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drinks Monday 1 September 08 Edinburgh Reunion in London
Topping And Butch Hit Leicester Square 26-27 September 08
Comedy-a-JoJo
Verdict: Comedic excellence
London - Madame JoJos - 3 June 03
Madame JoJo's is the venue for this excellent set of 5 fortnightly comedy nights programmed and produced by Rohan Acharya at Underhand.
Host for tonight is public-school banker (Coopers) and part time stand-up Ed Wellesley-Smith (performer: Ben Willbond, fresh from pumping iron with other muscular men at their City gym, The Pump Room. Blue's their preferred band, One Love their favourite album, as they gaze at their firm torsos in the communal mirror and shout 'Buy Two - Bolt One', which Ed's keen for us to emulate.
It's said that petite Lucy Porter's art is to appear demure and talk filthy. She's on top form, reprising some past material and giving her Edinburgh 03 show a first airing - it's about lies. When starting a new relationship, eg with the boy from the dry cleaner's, one must be honest. Lucy Porter explains how to calculate and divulge the number of one's former sexual partners in an acceptable way (the answer is always 5). She wraps a glorious set with a heartwarming letter steeped in all the wrong kind of honesty to the lad who's next in her sights. On tonight's showing, Lucy Porter's Edinburgh show is going to be a fabulous gig (one for the diary).
Robin Ince's on in jeans, black open-necked shirt, black hair, glasses - a gently bookish look, belying 20-minutes of razor-sharp comedy. He picks up on the word 'gyppo' used in an earlier act, and recalls a gig at Glastonbury where he fell disastrously foul of the same word - it's a superb burst of unscripted material. Writing for Tiny and Mr Duck's an experience he describes with acid hilarity, and time spent with David Icke. Robin Ince's style is intellectual and discursive, apparently random in its coverage. It's highly individual and wickedly funny.
Rhys Powell, Cultural Ambassador for Wales (performer: Gareth Tunley). Tonight's the launch of Gareth Tunley's inspired new character, Rhys Powell. On in loose rugby shorts, glasses, jacket, shirt, tie - and rugby ball - Rhys is under orders from the Welsh Assembly on no account to mention the Principality's national sport. Egged on by the audience, he does nothing but. 'Never use the ice spray' is the motto of the set, and Rhys explains why. Rhys Powell's set to join Sir Les Patterson in the dodgy diplomat's hall of fame. An inspired comic creation from a gifted performer.
Henrik Elmer's a tall handsome Swede in yellow short-sleeved shirt, flared trousers, and bookish glasses. He leads a lonely life, phoning his answerphone before arriving home so he'll have a message on it ('Hello, I'll be home in half an hour'). As a child he had imaginary friends ('Real people, I imagined they were my friends'). In a superbly-written sketch, he creates a farcically funny interior world. Original and addictive.
Hopkins and Glover. John Hopkins (the tall one) and Richard Glover (the shorter one) arrive as brutal cop and prisoner (respectively) Kowalski and Penchanski, interrogating in tongue-twisters. Later they're (respectively) The Colonel and Rawlings. The Colonel has an uncontrollably rotating arm, but stiff-upper-lip Rawlings has an ingenious solution - but what happens when they shake hands? John Hopkins comes on (in all senses) as filthy Frenchy, Fabrice de Connard ('You have a beautiful smile, especially with those tits'), armed with guitar, a sensitive song about anal sex, and some disgusting photographs. Bliss.
Sam 'n' Emma (performers Samantha Sanns and Emma Taylor) preview a sketch from their glorious upcoming Edinburgh 03 show Pop Tarts. They're a couple of Antarctic explorers turned cannibal - Petula (Samantha Sanns) and Miriam (Emma Taylor). Miriam's eaten Petula's legs; Petula's eaten Miriam's arms. But lo! Racing across the ice comes a dashing helicopter pilot, presenting the intrepid adventures with a dilemma - rescue, or gastronomy. They're at the Pleasance in August 03.
The Infinite Phenomenon's a lady of uncertain age with deep voice, blond wig, mascara, split skirt, gold-braided jacket and low black heels - plus gin bottle. Gracefully, and at high speed, she remembers life's ups and downs. It's a wittily-written, finely delivered, romp through life and politics (including Iraq and Lech Walesa) by a fine, funny performer.
The Jo-Jo Dancers (performers and choreographers): Charlotte Alberry, James King, Elly O'Brien) Three exceptionally gifted dancers perform during the night's intervals. Charlotte Alberry (the dancer with light hair), Elly O'Brien (with the darker hair) & James King provide imaginative and visually stunning choreography. Charlotte Alberry, Elly O'Brien (with the darker hair), and James King (with macho bare chest) are elegant in dark trouser-suits, entertainingly sinister in dark shades - and astounding in dance.
DJ Jim Morrison paces the breaks between the evening's 3 segments (and the long day's journey into night after the show) with enlightened and creative deck-work.
Dan Antopolski loves to be dangerous. He's tall, slim, handsome and recently 30. His game's the interface between performance and reality, that high-risk area where a wrong move sinks a gig, and performance skill sends it soaring. Dan's a consummate risk-taker, and the set's a masterpiece of improvised work off the audience, scripted material, fabulous delivery and some classically excellent groan-jokes ('Never get behind the devil in a Post Office queue. The Devil can take many forms'). It's a dazzling show, as ever, Dan Altopolski's well ahead of the game. Dan's currently working on his Edinburgh 03 material: The Dinks. They'll be at the Pleasance.
Credits Nic Watson, stage manager. Eric, door. John Charles, technical manager. Jim Morrison, decks. Rohan Acharya, programming and promotion. Company - Underhand (alpha order: Rohan Acharya, Matt Holt, Jim Morrison, Mike Smith).
END
John Park
reviewed Madame JoJos / Tuesday 3 June 03
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