Pelican

Slapstick meets sketch, meets surreality.

Pelican

The wonderful thing about sketch comedy is that you can never be 100% sure what it is you're in for. I arrived two minutes late and when I walked in I was greeted with a man dressed as a giant lobster slitting his throat to bubble milk everywhere. Surreal wasn't the word, and hilarious shouldn't be what comes to mind.

The hour long narrative comedy sees an actor famous for being a TV lawyer attempt to discover the mystery of the Cat-man curse, alongside a real lawyer who is feeling more than a little despondent. The plot itself was predictable, but you aren't really watching it for the gripping story - you're there to see what hilarity can be drawn from the situation.

The answer: loads!

The physicality and quick-witted humour betrays the Gaulier training, and makes for a fantastic spectacle. The deliberate randomness and surreality reminded me of The Mighty Boosh, with larger-than-life characters and a natural ability to hop from one bizarre moment to the next.

It was far from a perfect show though. Some of that is down to limitations of the venue, such as the creatively and hilarious chase scene, but there were times when it felt like a scene hadn't been fully thought through, or relied on repeated jokes that started to get tired as the show progressed.

I have to give credit to the perseverance of the trio though - the venue was absolutely sweltering, and despite the literal sheen of sweat, their performance never faltered... Not even during THAT walrus scene.

Pelican could easily be a five-star show with just a little bit more work, especially in regards to how best to present a scene to an audience. Maybe the incorporation of a projector would work better for certain scenes, or seeking out a venue with tiered seating so those at the back don't miss out - because nobody should miss this show!

Author

Tom Inniss

Tom Inniss Voice Team

Tom is the Editor of Voice. He is a politics graduate and holds a masters in journalism, with particular interest in youth political engagement and technology. He is also a mentor to our Voice Contributors, and champions our festivals programme, including the reporter team at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

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1 Comments

  • Luke Taylor

    On 1 June 2017, 10:18 Luke Taylor Contributor commented:

    This reminds of another show that I saw in Edfringe. The Mighty Boosh has certainly had its influence on modern comedy.

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