Halifax comedic dancer Veronique MacKenzie certainly loves to take creative risks with her shows, which is what the Fringe is all about. I chuckled a lot during the show’s several quirkily funny dance set pieces about the stresses of modern living, but I really wanted to laugh out loud. It was just the dance sequences were more clever than hilarious. Each one had thought behind it, complete with funny props, original costumes, inventive choreography and lots of audience participation. An over-the-hill male ballet diva doing Swan Lake with an inflatable doll got big laughs from me, and I enjoyed an excellent dance sequence in a Velcro suit that literally captures all of life’s burdens (like over-sized pharmaceuticals, bill receipts, and one overbearing husband). Others didn’t work for me as much; a scene involving a yellow pages book getting abused during a meltdown was a one-note joke that overstayed its welcome. But the scene with MacKenzie changing diapers with a brood of babies while listening to a relaxation tape by celebrity hypnotist Raveen ended the show on a good note. With some tightening up in the show’s pace and a few more creative choices in props and choreography, “Twisted Thempark” can certainly move from a good to a great Fringe show.

Three out of five stars.