With some beat poetry, some interpretative dance and their patented Joy testing machine, comic actors Becky Brunning and Katharine Marwick claim that they can pull an audience out of its rain-induced despair and bring it to Joy. In their shiny pink jackets and bobble-hats they definitely look the part, while Brunning’s smile deserves a special mention. It gives a sunny feeling to the whole show all on its own and renders her flirtation with the married gentleman in the front row both creepy and adorable in equal measure.
There is a surprising amount of German philosophy for an essentially silly Free Fringe show, although they do their best to play this down with bad puns and funny voices.
This is a decidedly silly hour of comedy and there is little sense of the urgency or frenetic energy characteristic of many shows at the Fringe. It is gentle, even a little diffuse, and rests on the building of a warm rapport with the audience. We were encouraged to participate but never mocked or intimidated; while they joke about the need to make the audience comfortable this is clearly something which they have thought about quite seriously. Through celebration of good fortune, commiseration with bad and methodical progress through the Six Steps, Brunning and Marwick create an atmosphere of genuine goodwill.
There is a surprising amount of German philosophy for an essentially silly Free Fringe show, although they do their best to play this down with bad puns and funny voices. For me a particular highlight was their sudden performance of the reverse striptease I have always wanted to see. The beat poetry is actually rather good and gives a hint of the more powerful material which the two performers are capable of handling.
This show however is not powerful, it is fun and relaxing, like going to a nice cafe. You will not necessarily leave the Cowgatehead with Joy, but you’ll probably leave with a nice smile.
