Review – Red Bastard

I reserve the highest props for comedy which looks to be personal, daring, sophisticated and original all at once. Of the few shows at this Fringe that tick all those boxes, Red Bastard has to be one of the most obnoxious and crass entries in the category. But at the same time, it’s hard to pin down what I like so much about it.

For starters there’s something darkly grotesque about his aesthetic, with his comically exaggerated proportions. It’s fascinatingly eye-catching, somewhat disturbing, and, you soon find out, ingeniously practical. Red Bastard uses his bulges to bounce around the stage in service of a highly energetic and somewhat sensual performance that leaves you wondering what he hell it is you’re watching. And this impish quality is played up with his mannerisms and audience interaction – Red Bastard spits, kicks, yells, bullies and screams in order to make his point. It’s risky, in that it can so easily backfire, but in his tough-love way he works hard to make sure the audience is on the same page. And for the most part, he succeeds.

The theatricality is all in service of a point, which is to shake us up and help us re-examine our lives. In this respect Red Bastard is something of a preacher, and he elicits some interesting confessions from the crowd. One audience member admitted he had a crush on his friend’s sister – his friend, who was sitting next to him, was less than impressed. Another person revealed, to a crowd of strangers, that she wants a divorce from her husband. (Although from her demeanour it seemed quite likely the proceedings were well underway – he certainly wasn’t with her.)

It was a bit disappointing to see the Red Bastard put on a show that was almost identical to the one I saw last time he was here for Fringe in 2010. The character is an intriguing construction, and I think it could (and should) be taken in different directions. Nevertheless, the show was a lot of fun and I would highly recommend it for anyone who feels they have anything they need to let off steam about. It’s a bit of a different show, but with the right audience it can be a very rewarding one.