.

I saw this show when they last performed it and I remember enjoying it a lot. Seeing it again a The Southern made me realize how much I actually really loved it. It's so funny and the music is so good that I can't believe this at the Fringe where anyone can come and enjoy it. This needs to be on your "must-watch" Fringe list.

Class conscious comedy

Stunning vocals, hilarious framing devices and characters , a reminder that serfdom survival has lessons for us in similar times. The comedic timing is especially impressive. Would love to see more through-line (in a longer version) but still emotionally invested. May we all have apothecary pals to depend on!

Silly, Entertaining and Fun!

Fun collection of songs meant to tell some of the woes medieval people faced. But, watch out, they will get stuck in your head! Many cleverly written tunes had me laughing out loud. Great show, super entertaining!

Come For the Fun, Stay Because You Got the Plague

A delightful romp through the countryside, Fringe-style. The entire company performs well, under the leadership of the brassy and classy Nicole Wilder as the perpetually sunny, problem-solving apothecary. From beautiful operatic harmonies to doo-wop to rock and roll, every number is quite the toe-tapper, my favorites being "The Pleasant Peasant," "I'm Not a Witch," and "Lance-A-Little." Creative and funny, this fiefdom will have you laughing, rocking, and bopping along with tales of everyday life in a wacky medeival setting.

Clever and Hilarious

Absolutely loved it! Witty and laugh out loud funny! Amazingly talented ensemble - great comedic timing and all are excellent singers/actors. So cleverly written. A definite must see!

Not As Funny As It Thinks It Is

When I hear “funny medieval musical,” I expect something along the lines of Spamalot or Something Rotten, and this…wasn’t it. The first half of the show is not funny at all, so by the time the much cleverer second half rolls around, our audience wasn’t in a mood to laugh as much as we could have. A neverending whirl of slow songs kills the momentum, which is a pity - the actors are, for the most part, rather talented, even if some of the songs are a bit out of their range. My three kitties are for the actors doing their level best to muddle through - it’s clear they’re working hard, and I’d like to see this group in a show more worthy of their talents.

Great show

The music was outstanding and the actors were all terrific. Very funny as well

A fun show with some creative songs

This was a good show that had some original songs that were fun. It didn't have a cohesive theme, but in fairness it is called "tales" from the fiefdom. There isn't a particular cohesive thread that runs through them other than hard times in medieval times. There is a fun physical gag, and some other amusing songs, and overall it's just a fun romp in medieval costumes. I wouldn't call most of it laugh uproariously out loud, but there's nothing wrong with that...especially for someone with a short attention span like me, it's nice to go from sketch to sketch. My only criticism was the background music was a little loud and some of the singers' voices got lost a little in a couple of the songs. It might have been better if we were in the first couple of rows, but we were only about 1/3 - 1/2 back from the front seats, and so others must have had it worse.

Fantastic Fun!!

Great lyrics, singing and dancing!

Hilarious & Fun

This show just keeps getting more and more hilarious as it goes on. I kept laughing and laughing. The actors were all amazing, the songs were great, and I wished there was more. If you liked the TV show "Galavant" then you'll live this play. My only negative comment is that it felt too short! The end felt like a break between acts. It's a shame the show was time boxed to an hour, because I DEFINITELY would have stayed for an act two (it felt like there were unresolved threads that could be locked up again). However, I still very much enjoyed it. If you like fantasy or medieval settings and love to laugh, THIS SHOW IS FOR YOU!

Hilarious show

This show was so funny and so enjoyable. There were so many surprises and fun little moments that made it so memorable, my family and I couldn’t stop talking about it afterwards! Definitely a must see of the fringe festival!

So much fun!

This is such a perfect show for Fringe. The best kind of silly and just pure fun. The cast of singers are all amazing and the original music is super catchy and feature beautiful harmonies throughout. I still have a few of the tunes floating around in my head! Definitely an entertaining way to spend an hour at this year's festival.

If you like singing and funny singing that rhymes

This was a joy to watch, a comedic satircal romp, like if Weird Al was doing a high school maturity level adaptation of Canterbury Tales. A silly sung story of fiefdom with a joking take on the failings of "medieval times" through the common thread of an Apothecary Shop.

Fabulous

If you love musicals, this is for you It was hilarious witty fast-paced campy All around a joy to watch The entire cast was very talented!!

A lot of laughs

Fun show, great actors, awesome writers, talented director, had us laughing out loud to the point of tears.

Serfs up

The costume and set design was great. It has some pretty catchy songs. The plot was more random stories put together, but a funny show overall

Music In the Middle Ages

A nice musical set in the Middle Ages. Some clever lyrics. Suggest for consideration. I had a problem with hearing some lyrics.

A silly musical with serious skills

This musical fringes to the max! It’s joyful and silly. But also really Well sung. Harmony for days, y’all. If you’re looking for escapist happy Theater, this show is for you! If exceptional singing is your vibe, get in line for this show now. People who take themselves too seriously might not appreciate the great time This show has to offer

Would have loved another hour of this cast

I was grinning ear to ear if not actually laughing continually through this entire show. This cast was phenomenal. Not only comedic (in subtle and not so subtle ways) but also wonderful vocalists. And the songs were catchy melodies (from doo wop and pop to surfer) with cleverly and hilariously written lyrics (which were at times difficult to catch because the instrumental music was a notch too loud). Loved every member of the cast - tried to keep an eye on each one of them as the show was smartly choreographed with little mini performances complementing the center stage activity. Immediately on my feet at the end. Loved it.

Hillbillies in medieval times?

A disjointed collection of songs about medieval times. Recommend sitting close to the front to hear the actors over the music. While I found some of the songs to be quite charming and catchy, the addition of a southern twang/cowboy roundup and the mention of Covid/lizard people/anti-vax rant felt like an abrupt shift out of the established world and a shot for cheap laughs.