Edinburgh Fringe 2025
Downward Spiral: The Benji’s Mind Show
Felix Jakob Mangold
Genre: Absurd Theatre, character comedy, One Person Show
Venue: Satyr
Festival: Edinburgh Fringe
Low Down
A bold and bizarre ride into the mess of being human that offers a distinctive, darkly comic and thought-provoking experience.
Review
Described by others as “what happens when the existential dread of Trainspotting and the boundary-pushing chaos of The Eric Andre Show collide”, or “Inside Out on acid”, Felix Jakob Mangold’s solo show takes audiences on a darkly comedic detour inside the fractured psyche of “Benji.” The eye-catching poster provides an intriguing visual cue for the surreal journey you’re about to take.
Presenting himself and all his anxiety for the world to observe and judge, the 25 year old German graduate is brave and vigorous, passionate and unrelenting. If this is his beginning, I am excited to see where his journey will take him.
Staged in the intimate confines of PBH’s Free Fringe venue, Satyr’s Back Room, Mangold invites us into the strange world of Benji through a free-form talk show hosted in his own mind. Guests include Shame, Marijuana, Cheesy Bread, Random Authority Figure and his teenage refuge, Mr Sports – all manifestations of Benji’s struggles, hopes and diversions.
Mangold constructs a bizarre and hilarious “talk show” within the corridors of Benji’s mind. It’s a surreal therapy session where anthropomorphised guests attend to unpack how Benji’s life might just become worth living.
Imagine absurdist therapy, existential stand-up, and youthful anxiety distilled into one 45-minute whirlwind, held together by Mangold’s nimble and energised performance.
Playing all roles (and possibly addressing multiple facets of Benji’s inner monologue), Mangold delivers his material with dark wit, physicality, and fearless commitment. His charisma carries the show, making the internal external, and the bizarre feel viscerally real.
Expect disjointed logic, punchy one-liners, and sudden emotional catharsis, in an intimate and unsettling exploration of identity, belonging, and the comedic potential of mental turbulence.
Presented in the evenings, at 20:10 in the dark atmosphere of the Back Room, the show embraces the fringe ethos and DIY nature: sparse staging and flexible format, and “uninvited” audience participation; keeps the focus firmly on performance, and the audience’s imagination is encouraged to fill the gaps.
The structure itself feels precarious at times, the “downward spiral” losing coherence, but Mangold’s conviction and comic invention ensure it remains watchable and memorable, and suits the raw energy of the piece, not to mention the natural chaos of any mind.
This is fringe comedy at its most experimental: fast-paced, darkly funny and deliberately unsettling. Mangold’s story is compelling, as he switches between characters and moods, making the internal external with fearless physicality and sharp timing. The humour is jagged and absurd, sometimes lost in the pace, never quite letting us feel comfortable, always pulling us along.
What emerges is a show about survival, about making sense of Self, and about laughing at what might otherwise consume us.
Strengths
- Bold Concept: A surreal premise that reframes inner turmoil as pitch-perfect fringe comedy.
- Performance Power: Mangold breathes life into every fragment of Benji’s psyche with courage and wit.
- Intimate & Raw: The minimal production opens up our imaginations and connects us on a visceral level.
Potential Drawbacks
- Viewer Discretion: The existential baggage and self-harm references are not for everyone.
- Risk of Over-Exposure: In a solo, surreal romp, pacing is crucial. Moments are missed, and connection suspended, in the vulnerable truth-telling and self-deprecation.
Downward Spiral: The Benji’s Mind Show is a daring piece, drawing in the audience: curious, awed, cautious of the brutal honesty.
If you’re up for a darkly absurd trip that confronts what it means to live, to feel, and to laugh at the chaos all at once, Benji’s ride is one you won’t forget.
