Thursday, August 26, 2010

"Dildon't" - Edinburgh Fringe 2010

A show set in and around a sex shop is a little further into the Comedy section of the Fringe programme than we normally like to delve. But an unspoken promise to see the first show who sent us a press release after the programme launch resulted in Casual Violence's "Dildon't" being added to our plans. And although a little lacking in subtlety for my taste, it illustrated perfectly that great performances can turn up in the most unexpected of places.

While there were plenty of sex toy based gags in the script, there's actually little to offend and much of the humour is of the daft rather than dark variety. However, I have to confess to being a little uncomfortable with the show's use of Rose West as a plot device. There are plenty of genuine laughs here, including the musical number 'Dead Girls Don't Say No', but despite a sell-out audience the small size of the venue seemed to limit any momentum. In a bigger venue I could see this really going down a storm.

The ensemble cast all perform well, but it's Luke Booys as independent dealer Axl and Dino Kazamia as Detective Glasseye who have the greatest impact. Booys creates an electric relationship with the audience through a mix of chumminess and fear of interaction - and it's the best performance of that nature I've seen for a long time. Similarly, Kazamia does a sterling job of engaging the audience and sells some lines that could otherwise be groanworthy - some of them twice. And it's a brave man who is willing to risk the potential rage of an audience fairly early into their night out by throwing a cheese sandwich into their midst.

This is a show without pretensions, and it succeeds in delivering an amusing hour of entertainment.

Dildon't has completed its run at the Spaces on the Mile.
Image used with permission