He is naked, he is not afraid, and he is…acting out every single penguin classic novel in just over an hour? Yes, in this certainly one-of-a-kind show, Garry Starr pulls off a very let’s say “raw” look as he guides the audience through Penguin Classic paperback fictions, for example Frankenstein, Little Women, Of Mice and Men, Wuthering Heights, and The Communist Manifesto in nothing more than a top hat, ruffled collar, tailcoat, and some penguin flippers.
I am Stunned, amazed, and slightly scared as the half-man, half-penguin, full nude works his way through plots and some loosely (to put it lightly) dialogue, with the occasional song and dance number.
Each book Garry works through from his meticulous bookshelf is placed in front of a camera that is then projected on screen to reveal the title to the audience, to keep them in sync with what is being acted out. This is a necessity as audience members are dragged onto the stage when required, some with little persuasion, some with a loving glance.
I am unsure if there is hypnosis at work, but the persuasion Garry has is inexplicable, to the extent where one brave young man joins him in his antics, running on stage himself completely naked to help a fallen bear off the floor. This, of course, is for “The Jungle Book” (obviously).
A highlight of the night is when Garry makes his way to the book “Bodysurfer” by Robert Drewe; this particular part of the night gets the entire audience involved. You can draw a conclusion from that alone.
In what is mostly organised chaos of physical theatre, you find yourself astonished, as if being naked the entire time wasn’t enough of a shocker, waves (sometimes literal) of shock hit you throughout the night. This clown comedy show will put your mind so close – yet so far – from the Penguin Classics in these funny, fictitious versions of events.
Garry Starr: Classic Penguins 21.40, Underbelly George Square, until August 25
https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/garry-starr-classic-penguins
