Even in this drizzle-filled August, every Fringe venue is a different kind of sweatbox. But none can lay claim to the title more legitimately than
Hydrobeserker is precision-engineered chaos
‘Hydrobeserker’ might just be the best word to describe this frenetic, sweat-drenched hour of truly excellent, pretty bonkers comedy. Amidst a whirlwind of sweat and pants of breath, Drake zips from skit to hyperactive skit, with a frequency of gags that is nothing short of remarkable. Despite the commitment to frenetic delivery, he’s unafraid to take the time to establish bizarre, disorientating setups which, out of the blue, culminate in massive payoffs a full half hour later. Add to this inspired moments of audience interaction, and the laughter just keeps on coming.
Amid all the madness, there is actually, surprisingly enough, a through line. The plot, as it were, follows Drake attempting to reunite with a girl, Belle, with whom he had a wonderful day some weeks ago. He has a cryptic number written on an Uber business card and — with the help of Liam Neeson, Dan Brown and a live seven-piece band — hopes to work out how to find her again. This thread is sometimes a bit lost as Drake bounces from tangent to tangent, but establishes enough of a presence to keep the audience’s attention.
Hydrobeserker is precision-engineered chaos — madness constructed with uncanny care. It’s a barmy, blistering hour of comedy pulled off with considerable finesse. Goose’s 2015 show was one of the best reviewed shows of last year’s Fringe, and Hydrobeserker is a worthy successor — a second bottle of lightning.
