A suprisingly successful blend of dark storytelling and jolly stand-up, this is a delightful afternoon show from Mark Olver, says Emma McAlpine.
"This show is all about dreams…my dream was to be a serial killer." Mark Olver doesn't immediately strike you as a likely murderer. He's upbeat, friendly and has the audience eating out of his hand from the word go.
It transpires that in 1996, he became a serial killer. Clowns were his targets in particular: most people have a natural fear of them and as a comedian, he has the perfect alibi. He is always on the road - who can prove where he was if he popped into Peterborough for a quick homicide on his way to a gig in Nottingham? As the story unfolds, we find out that Olver isn't the only comedian killing clowns and his crimes haven't gone unnoticed by the coulro community.
He plays two roles in the show: the dramatic narrator, confessing his dark secrets, and the upbeat compere, breaking out of his monologue to ask us questions. It takes a bit of getting used to initially, as the two personas couldn't be more different but as the show develops, the contrast actually works rather well. The darker, quieter sections are moody and compelling, causing us to lean slightly closer to hear him, like kids round a campfire listening to a ghost story. Then just when it's getting a bit theatrical and serious, the lights are up, the energy's back and it's all jolly hockey sticks again.
This technique also means he plays the part of a psychotic comedian with panache. One minute he's cracking up over a question he unthinkingly asks the one German in the crowd: "Frank, if you could kill any of section of society, who would it be?" The next, he's whispering how he likes to see the confusion in his victims' eyes as they die.
The script sparkles with plenty of witty similes and some amusing mental images; like how the size of a clown's shoe might impede his death fall. He's a skilled orator too, speaking with a measured pace that lingers over certain words for full dramatic impact. Towards the end, it gets a bit messy and rushed; as if he's had to condense 30 more minutes of the story into ten. It does however mean it finishes with an exciting climax and a sudden twist, which anyone with coulrophobia might want to avoid.
A suprisingly successful blend of dark storytelling and jolly stand-up, Portrait of a Serial Killer is a Caves afternoon gem well worth seeing.
Mark Olver: Portrait of a Serial Killer is at Just the Tonic at the Caves until Sunday 28th August at 3:35pm.
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