Review – Puppetry of the Penis
It probably comes as no surprise to hear that this show will make you squirm, wince, shudder and choke back muffled sobs. Obviously, there is some visually confronting stuff in a penis puppetry act: some things can never be unseen. But it isn’t men playing with their bits that you need to be concerned with here. No, the real warning is that some things can never be unheard.
The jokes. Oh god, the jokes. The bits where naked men scrunched their genitals up into weird shapes are actually the least awkward part. Heckler loves a good pun, but this is on a whole other level. An irony-free onslaught of cock jokes slapped in your face relentlessly.
Take the following exchange:
“I am a dick-tator!”
“Oh, I see what you did there, you clever dick!”
And so on. Even worse, sometimes they’d even explain their gags. Think about that. Have you ever heard a cock joke that needed an explanation?
Sure, the point of the show isn’t comedic excellence, it is men doing strange things with their dangly bits. And yes, there is plenty of that, with such gems as the Parachute, the Meerkat, the Evil Eye, the Wrist-Watch, and of course the Double Ice Cream (“hazel-nut and balls-and-berry flavour”… please god, make it stop).
But really, if you want penis puppetry that bad, just log onto your friendly neighbourhood hook-up app and find some volunteers. Because somehow, this show about men playing with their cocks is even dumber than it sounds. Don’t be mistaken: this is no Fringe act; it is a second-rate hens night.
