one4review | On 23, Aug 2023

Comedy duo Elf Lyons and Duffy present a madcap sketch-play based around Elf’s favourite words in BSL. They’re both on stage as the audience enters, bouncing around, checking in with each other, and saying hello to the audience. Elf introduces things, in both English and BSL, and we’re off.

Lots of the story is told by Duffy, in a combination of BSL (with live interpretation for those who don’t speak it) and Visual Vernacular (a combination of mime, BSL, poetry and visual storytelling) supported by Lyons on sound effects. They’re both on stage for some bits; both are excellent at what they do, and they work together in absolute harmony. There’s no limelight-stealing or upstaging, and it’s easy to forget there are two separate people, rather than one unique performance.

There is a lot of violence in this show, and quite a few things die. It’s cartoonish, and the things only exist in the descriptions made by Duffy’s hands, body and expressions, so there’s no real blood. Nevertheless, it’s such visceral storytelling that I felt quite sorry for some of the deceased.

There is also a story, a sort of standard four-act drama, but there’s so much nonsense and absurdity going on so it never ever feels thin. Then there’s the language aspect: as with anything in a language you don’t speak, sometimes you catch words that sound similar, and it has you on the hunt for more, trying to understand. It gives an extra layer of immersion to a show which is already mesmerising and absorbing. A strong piece of comic nonsense from two excellent performers.

Reviewed by Laura
Various times (1hr)
Monkey Barrel 1
Until 25th