Edinburgh Fringe 2012
Things We Did Before Reality
Will Franken
Genre: Drama
Venue:
Just The Tonic At The Caves
Festival: Edinburgh Fringe
Low Down
Will Franken is a little different. He has a very unique style that falls somewhere between solo theatre, sketch and stand-up; and he is very good at it. With numerous characters and bizarre situations mostly from his home turf of the USA, this is hilarious stuff.
Review
He starts off performing a play with ‘random audience members’, then becomes a character talking about Will Franken, then is himself, then someone else; he moves into situations, sketches, skits and back again. They range from character sketches of American chat shows, mathematically challenged American football coaches, a Rock-and-Roll violinist and Jack the Ripper’s prostitutes. His accents come from all over the US and his British ones are good too. It is almost always clear when he switches character but not always clear what he is doing, yet he gets away with it because he is fully in control. Sometimes solo, others multiple role, he is continuously morphing in and out, inverting and subverting, questioning and commenting. Bitingly satirical and absurd, there is nobody that escapes his fiercely irreverent clutches.
This may be a bit too weird for some people, but except his style and you’ll be left wanting more and more of his wonderful creations. Some of his sketches may meander a little too much, and some may leave you feeling a touch too bemused but he is so comfortable in his performance he allows himself to indulge on multi-layered plains of surreal satire. Franken is a very affable performer, and had the audience in thrall.
Show Website
http://willfranken.com
