Review: The Baroque (Fringe theatre)
Words by Jialun Qi
A slapstick soiree by Adelaide physical theatre troupe, FRANK.
Directed by Britt Plummer
Venue: The Mill, Angas Street
Length: 1 hr
Being a consummate connoisseur of cutting-edge character comedy, I have watched both Mr Bean and Blackadder. My monkey brain identifies them as two distinct subgenres: one that makes gags, and one that quips. I would find it weird if Mr. Bean was suddenly an eloquent sass-bucket, or if Blackadder had a mid-life crisis and became a facial contortionist, because then I would just be watching a variety act where Rowan Atkinson switches back and forth between two characters.
That was what it felt like watching The Baroque.
There were some knockout physical gags. I love jokes that transcend stupidity, and during the show’s one-hour runtime, I have experienced transcendence of the highest level.
There was also a lot of “WTF am I watching”. The show was full of non-verbal, physical gags, but also a lot of chatting with the audience, like a stand-up gig. This confused me; the absurdity of the show was so Mr Bean-ish, yet the character being portrayed was also an intermittently eloquent contemporary comic that broke the fourth-wall every ten minutes.
When Mr. Bean falls over, it is funny; when Rowan Atkinson falls over, it is a nice English dude falling over, and you feel kind of bad for him. Since the show gave me a feeling of constantly switching characters, I was never quite sure of what I was laughing at, or whether I should be laughing.
There was a string of top-tier gags, but they were reaalllly stretched out. I was constantly thinking, “Man, that was funny, I’m ready for the next bit,” but then the same bit would go on for another five minutes, and I would be like, “Huh, OK. I guess the joke was that it was beating a dead horse, not that it was clever. Aw. I kind of thought it was clever.”
Had the show been tighter — maybe 45 minutes instead of an hour — I honestly think it would have been funnier. The actor, Swedish physical comedian Oliver Nilsson, looked exhausted by the end, and I did feel kind of bad for him.
I realize that I have painted a rather ghoulish picture of the show. Honestly, it was highly entertaining. I think that by comparing it to Rowan Atkinson — in any context — should give you an idea of how good it was.
It is also the perfect show for bringing a date. There is no scientific basis for this statement.
The Baroque is playing at the Mill until March 14. Book tickets through FringeTix.
