First performed in June 2026 at the Montreal Fringe Festival, The Paranoid King was written by Olivia Collette, Carlos Karan and Jenna Mars. The comedy follows poor King Ashurhaddon, ruler of the Assyrian empire from 680 to 669 B.C., who saw bad omens in everything, and was convinced the gods wanted him dead. As his paranoia takes over, his team of astrologers, exorcists and diviners end up managing royal panic attacks. This goofy comedy proves superstition and anxiety are a terrible, yet hilarious, strategy for empire building.
The 2026 Montreal Fringe Festival show was directed by Keith Trevor Fernandez, featuring performances by Bo Hong Fu, Nadia Verrucci, Amanda Gabriela, Dana Prather and Nima Ghomeshi. The stage manager was Alan Fregtman, with costume design by Meredith Marty-Dugas, and sound design by Alexandre Carrier-Fortunato.
What a strong Fringe debut for Olivia! The storytelling is fast-paced and hilarious, and the 5-actor cast shifts seamlessly between character roles, at times within the very same scene.
– Candice Ann, Forget the Box
This show breaks every convention of theatre in an interesting way. (The performers’) collaboration and similar senses of humour help the show by putting out joke after joke.
– Aaron Delaney, Good News Theatre Reviews
All photos by Ariane Laget. Poster design by Carlos Karan.
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