Goose: Kablamo

In Goose: Kablamo, comedian Adam Drake has created a comedy show that doesn’t so much defy description, it just stuffs so much in that it is very difficult to do the act justice by trying. Part James Bond style spy thriller, part parody, part social commentary, all frenetic action, it makes for an entertaining hour which frequently surprises and occasionally delights.

Like a tornado tearing through a trailer park of wordplay, Drake throws out good and bad puns with reckless abandon

Drake plays nearly every character in the sprawling show, from action hero to love interest to Nazi villain to sock puppet advocate of the pornography industry. He invests every role with the same manic energy, shooting out slick, rapid-fire comedy in a blur of motion.

Many of the jokes rely on language and like a tornado tearing through a trailer park of wordplay, Drake throws out good and bad puns with reckless abandon. Like a waterspout he throws out perspiration as the frenetic physical pace of the show manifests itself in droplets of sweat.

Keeping up with the avalanche of characters and story twists requires a good measure of concentration, and the pace of the delivery means that some of the jokes get lost in the torrent, but there’s so much getting thrown at the audience that even if something doesn’t stick, it’s not long until it’s replaced by something that does.

It’s relentless and if there are moments which threaten fatigue then they are made up for by a strong ending which neatly ties together this sprawling show, drawing on some of its more baffling moments to create a very clever and entertaining finale.

By the time Drake’s finished, he’s dripping with sweat at the physical effort he has maintained. By the time everything is over the audience has experienced a similarly tough mental workout – but like the star of the show, they’re likely to be smiling too.