WINNER OF PATRON'S PICK

Eye Weekly

Currently touring Canada, Cactus comes hotly tipped by the press -- and rightly so. This Australian one-man comedy is a riot, perhaps the only show in the Fringe that can be described as both ''Brechtian'' and ''pant-wettingly hilarious.'' Nominally, Cactus is the story of Phil (Jonno Katz), who's trapped in the desert with a mythomaniac Russian named Yuri and an effete Englishman called Eric. But that narrative is only a springboard for Katz to riff on everything from relationships to toy ballerinas to Lost in Translation to the nature of reality itself (in a resolutely non-pretentious way, I should add). Highly recommended catharsis for those who've lost faith in Fringing.

**** 1/2

- PI

Toronto Star

At one point early on in his solo show Cactus (****), Jonno Katz looks us all straight in the eye and says: "Audience, I have a crush on you."

By the end of the show, his Fringe audience is feeling quite affectionate towards him, too. After all, we have spent the best part of an hour tramping across a desert with him and his two companions, a strange, lurching Russian guy and another man named Eric. We've probe their innermost thoughts and fears, shared quite a few laughs and even felt some tinges of sadness. It's disarming, charming stuff, sometimes a little bizarre, sometimes silly, sometimes thoughtful. Katz peeks his way through the curtain, dressed in ill-fitting pin-stripe suit, wearing no socks or shoes...what unfolds is part stand-up, part monologue, as Katz constantly interrupts himself to follow another side trail of "reality."

Katz is rather less manic than I was expecting and sweetly needy. He wants love, although he gives us permission to go off and see other shows, just as he warns that he will be seeing other audiences.

Whether it's learning about his drought-filled sex life or watching him write "The Long And Winding Road" with the Beatles, there's rarely a dull moment.

- Robert Crew (I have cut a small part of this review out where the reviewer gives away a couple of secrets. -jonno)

Toronto Sun

A solo performance starring Jonno Katz. Kind of a stream of consciousness monologue meets standup comedy show. Barefoot and decked out in a pinstriped suit, this guy is hilarious and awkward. CACTUS provides a simple, witty and non-intimidating comedy routine with seemingly random musings on everything under the sun. It's definitely worth seeing -- it was a full house and almost everyone was laughing uncontrollably.

- Sherri Wood (Also slightly edited to not give away surprises - jonno)

On The Fence (www.nestruck.com)

Aussie Jonno Katz lives up to the glowing quotes in his publicity materials in this smooth, delightful one-man show about a walk through the desert. Much in the style of the Sabotage shows of director Mark Chavez, Katz employs much physicality in his portrayal of three different characters whose stories leap backwards and forwards through time, in and out of the subconscious with the help of the excellent lighting (notably absent from Sabotage). The story itself may be nearly as aimless as the desert trek of its protagonists, but the journey is so brilliant and full of fascinating moments that it hardly matters. A hilarious, open, and memorable experience.

- J Kelly

Now Toronto

Wearing a pinstripped suit, an enigmatic grin and..., barefoot Aussie Jonno Katz takes his sweet time relaying his tale of three men traversing the desert, interspersed with ridiculous attempts to seduce the audience. There are a few mis-steps - the men-in-the-desert plot simply evaporates, and a strange ending is tacked on - but Jonno's sad-eyed love-me-please clown persona can be endearing.

- GS

Internet Patron Reviews

Although it is your standard "one guy plays multiple parts, breaks the 4th wall, and interacts with audience" show, cactus is one of the best examples of this that i´ve seen in years. sharp writing, subtle yet crisp lighting changes, and a winning performance add up to a thoughtful and hilarious show. the "audience interaction" alone is worth 8 bucks. **** 1/2

I´m sorry you were disappointed in the show. i went to the first performance with no expectations and was pleasantly surprised. definately saw the fine hand of mark chavez´s direction, reminiscent of his work with nicola gunn (who brought us the wonderful elephant club and tyrannous rex). jonno has a fresh, endearing way of relating to the audience and trusted them completely at the show i was at. so either it was the audience that didn´t trust him or his style rubbed you the wrong way. This is my favourite show so far and I encourage people to check it out.

My close friend told me to see this show, so i went with the expectation of the show being worth of a couple of dollars. i was really let down. If your interested in a performer who makes their audience feel uncomfortable, this is the show for you. personally i just kept my eye on the door. i was, in fact nervous about going to the bathroom , without recieving attention from the irratating actor. he and who ever directed the show should set down some guide lines on audience and stage etiquette.

Superb performance, fantastic script. very, very funny and rather touching. excellent fringe fare.

I saw this at a sell-out show at the ottawa fringe. He was very very funny. Reminded me of a young eric idle and michael palin put together. Be prepared to keep a few story threads hanging in your head all at the same time. they all come together in the end beautifully. Jonno´s done fringes across canada for a couple of years and they love him. Can´t remember him being in toronto before. So give him a reason to come back!

Highly recommended.

wow! this show was so funny! if you´re looking for a laugh you should definitely check it out!

Bravo!

Wow - what a creative and sweet performer. Almost made me want to marry him although I would worry about the children.