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by Adam Francis Proulx, directed by Byron Laviolette

The Pucking Fuppet Co., Toronto Fringe Festival, Young Centre, Toronto

July 4, 5, 10 & 12, 2025

“Let out the sparkle in you”

What a lot of fun! If you’re looking for a show to lift your mood instantly, this is it. Emilio’s A Million Chameleons is as wacky and goofy as the title suggests, but master of ceremonies and master puppeteer Adam Francis Proulx is so engaging that he draws you in to his zany world right from the get-go.

When you enter the theatre, you can’t help but be amused when you see Emilio’s stage upon the stage. It looks like the designer had previously focussed on creating bouncy castles and has only recently turned to portable stages. When Proulx enters as Emilio he immediately conveys the sense of a semi-seedy but good-hearted performer who has an overwhelming desire to entertain. Emilio wears an old-fashioned circus ringmaster’s outfit that has seen better days and a fake moustache held on by a band around his head.

He involves the audience from the start, singing the title tune and then teaching the audience word by word to say the tongue-twistery title at speed. He chooses a young person from the audience to do the little dance that goes along with the title song, and he is so unintimidating that the volunteer seems to have as much fun on stage as we do watching.

Before we get to see Emilio’s A Million Chameleons performing, Emilio gives a short history of the show. As we discover, the Emilio we see before us is not the original Emilio. Our host reveals that he is really Emilio, Jr. It was his father, Emilio, Sr., who created the show, and Emilio, Jr.’s prime goal in life is to perform the show exactly as his father did. As we hear, Emilio, Sr., travelled to Madagascar’s happier sister, Gladagascar (be prepared for lots of puns!), where he gathered the performing chameleons he needed for the show.

There are so many chameleons backstage at the smallish stage upon the stage that Emilio tells us the only fair way to select which act to watch is by chance. Therefore, he tosses large, inflated dice into the audience which are batted about like a volleyball until they land back on stage. The number on the face of the dice will be the number of the chameleon that Emilio chooses. We see a variety of acts – dancing, plate-spinning, harmonica-playing, singing – each act after the first requiring a higher number and more dice.

While a major part of the show focusses simply on displaying the talents of the ringmaster and his talented lacertine performers, another part of the show focusses on the question itself of performing. After all, chameleons are famed for changing colour to blend in, but Emilio’s chameleons, in contrast, are famed for showing off. Before each act Emilio is interrupted by the chameleon Juan, the shyest of his troupe. As adorably manipulated by Proulx, he whispers some concern to Emilio who tells him to wait until his moment in the “grand finale”. Rather than acting pleased, Juan becomes even shyer, burying his head into Emilio’s shoulder.

What these interruptions mean we have little clue until the end, but we do know that something to do with Juan’s being who he is. Emilio has said to wait for the finale, and that finale really is grand and contains surprises of all kinds. I certainly do not want to reveal any of the gasp-inducing effects that occur, but I will mention that what we might have thought was only an exercise in divine silliness turns out to have had a purpose. The show’s upbeat encouragement to be yourself and “Let out the sparkle in you” only boosts the audience’s pleasure.

Proulx is known as a master puppeteer. What many may not know is that Proulx is also a fine singer. When not performing one of his own shows, he has appeared in musicals. Emilio’s A Million Chameleons is filled with songs with Proulx’s witty lyrics set memorably to vaudeville-style music by Chris Tsujiuchi. The title song is still running through my mind days later.

Proulx is the kind of entertainer and his show the kind of entertainment that will appeal to both children and adults. Children will love the songs and antics of the puppets. Adults will love Proulx’s self-referential adlibs and, even more, the permission Proulx gives them to become children again. Proulx is constantly touring and drops into Toronto very seldom. Don’t miss this taste of pure delight.

Christopher Hoile

Photos: Adam Francis Proulx as Emilio with his chameleons, © 2025 Kurt Firla; Adam Francis Proulx as Emilo with Juan the chameleon, © 2025 Dahlia Katz.

For tickets visit: fringetoronto.com.