ED2015 4/5 Reviews ED2015 Comedy Reviews

Markus Birdman – Grimm Realities (Markus Birdman / PBH’s Free Fringe)

By Jon Stapley | Published on Thursday 27 August 2015

Buying his ten-year-old daughter her first bra was a traumatic experience for Markus Birdman, but at least he got a good show out of it. A fearsomely talented illustrator, he uses a projector to weave two fairy tales, Cinderella and Red Riding Hood, into his own experiences of fatherhood. His versions of the tales revel in the darker elements airbrushed out by sanitised adaptations – I’d buy a book of them. His point that we should engage with children about adult themes like love and sex is a good one, reinforced by the Grimm tales once used for exactly that. We didn’t need some lazy gender-based jokes (“Women can’t park, am I right?” etc.), but this show is exquisitely put together.

Canon’s Gait, until 30 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Jon Stapley]