Performing a show within a show, Tastes Funny takes us through a performance of The Great Gondos as they try to impress a big Las Vegas producer. Blending circus and sideshow with comedic theatre, this is a great little show.
The story gives Daniel Oldaker and Rani Huszar a jumping off point to share their considerable abilities. Rani’s ‘Roberto’ is a stunningly attractive contortionist and dancer, for the most part playing straight-man to Daniel’s ‘Repeater Reparto’, a clownish character with a Chaplin-esque charm. The circus aspects of the show where fantastic, with the dummy dancing sequence an especially impressive feat.
A special highlight on the night was the interaction by a young audience member who started calling out on some of the more obvious suspensions of disbelief. Daniel and Rani handled the situation extremely smoothly, stepping out of their script with ease and quickly turning the situation to their advantage.
Daniel Oldaker has long been one of my favourite street performers, and has always brought a strong sense of character to his performance. The more theatrical environment that this show provides allows him to explore these talents further and gives him a chance to really flesh out his persona.
There’s a real charm to this performance. While occasionally getting a little bit simple, for the most part there was a great child-like sense of the spectacular that made the show completely engaging.
For bookings and further details, see the fringe festival website