First it was underwater colonies, then soil erosion, now this. Claudia O'Doherty's third solo show is another unusual and entertaining hour, says Emma McAlpine.
If you’re experiencing a slight lethargy and ‘seen-it-all-before’ feeling from show overdose at the Edinburgh Fringe, may I prescribe Claudia O’Doherty’s The Telescope. The comedy equivalent of Berocca; its effervescent (and totally barmy) plot will jolt you awake in no time.
In a contrived preface to the ‘show’, O’Doherty explains some of her background. She was spotted at 17 and coached in the art of stand-up by Steve and Marie Nut of The Nut House comedy school. After three years in the industry, O'Doherty has come to the conclusion that she hates comedy and wants to quit it for good. Unfortunately she’s contractually obliged to perform one last Edinburgh show. As luck would have it, she’s discovered a loophole: her contract doesn’t specify what genre of show she has to perform.
It looks like we might be in for a challenging hour as she then presents The Telescope, a piece of “difficult theatre” involving time travel, a medieval monk called Nannilus, two star-crossed lovers, and, of course, a magical telescope. She’s not long into her performance when it all starts to go terribly wrong, forcing her to abandon the play and attempt some more off-the-cuff material.
As you might have guessed, there is plenty of hunour to be found in this calamity, which sees O’Doherty desperately try to get the show back on track while The Telescope’s bizarre voiceovers and film snippets interrupt without context. Her professionalism in the face of disaster adds further comedy, as she doggedly ploughs on when any sensible person would abandon proceedings entirely.
There are laughs to be had from the silly costumes and bad acting she assumes in her Telescope roles, although at times, these whimsical sections are more gently amusing than downright funny. Her ‘improvised’ bits on how to survive a party when your friends haven’t arrived yet and musings on medical ailments have more comedic impact.
It would be wonderful if some audience members actually believed O’Doherty’s hour to be the disaster it’s presented as. Such is her acting ability, and the uniquely odd, yet realistic quality to her story (could someone actually make this stuff up?), it wouldn’t surprise me if they had.
What must be one of the most carefully constructed and beautifully executed shambles on the Fringe, The Telescope is yet another unusual and entertaining show from a performer who continues to produce innovative comedy.
Claudia O'Doherty The Telescope is at the Underbelly at 7:45pm until the 26th August.
Read more Edinburgh Fringe reviews
Add an event
Bigger, better, tons more music: East End Film Festival Q&A
The East End Film Festival has established itself as one of the biggest and brightest film festivals...