Greece arrives at the Fringe and it’s just my cup of ouzo
GarrY Starr first popped up on the Fringe as part of clown/sketch troupe Plague Of Idiots. Since then he’s gone on to have breakout success as a solo act and Greece Lightning will only enhance his reputation as an idiot of the first order. I mean that as a compliment.
This hour of madcap mayhem needs to shoot straight to the top of your must-see list before word gets out and you’re left disappointed at the box office.
If there’s more amusement to be had on the Fringe this year, or a performer having more fun, I’ve yet to see it.
The conceit for the show is straightforward enough: an attempt to deliver up as many Greek Myths using quick-fire skits as Starr can muster in an hour. and the ingenuity, gusto and ridiculous anarchy with which he goes about it is a joy to watch.
as for whether you need to be a Greek scholar to get all the references, I’d say most should be familiar (Icarus or the siege of Troy done as German Expressionist cinema). Those that aren’t are pretty self-explanatory.
But really it doesn’t matter because the laughs come thick and fast regardless.
Jelly snakes fall off Medusa’s crash helmet; a three-headed glove puppet Sweep serves as Cerebus, the hound of Hades; there’s some ever-so-not-sexydancing; the hosing down of Starr with a water pistol and a smattering of comedy songs, including Neptune’s take on Under The Sea, delivered with incredible gravitas.
Will it be everybody’s cup of ouzo? Difficult to say. If you like your comedy straightforward stand-up confessional, or observational musings on the world at large, you might find it all a bit silly. But its silliness is its greatest strength.
Be warned – it does feature some nudity. None of it is done in the best possible taste, but this had the crowd in stitches. In summary: my notion of the perfect Fringe show.
■ Underbelly Cowgate, until Aug 28