Created by Velvet Wells
Produced by Velvet Duke Productions | Ottawa, ON
Review by Audrey Pridham
50 mins / G / Play, Puppetry, Comedy
I Scream, You Scream… Justice! is about more than wanting your favourite sweet treat. When we take collective action and speak out, big changes can happen that better serve our communities.
Produced by Velvet Duke Productions, I Scream, You Scream… Justice! has audience members singing and clapping along as they follow Afi Ata on her journey to confront the bigotry she faced from her ice cream shop’s new owner. Audiences will enjoy this fresh take on puppetry as it addresses themes of transformative justice as well as Black and queer identity.
Velvet Wells in I Scream, You Scream…Justice! Photo by Melody Maloney.
Chocolate Caramel is Afi Ata’s favourite ice cream flavour, but when the owner Victor Spoils takes it off the menu and bans her from the shop for speaking out about it, she decides to take matters into her own hands by gathering her community to take a stand. Along the way, she learns that anyone can make a difference by using the power of their words.
Performer Velvet Wells brings the production’s characters to life with great enthusiasm and humour, acting out different voices for each puppet while switching between them. They do a wonderful job at portraying Afi Ata’s growth in confidence throughout the show, with the audience constantly cheering her on.
Supporting characters such as Casey, Afi Ata’s lovable and goofy best friend, and Maame, Afi Ata’s wise and protective mother, each teach her about the importance of community support and standing up for yourself and those around you. Victor Spoils, a gruff, orange fuzzy creature, also provides some comedic moments and had the audience booing at him whenever he was being rude.
Velvet Wells in I Scream, You Scream…Justice! Photo by Melody Maloney.
Wells incorporates some musical moments in the show, such as a ballad titled “I’ve Got the Main Character Blues” sung by Afi Ata to convey her frustration, as well as a villain anthem/rap by Victor Spoils about how he runs his ice cream shop. Audience members are invited on stage each with a puppet in their hand to take part in Afi Ata’s protest and act out dialogue spoken by Wells, while everyone else is encouraged to perform callouts and sing along.
I Scream, You Scream… Justice! is an excellent family-friendly production if you are looking for something joyful and enlightening. Most importantly, it will leave younger audience members with a strong reminder that they can “be the change.”
I Scream, You Scream…Justice! is playing at Arts Court Theatre from June 13–22. Tickets are $14 plus service fees at the Fringe box office (3rd floor, Arts Court, 2 Daly Avenue), and at the three satellite box offices (LabO in the Ottawa Art Gallery, Fringe Courtyard, 67 Nicholas St and La Nouvelle Scène). Five and ten Show Passes are also available. Visit the Ottawa Fringe Festival’s website for the show’s schedule and check out their online schedule here.
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