Eric
Vicious Fish Theatre
10 October 2008
Dancing Dog Cafe
Eric is one of those Fringe shows that was over
before people began to hear about it.
With content as diverse as reality TV
pitches (Are you sexier than a fifth grader?), a speed dater who brings his own
semen sample, and a Bond villain despairing that his minons dipped his
echidnas in poison, Eric is sure to
tickle most funny bones – while finding some unexpected new ticklish spots.
Eric is an experiment in form that started when Scott
Gooding wanted to do a character comedy, but couldn’t come up with a solid idea
for one character. Fortunately, he forged ahead by asking his favourite
playwrights to contribute scenes, and the one person sketch show emerged.
Fortunately,
he also called upon the directing talent of Scott Brennan. Best known for his
work on television sketch shows, Brennan combines the tightness of TV sketch
with the freedom, spontaneity and intimacy of theatre. With some clever
structuring and measured pacing, he reins in Gooding’s excessive tendencies
and knows when to let him loose.
Gooding’s
comfortable physicality and genuine likability makes for a thoroughly enjoyable
evening, and his performance demonstrates a mightily impressive comic range.
All of his characters are unique, authentic and recognisable, and at times it
was easy to forget that there was only one person performing. His uncanny channelling
of a blow up doll is almost haunting and no one who sees Eric will ever be able to book a brothel appointment without
picturing him in a blonde wig.
With ten
different playwrights (including Adam J A Cass, Robert Reid and Ben McKenzie),
the comedy includes physical, joke, character, commentary, word play and a
sobering dash of absurdist black. The Scotts successfully maintain and balance
the different voices, without ever letting the differing styles and forms
distract from the overall experience.
The Dancing
Dog Café in Footscray is a terrific space for a show, but it meant that Eric missed the spontaneous ticket purchases
at the Fringe hub or a better known venue. Hopefully Eric will return, because he deserves to be widely seen and welcome
some adoring minions of his own.
This review appeared on AussieTheatre.com
