Curated by :Luke Rollason
A bill of hand picked alternative comedy talent shine under the patronage of clowning funny man Luke Rollason.
Once again Rollason brings his Brighton Fringe showcase to the Komedia with his memorial bursary winners included. Thankfully he is still very much alive.
Bursting onto the stage like a wide eyed pixie, dressed like a cotton candy cowboy Rollason gleefully begins the night. Using clowning tropes such as repetition of funny ideas until they become overplayed and pointing out when his performance is intentionally bad, the performer starts his compering by reading out a lukewarm review he received from a reviewer at last year’s showcase. This quickly gets the very enthusiastic crowd involved and on his side.
Treading awkwardness and likeability well, Rollason cheekily describes his acts as “Bullies who took all his Disney money”, referring to the cash he made on the Disney+ series Extraordinary. And he has seven acts, rising talents from the alternative comedy scene, for our consideration.
First up is a brisk and funny set from Ruth Hunter. Hunter, who describes herself as an Irish, bi-sexual, Pisces, millennial+ has some lovely material which hits home with the audience about being an old fashioned “slut”, in the traditional sense, meaning slovenly and unclean. Hunter also lampoons her father in a fabulously silly way to the delight of the crowd.
Act two is the magnificently irreverent Stephen Catling. Taking to the stage with a large dog head for a hat and playing ecclesiastical music he immediately commands attention. His wonderfully funny “Church of Dog” routine is both charming and utterly bonkers in a delightful way. Juxtaposing this weird concept with stories about dating and his autism Catling is a resounding hit.
Third on the bill is Holly Spiller who fits the bill of alternative act perfectly with a hauntingly ludicrous song about NHS dildos, which the crowd are encouraged to sing along to.
To complete the first half is Eppie Brilliant who presents various short ditties to the energetic crowd. Proudly hailing from Middlesbrough, Brilliant’s north east twang suits the material. And there are plenty of short musical bursts to choose from so if one falls a little short another is quickly on the way. Highlights include a song written from the perspective of Brilliant’s cat and Australian Queen.
Back in section two we are greeted by more of Rollason’s shenanigans including a rewrite of the Spider-Man theme tune, a short masterclass on Build a Bear teddy making and introducing a very short spot of beatboxing. And then it is quickly on to the next act.
Troll open the second half. From the creative minds of Anna Marie Simonsen and Marie Kallevik Straume, these Norwegian Trolls have ginger wigs and long noses, all dressed in green. They perform some silent clowning, wandering into the crowd, sniffing as they go. Like a short clowning fever dream their piece is perplexing but also captivating.
The penultimate act for the showcase is Rosalie Minnitt as Miss Clemintine, a rogue Jane Austen character, part Elizabeth Bennet, part 2020’s tennager, crossed with a Patricia Routledge comedy monologue. Minnitt gives a compelling performance full of witty quotes and fantastic exploits. The details regarding looking after her beefy nephews and the awfulness of children are particularly funny.
Also on top of her game is our closing act, Selina Mersey. Mersey, who is by her own admission as dirty as the river from which she takes her name, lays on some saucy material about making love to her piano as well as short ditty about men always wanting to make love to their mums. It’s a well crafted set full of laughs and beautifully sung. Mersey is definitely one to watch and a fitting close to an entertaining evening.
Reviewed On 2nd June
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