one4review | On 10, Aug 2023

It’s one thing to promise an excellent comedy show in the stark black and white print of the Fringe brochure, but can a performer really bring that bold claim to reality in the dark, musty caverns of The Hive on a grey August lunchtime? The answer for anyone attending an hour with Phil Ellis is a resounding ‘Yes!’

I’ve seen Ellis practically every year he’s been up at the Fringe but this is undoubtedly his best show to date. All the elements of his work – the ridiculous costumes, the supporting cast, the deft crowd work and, most importantly, the jokes – are on full display, but this year it feels like he’s pulled it all together much more tightly and elevated it. The joy of watching comes from the suspicion that everything could fall apart at any moment, in particular Ellis himself, but make no mistake – this is a supremely well-crafted and thoughtfully paced performance.

His self-effacing standup material is confidently delivered and touches upon issues with his family, his friends and his own mental health. Whilst the content may take a dip into the macabre, he never allows the mood of the room to drop and there is always a payoff which delivers a roar of appreciation from everyone in attendance. And he does this over and over and over again throughout the 60 minutes. Punctuating his material are some joyously performed musical numbers which allow the audience to catch their breath and regroup. Full credit should also be given to Ellis’s two-man band who are squirrelled away in the corner of the stage and whose musical talent helps their main man to shine. As does the black lycra catsuit he performs the full hour in.

Nobody else on the Fringe is doing absurd comedy quite like Ellis and nor would you want them to. He is the master of his genre and truly a performer at the top of his game.

*****
Reviewed by Di
Monkey Barrel – Hive 2
12.30 (1hr)
Until 27 Aug