Review: Cool Show Sixty-Nine at Jonesway Theatre
Cool Show Sixty-Nine at Jonesway Theatre
Thursday, February 9, 2023
7.5/10
It is a fact universally acknowledged that any show which markets itself as ‘60 minutes of rapid-fire nonsense’ is going to be a viewing experience. There is no question about that. Rather the question is the nature of that experience. The audience always enters in apprehension: will this be an incredible piece of comedic gold, or the worst thing they’re going to see this year at Fringe?
Luckily, Cool Show Sixty-Nine was a rich bounty of outrageous zingers, bits and gags, delivering a fast-paced, relentlessly funny, ‘what-the-hell-did-I-just-watch’ masterpiece of some of the most bizarre sketch comedy to befuddle the Fringe World stage this season. Jam-packed full of quintessentially Australian scenes and skits and filled with absurd props and delightfully ridiculous characters, the show was cleverly written, and well-designed.
Presented by Australian comedy company Bits Akimbo, the show was performed by Katie Currie, Max Paton, and WA’s own Douglas Rintoul. Dressed in matching 80s windcheater jackets and Hawaiian shirts, the trio was as visually synchronised as they were with their physical performance, bouncing off each other and bringing an incredibly high amount of energy to each moment.
Particularly in moments of unplanned audience interaction, and inevitable opening night glitches, Rintoul, Paton and Currie’s preparedness and comfort with each other on the stage shone through in hilarious moments of quick-fire improvisation. A particularly warm kudos is deserved by Paton and Currie, whose physical improvisation after a misplaced prop seemingly ruined a punchline saved the piece and arguably improved it. In addition, the performer’s commitments to physical gags were occasionally impressively shocking, almost bordering on disturbing, with a particular condiment scene by Currie eliciting genuine gags from audience members (and also quiet fear and admiration).
The lighting (designed and operated by Jacinta Anderson) and sound components of the piece were well thought-out and executed, giving the sketches an air of cinematic technicolor, and heightening moments of suspense and hilarity. Voice overs, manic dance numbers and interesting soundscapes punctuated the highly physical performance.
There were one or two moments when individual sketches felt slightly over-prolonged, and slowed the show’s otherwise rapid progression, however these were often rectified easily with the advent of the next exciting scene. A particularly brilliant motif throughout the piece was the recurring archival pornographic voiceovers, which cleverly functioned as transition scenes, reducing the awkward layovers between comedic moments, and arguably creating several of the most hilarious pieces in the show. It was also amusing to see a sketch show acknowledge and satirise the line between randomness for the sake of randomness, and genuinely surprising comedy; a line which is often bulldozed by well-meaning, over-enthusiastic sketch show beginners.
The Bits Akimbo trio were a delightful addition to Fringe World 2023, with their high-energy, comedic talent, unrelenting nonsensry and hilariously absurd ideas. For Fringe punters seeking a guaranteed laugh, or something a little strange and quirky this year, Cool Show Sixty-Nine will delight and enthral.
BEC WELDON