  
By Gord Brown Who knew Canada's drug laws stemmed from PM Mackenzie King on a bad opium trip? Russell Bennett fills the annual Fringe pot slot with an intelligent comedy that I doubt will ever change anyone's opinion, but remains pleasantly free of 'message moments'. Rest assured, there is never any confusion as to where Bennett stands on the issue. A lawyer in life and on stage, he defends his reasons for housing a marijuana grow operation in his home, spicing liberally with subject-specific humour that flies over the heads of the un-'experienced', but makes the rest of us feel really edgy and cool. The script is superbly paced, with hallucinogenic Mission Impossible-style interludes and court case arguments presented in the boxing ring. A farcical multi-phone conversation between Bennett, both parents, various pot buyers, and the Compassion Centre ups the comedic ante, but Bennett controls multiple energetic characterizations with ease. Bennett revels in clichéd characters and accents, but that never reduces their effectiveness or comic appeal. Jewish sidekicks, motivational speakers, and Ian Hanomansing are skewered in equal measure.
A silly opening breaks the 4th wall and inexplicably seats Bennett in the audience for a bit of 'When's the play going to start?' chicanery. Is he running from the law, or here to see a play? Otherwise unintrusive directing by Gillian Stevens-Guille holds up, but Bennett's energy fades in the second half. To be fair, I'm told that was a first-show-only problem, owing to a tight travelling schedule. See for yourself. **** (out of 5)
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