The Dutch are known for many things, but clowning around may not be particularly high on the list. However, the chaps at Släpstick seem hell-bent on changing that perception. Fresh from their triumphant UK debut at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, they have finally brought their blend of musical humour to London.
The good news, for starters, is that Schërzo really lives up to its name. A scherzo is a musical term for a piece of music performed in a fast and happy way. It’s also the Italian word for ‘jest’. Rarely have two definitions for a single word been so aptly used together.
Billing themselves as ‘Tchaikovsky meets Chaplin, ’ the Släpstick team have taken it upon themselves to reimagine orchestral music with a heavy dose of tomfoolery. Whilst mixing comedy and music is far from new – just think of Victor Borge, Danny Kaye or even Les Dawson – Släpstick bring an energy, physicality and creativity that is uniquely their own and uniquely entertaining. Their imagination gives us 25 melodies played within a minute, duelling violins playing with a single bow, and a tap-dancing routine featuring oversized clogs, ice skates and skis.
Their pièce de résistance must be where the team are physically entwined and each playing multiple instruments partially and simultaneously: so, someone is pressing the keys of a trumpet with one hand and strumming a ukulele with another while someone else is blowing the trumpet and playing the left hand of the violin whilst the person playing the bow of the violin is also playing the drums, and so on. It’s mind-bending to watch but still retains great musicality.
Across the board, the team are musically virtuosic, with each turning their hand to a multitude of instruments from violins to squeezeboxes and even paper cups. The music selections blend classical, opera, jazz and a smattering of pop, too. The comedy is a visual treat that can only be described as slapstick perfection. If one were to be a trifle harsh, some of the pieces do outstay their welcome, and you feel like they’re milking a joke that little bit too much, but this is a minor quibble.
Overall, Släpstick have created a show that is creatively masterful, musically fascinating and, ultimately, very funny.
Runs until 12 October 2024
The Reviews Hub Score
Madcap musical merrymaking.
