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theSpace @ Niddry St
Aug 12, 14-22 18:20)

Mirabile Dictu

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Crap Ballet? Hmm – well it’s definitely not crap, & it’s definitely not ballet, but it is an F3 tornado’s worth of quality clownerie which for me became the fastest journey, relativitively, I’ve ever experienc’d at a Fringe show.

So what of the actual carnage? Our troupe is a man/woman, taller/wee-er couple of Gaulier kids, who have monicker’d themselves ‘Chekov’s Gum.’ Their scene/costume/vibe changes are almost as rapid-fire as their damn funny dialogue, & of these two aspects of the show, the way they fill’d a helium ballon’s worth of oververboserie, accompanied by huge manic dollops of physical energy, was wonderful – a really well-written piece, as attested by the ever-rippling giggle state the audience was soon reduc’d to.

There are also a handful of dances, which somehow invoke the now-distant memory that this show is call’d ‘Crap Ballet,’ but we don’t really mind anymore ‘cos we’re fully immers’d in the melange of madness that Chekov’s Gum create. The only drawbacks as a spectacle is their use of the room, which is why I’ve had to mark them down a little. It’s a square stage, with seats on three sides, but some of the action is only meant to be really seen from the front. Some of the highlights were simply not visible.

All-in-all, this hybrid of clowning, sketch comedy & god knows what, is pure entertainment – you don’t need to to think, just plug in & enjoy the japeries before you. But like I said, make sure you sit in the most favorable seats.

Damo