'Pockets' at Hollywood Fringe

Kat Primeau and Molly Dworsky

Pockets is a very silly story about the importance of family, the double standard female rulers face, and the root of criminal activity in any given society.

The world of Pockets takes place in the kingdom of Crumpeton, a fictional kingdom that celebrates, above all else, crumpets. Ruling while her husband is away is the Duchess (Kat Primeau), mother to the young Bellamina (Molly Dworsky). Bellamina feels neglected by her mother ever since she took over for her father and turns to a life of crime in protest. She becomes Pockets, the new, hot, young pickpocket on the streets of Crumpeton. Her one goal? Make life a little harder for her neglectful mother, the Duchess.

Along the way, Bellamina realizes a special gift she possesses (in addition to her natural knack for pickpocketing): the ability to get people to listen to one another. Single-handedly she unites groups of criminals to work for a common goal, and, later, helps her mother to become a better ruler and parent.

With a cast of loud, larger-than-life characters, Primeau and Dworsky really rounded out the whole production with their more comedically nuanced performances. Their mother-daughter relationship was filled with heart and expertly played.

Other standouts include Chris Bramante as Veegan and Sam Nulman as Trustworthy Tim.

Robot Teammate, the LA-based musical comedy collective behind Pockets, has quite the reputation at the Hollywood Fringe Festival, and it's easy to see why. The writing is clever, the music is catchy, the characters are interesting, and the cast looks to be having a contagious amount of fun.

Where the show slightly lacks is in the ensemble. In a perfect world, the ensemble is as uniform and skilled in singing, dancing, and comedic timing as the core leads.

But don't let the bare stage and minimal props fool you, the contents of this show are worthy of an audience far bigger than what The Broadwater Main Stage can provide.     

To see Pockets at Hollywood Fringe, you can purchase tickets here.