ED2016 5/5 Reviews ED2016 Comedy Reviews

Tom Neenan: Vaudeville (Berk’s Nest)

By Gemma Scott | Published on Wednesday 24 August 2016

‘Vaudeville’ begins with a hapless security guard attempting to tell the horrible history of an old vaudeville theatre and the intriguing (often murderous) characters that once inhabited it. Tom Neenan plays all the characters with a mischievous, hilarious enthusiasm. From the pompous Shakespearean actor, to the suave European knife-thrower, to the ventriloquist in constant conflict with his dummy – the characters aren’t new, but Neenan’s glorious pastiche of actors, critics and other performers is a master class in arch, tongue-in-cheek, but still incredibly clever comedy. The Fringe is the ideal location for this piece, as it’s filled with in-jokes, like the classic about threes reading like fours. Neenan’s skewing of theatrical conventions and affectations is ideal viewing for the theatrical types currently filling the city.

Underbelly Med Quad, until 28 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Gemma Scott]