The pre-show music is very quiet but well worth listening to, and I would like to see it out for local release (maybe a Edinburgh Fringe compilation would make a few pounds). The stage is a traditional punch and judy style booth designed to fit one or two performers behind the curtain. The start of the show is all about being a sock and involves a few rude words and a lot of very corny jokes.
After this we have the two socks (no names as yet) explaining that the theme of this years’ show (their third year at the Fringe and the first one I’ve seen) is the history of cinema and the genres we associate most with Hollywood. Very ambitious theme for two socks to fit into a 60 minute show. First we have the Western, quickly followed by horror, and a small tribute to Michael Jackson. they played MJ’s Earth Song (which I’d never heard – are those REALLY the lyrics?), showing cards on what were apparently the words Michael was singing. Had us rolling about with laughter and made the case for Michael’s mental collapse. From here we had film noir, a combination of romance, sport and politics (dirty!), musical comedy, a special guest (Sockodile Dundee) displaying the genius of Australian films (of which there apparently only two; ‘Picnic at Hanging Rock’ and ‘Priscilla’!), before the big finale featuring scenes from the greatest motion picture of all time. This took a very long time for the audience to guess with some very disturbing selections being called out). There was also a fair amount of inappropriate heckling from a drunk woman in the centre which managed to stuff up a few punchlines.
So for an hour, you get a glimpse at every motion picture ever made, as interpreted by a pair of socks with balls sewn on for their eyes. You also get a lot of atrocious puns, sick jokes and dirty words. What more could you ask for? And the puppet master? He crawled out of his box at the end in a puddle of sweat.
I still can’t work out how he managed some of the costume changes, considering he still had to talk and had socks on his hands. There must be a slave midget in there somewhere!
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