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If you were at the State Theatre for the Fringe run of Virtuoso, you know one thing for certain: the world is a stage, and Casey Filips—or rather, the pretentious yet charming idiot Tobias Finley-Fraser—is the only one with the script.
From the second he struts out for Audition #86, you aren’t just an audience; you’re a key player in his quest for stardom.
Armed with headshots in every conceivable size, he acted, sang, and “dramatic paused” his way into our hearts. He even delivered the elusive “pregnant pause” with the kind of facial contortions usually reserved for a Shakespearean death scene. Those comical expressions truly stole the show. He had the entire room belly laughing without saying a single word.
The energy was electric, especially during his warm-up routine. He had the whole room was singing, “My mummy makes me mash my mini MMs on a Monday morning!” at the top of our lungs.
But the real magic lay in the audience participation. Between calls from his agent, Brian, Tobias enlisted a “partner” named Sharon to help save manatees trapped down a well.
The highlight? A David Attenborough-style voiceover of a manatee mating ritual, featuring an audience member as the male manatee.
Tonight’s performance carried a special weight, as it was dedicated to Casey’s late French clown mentor, Philippe Gaulier. You could feel that lineage of beautiful, high-energy lunacy in every “jazz hand” and New York accent.
Don’t miss this Fringe show. It is a wildly hilarious, heartfelt masterclass in being a total fool!
Casey Filips: Virtuoso is now showing at Fringe World until 15th February 2026.