one4review | On 15, Aug 2022

Jim and Barb are no ordinary elderly couple. They begin by preparing their house for a party to celebrate their 50th Wedding Anniversary, complete with banner and a series of rooms with an exaggerated perspective. Birds are twittering in the background in what looks like a perfect scene of domestic bliss. Without any discernible speech, just mumbling, the couple start by arranging drinks and nibbles, although Jim seems to put everything in the wrong place, at least until the audience are asked to help. As preparations progress, things start to go wrong, but we know it’s only a matter of time before things are going to go seriously wrong indeed, with a number of ominous clues – a rat trap, a staple gun, dodgy bowels, an over indulgence of prunes and Barb’s habit of popping copious quantities of pills. As we descend into complete chaos, the weather turns thunderous, and the pleasant bird song turns into something more sinister. The show builds to an incredible and completely over-the-top finale. Daniel Tobias and Clare Bartholomew are superb as Jim and Barb in this very enjoyable piece of slapstick farce by Australian company Salvador Dinosaur. A barely hidden assistant plays a series of other roles in the show, including the rat and a cuddly rabbit. The overall effect is Mr Bean meets French farce in a crazy Australian way. The packed out auditorium loved it, so did I, and I would highly recommend giving it a bash.

Reviewed by Howard

*****

Pleasance Dome, King Dome

12.00 (1hr)

3rd to 28th August (not 10th, 17th and 24th)