Huge Davies: Work In Progress @ Ingrams Yard – Sat 18^th July

Despite Huge Davies having performed at Ventnor Fringe multiple times, this was my first time catching the comedian live. Known for his musical standup shows, and often performing while wearing a keyboard, I enjoyed how Davies mixed musical elements with that of the mundane and deadpan. The show was vaguely themed around insomnia, though came to encompass a whole range of topics, critiques and moments of amusement. This was added to by Davies employing much use of an echo or vocoder-like effect, as well as interacting with the tightly-packed audience at Ingrams Yard. Davies performed very well under his put-on air of supposed seriousness and straight-faced appearance; however, I liked that this sometimes slipped, revealing not only how comfortable the comedian seemed with performing to Ventnor Fringe’s audiences, but also how much of a work in progress the show was. Whilst the evening was certainly far from being polished, I would be sure to catch Davies again, and I would be intrigued to see what a proper, fully-formulated show would be like. One thing is for sure: Ventnor Fringe remains the perfect place for comedians and performers to try out and work things out in front of a live audience.

It Just So Happened – an alternative history show @ Bosco Theatre – Weds 22^nd July

Another highlight of Ventnor Fringe for me was seeing the history-comedy podcast, It Just So Happened, being recorded live at the Bosco Theatre. Hosted by comedian and writer Richard Pulsford, the show saw him joined by three guests: Gerard Harris, Richie Rands and Glen Long. Each panellist put forward a short comical sketch talking through and poking fun at a historical event that happened on that day, the 22^nd July. Topics included Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, Pablo Escobar’s 1992 escape from prison, Soviet space dogs, Tsygan and Dezik, and Margaret Thatcher’s 1986 Education (No. 2) Act. Not only was it fascinating to learn more about such a diverse array of topics, each having been very well researched and scripted, but each guest approached their chosen topic in such a distinct and idiosyncratic way, indicative of their personal comedic styles. It reminded me of my own eccentric and wonderful teachers who worked in my high school’s history department. Furthermore, in between each sketch, Pulsford put a handful of intriguing and amusing questions to his guests, including discussion of spoonerisms and gnomons, an alternate name for a sundial. This was accompanied also by musings on Ventnor’s own history, such as the range of unexpected and surprising visitors to the town, including Charles Dickens, Winston Churchill and Gandhi. Altogether it was an excellent show for those who love learning about history, as well as how amusing it is to poke fun at the past, and it was great to see something different at the Fringe.

A Haunted House @ Ingrams Yard – Fri 24^th July

A Haunted House exists in a parallel universe to that of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The audience are drawn into the position of Janet and Brad, as we, caught in a storm, our car mysteriously broken down, come across an eerily gothic mansion, whose unusual and unnervingly welcoming owner greets us and proceeds to give us a wayward and unexpected tour. Our host is comedian and physical performer David Hoskin, who takes on the Frank-N-Furter aligned role. As a one-man show, Hoskin’s skill at storytelling shines, as well as his use of mime, physical comedy and mouth acting. Whilst I found some moments of overexaggeration and repetition a little grating, I believe this comes with the style of theatre and performance that Hoskin fully embraced, something I have not previously had the chance to see. Hoskin takes on the role of numerous characters, each idiosyncratically created and adopted, so that the entire show becomes an unnerving and bizarre tapestry of strangeness and experimentation. Whilst I occasionally felt lost and a little confused, I think that this is all a part of the disorientating and surreal experience of such a show – how can we be expected to fully understand a project so clearly existing and unfolding from the mind of its creator? In fact, I was surprised when later in the show, Hoskin appeared to momentarily sidestep his macabre façade of performance in a moment of vulnerability, appearing to speak as himself and reflect on the show’s deeper themes of mortality, isolation and fear of things coming to an end. Therefore, just like the film that the show must be ever so inspired by, A Haunted House brought together surprises, passion, vulnerability and eccentricity, all of which remain always underlined by darkness.

All reviews written by Pip Johnson