Hot off the vibrant New York and Chicago comedy scene, BATSU! have crossed the Atlantic with their riotous late-night comedy bonanza in tow, making their Edinburgh Fringe debut at the Belly Dancer space at Underbelly Cowgate this month.
Fusing cultural and stylistic elements of Japanese and American comedy, BATSU! unleashes a wacky spin on a game-show-styled comedy performance. Drawing inspiration from the Japanese term ‘batsu’ – translated in the performance as the ‘spirit of punishment’ – four comedians, dubbed the ‘warriors’, are guided through a series of eccentric improv-based challenges, for which each level of defeat is met with a set of shocking punishments. From electric shocks to mouse traps and belly dances, the moderately painful punishments were undoubtedly real, and the warriors certainly had the welt marks to prove it. But whilst it could feel gratuitous, the infectious energy and enthusiasm of the experienced warriors meant that the audience were quick to oblige with hearty chants of “batsu! batsu! batsu!” as the punishments were dolled out.
Throughout the challenges, the performers are joined on stage by a host of willing volunteers. Cleverly, these are taken mostly from those who purchase the Hachimaki headbands at the start of the performance, which provides the opportunity to fully immerse in the show by enjoying a couple of shots from the ‘Sake Ninja’. A word of warning, though no one in BATSU! is spared from the spirit of punishment, and the steely audience members are no different.
Within the first half hour of their opening performance, an audience member – in our case, a softly spoken Edinburgh local – was the recipient of their own batsu, as they gripped a twirly 1980s plastic blue straw and sipped soy sauce out the belly button of a large hairy man on a wooden stand. Think that sounds rough? Well, that’s BATSU! baby.
The utterly feral fun of BATSU! is powered by the strength of the comedic performances from the warriors – that evening played by Whit Baldwin, Nicky Knor, Joe Tex and Eric Robinson – with some fantastically quick-witted puns and ingenious slapstick comedy. Guiding us through the outrageous antics was the indomitable host Brian Walters, whose enthusiasm effortlessly tied together the mayhem of the rounds. The tech team were also marvellous, with the sound and lighting adding much-welcomed suspense and enhancing the game show-esque elements of the performance.
From quickfire improv rapping to a game about an undercover cheese grater and a fun team twist on charades, each round was a whirlwind of one-liners, puns and physical comedy. In one surreal game, I found myself frantically cheering for a bloke called Ian, who I had met in the queue, and who, at that moment, was necking back Sake shots whilst waddling an oversized duck egg into a picnic basket. Explain it, I cannot, but the chaotic energy is utterly compelling, and the two-hour run time was continuously fast-paced and exciting. BATSU! is a wonderful addition to the late-night Fringe scene and is well worth taking a group too and surrendering to the exhilarating raucous that ensues.
BATSU! is on at Underbelly, Cowgate – Belly Dancer at 10:45pm from 10 to 27 August (not 14 or 21). Tickets are available here: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/batsu.
Image courtesy of Soho Creative, provided to The Student as press material.
