This is a tale about what happens when a giant rat named Fritz becomes a fan of your prized beets. Not content with disrupting your garden, he starts to disrupt your life. Wilma didn’t know how adventuresome she could be. Now she finds herself on the way to Ottawa, in defiance of her son. She risks jail time as she finagles her way into see the Prime Minister, in an attempt to convince her to take action to combat the climate crisis.
This is a fantastical whimsical story that you will be able to relate to no matter your age or species. It has been described as “Dr. Dolittle (or Mary Tyler Moore) meets An Inconvenient Truth”
Keywords: environment, ageism, giant rat, justice, family, friendship
Produced at Playstorm Festival, Sinister Seniors, Langley, BC 2025
and the Vancouver Fringe Festival, Sinister Seniors, Vancouver, BC 2025
My Friend Fritz is the 2025 recipient of the First Play Stella Award by The G. Raymond Chang School at Toronto Metropolitan University.
Genre: Drama
Acts: 1
Run time: 65 minutes
Suitable for students 12+
Cast size: 4 - 10 actors
Male roles: 4
Female roles: 5
Other roles: 1
Casting notes: Minimum 4 cast as several roles can be combined. Several roles could be played by male or female, including the role of the giant rat.
"This sweet, funny show made me think about climate action, family dynamics, attitudes toward aging, and the nature of friendship. Great ensemble work by a small but mighty cast, lovely use of music for tone-setting and social commentary. And now I want to go talk to my Member of Parliament AND eat some beets!”
- Fringe Reviews
"Funny, relatable, and timely, and the acting is wonderful. Vivian Davidson steals the show as the endearing giant rat Fritz. Climate action, intrusive security, ageism, all packaged in a humorous tale.“
- Fringe Reviews