PUPPETRY OF THE PENIS
Pleasance, Edinburgh
August, 2000

Spike Milligan, in Adolf Hitler: My Part In His Downfall, recounts how one of the members of his military platoon would, by torchlight after lights out, perform programmes of impersonation using his membrum virile. That is exactly what goes on in this show which, put simply, does exactly what it says on the packet.

A couple of Australians bound onto the stage and, after a couple of minutes, whip off their cloaks to stand completely naked, and proceed to manipulate their... well, their todgers and associated equipment... into a variety of unbelievable configurations. They do the Eiffel Tower, Ayers Rock, Gonzo from The Muppets. They do the Digeridoo, the Pelican and the Loch Ness Monster. They do the Australian coat of arms; they put a picture frame around the area in question and entitle it "the Duke of Edinburgh".

It would be the ultimate wide-boy Fringe strategy for using a stage appearance to cop off with as many women as possible, except that the performers allegedly cannot engage in sexual activity for 24 hours before a show. It draws giggles, squeals and gasps of terror in equal measure. It is almost certainly the most bizarre show on the Fringe this year, and for quite some time. And it will be a medium-sized wonder if this review of it is published...

Written for the Financial Times Web site, ft.com

Copyright © Ian Shuttleworth; all rights reserved.

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