one4review | On 11, Aug 2019

Luke Rollason is delivered to the stage in a box. He needs to be plugged in before we can access the content. And as with much content on social media, you need to interact in some way – answer the doorbell, follow the on-screen instructions, wait for the advert to end – to access the good stuff. This show gives a lot of control up to content consumer – the audience – and so this performance may have been an object lesson in derailment-by-audience.

Mr Rollason looks as bemused as the audience at some points, and it’s probably this, and his worried, soulful expression, that means the audience was moved to ‘help’. Mr Rollason played well with most of that ‘help’, and kept the show mostly on track. A section of planned devolution to a person who turned out to be eleven years old went decidedly haywire, though Mr Rollason saved even this.

The show started strong: after the delivery and plugging in, there was some lovely nonsense with sunglasses, and a green screen. From then, the pace lapsed a little, though the ideas and comedic value didn’t wane. If the show has a theme, it’s about increasing consumption of online ‘content’ leaving a gaping hole devoid of real human connection.

Mr Rollason (and colleagues) is an excellent performer, and there is good material here, but something in this particular performance didn’t quite hit the mark. Nevertheless, lovely silliness from a skilled performer.

Reviewed by Laura

Monkey Barrell 4
12:00 (not 14th)