Gary Starr is, and always has been, born to be a star. What a performance. Five stars, easily.
On paper, this show sounds like an exercise in absurdity: a naked performer, the Penguin book collection, and audience members pulled into the action. Yet Starr takes what could so easily become cheap or stupid and flips it completely on its head. The result is inventive, intelligent, and remarkably well crafted.
The premise is simple but brilliantly executed. Starr works through the Penguin Books catalogue, recreating every book title as a miniature scene, each one unfolding through a camera positioned above the stage. He flips a new book into view and, instantly, another world appears. Hamlet, Dracula and countless others become fuel for increasingly imaginative scenes.
The nudity is deliberately confrontational; audience participation becomes central, with volunteers repeatedly drawn into increasingly outrageous scenarios. At one point, Starr even crowd-surfs naked through the audience, and I am forever left with the memory of an audience member (a 70-year-old man) stripping naked and running on stage with Starr.
What makes the show exceptional is the precision beneath the madness. This is a demanding one-person performance, yet Starr carries it effortlessly. The originality is refreshing and genuinely hilarious. There is a reason this show is heading for New York and London. Catch it while you still can.
Garry Starr: Classic Penguins, 21:20 at Grand at Pleasance Courtyard at 9:20pm from August 5-11th – 13-17th – 19-24th – 26-30th
https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/garry-starr-classic-penguins
