10 to watch for at the 2016 Winnipeg Fringe Festival

With nearly 170 shows opening this week at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival, which should you have on your list?

• Winnipeg Fringe 2016: read our reviews

The reviews are still to come, but here are 10 I'm looking forward to seeing at this year's festival:

1. The Drowning Girls (Venue 1): This three-woman show ran at the Royal MTC Warehouse back in 2011, but it originated as a Fringe hit in Edmonton. This stylish, creepy show about marriage and murder gets its return with a local company boasting a good Fringe track record.

2. The Elephant Girls (Venue 2): Not to be confused with The Drowning Girls — though this one gets a little dark too. Margo MacDonald's solo show about a notorious British girl gang is based on a true story, and comes to town with much acclaim from other festivals.

3. Everybody Dies in December (Venue 11): Nancy Kenny had a big hit here a couple of years ago with Roller Derby Saved My Soul. This year, she's back with a dark comedy about a third-generation funeral director. It's inspired in part by stories from her mom, who works as a real-life funeral director. 

4. Falling Awake (Venue 2): A promising entry for those who like physical comedy, this surreal show about a woman who encounters her dead lover in dreams is another show with much acclaim from other festivals.

5. Jazz Cat (Kids Venue): As anyone who saw Opera Mouse knows, Melanie Gall has an incredible voice — and a gift for sharing music with kids. A great bet for your young Fringers.

6. Jonno (Venue 6): Sure to be one of the most talked-about shows at the festival, this play from former Winnipegger Alix Sobler deals with a famous radio personality and the women he's assaulted — and his confidant, a stuffed toy named Mr. Donkey Long-Ears. Sound familiar? A talented local cast takes on this provocative new play.

7. A Little Business at the Big Top (Venue 6): David Gaines brought the spectacular 7(x1) Samurai to the Winnipeg Fringe a few years back. He returns with a circus-themed show that should let him show off his remarkable talents as a physical performer.

8. My Dreams Are Stupid (Venue 3): Local comedian and storyteller J.D. Renaud made a splash with his 2014 Fringe hit, Damn Your Eyes. For good reason — he's sharp, funny and one heck of a storyteller.

9. A Tension to Detail (Venue 5): There are plenty of one-person storytelling shows at this year's Fringe. But this one, from Brit Gerard Harris, arrives here as a hit from other fests.

10. zahgidiwin/love (Venue 4): Frances Koncan is one of Winnipeg's most promising up-and-coming playwrights. This is one of two new works from her at this year's festival (the other is Flesh-Coloured Crayons). It's billed as a "decolonial comedy" that looks at how trauma reverberates across generations.​

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