Pete Jonasson's Utopian Crack Pipe is an enjoyably irreverant and, at times, suprisingly poignant show, says Sarah Kendell.
Since a 2010 interview where he described his Edinburgh Comedy Award win to me as “like I was floating on a cloud of titties”, I’ve come to know that it pays to expect the unexpected when signing up for a Pete Johansson outing. The Canadian comic’s talent for irreverence is no less obvious in this year’s show – unlike many at the Fringe this year, his title gives little away about the main contents of the show (bears, since you ask, and a lot of them). Nor do his initial, enjoyably whimsical, musings on why Britain would be a better place with bears give you much idea of the oncoming, surprisingly poignant climax of the hour, the result of certain personal tragedies that have befallen Johansson in the course of writing his show.
For someone who’s made his name on the circuit with a talent for the ridiculous, and so-wrong-it’s-right observations on sensitive subjects like race and sexuality, the insertion of an inescapably serious subject is an interesting way to go. Unlike your more Kitson-style meandering storytellers, the punters wouldn’t necessarily come to Johansson’s shows to be equally touched and amused; they come for an onslaught of blazingly honest comedy. But luckily for Johansson, there are enough of these to keep his more established fans at ease, and his comfortable rapport with the audience means we’re all invested enough, albeit caught a little off guard, when the more serious moments come.
The obligatory multimedia section of the show feels perhaps a little extraneous, interrupting as it does the fiery, stream-of-consciousness-like roll that Johansson gets on when he’s in the midst of a good set. But overall, as a reviewer who’s been to a few too many comedy shows that fit neatly into the mould, Johansson’s decision to differentiate somewhat from his traditional style and show us a personal piece of himself pays off in my book. He faces stiff competition at the 8:30pm time slot from the dozens of big names that fill the Udderbelly and neighbouring Gilded Balloon, but those who are looking to branch out from the ordinary this Edinburgh, would do well to catch his latest offering.
Sarah Kendell
Pete Johansson: Utopian Crack Pipe is at the Underbelly, Bristo Square, at 8:30pm until 27th August.
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