If you find yourself in Edinburgh this summer and plan on watching The Naked Gun in cinemas, don’t. I have a far better pick for you: Laser Kiwi.
Watching Laser Kiwi is like watching a Zucker, Abrahms and Zucker movie and then people do flips and stuff. (ZA&Z are the guys who made The Naked Gun and Airplane!) I mean, if I haven’t sold you already, please move on to the next Fringe review; there are so many, and you’re clearly not cool.
Dubbed the “world’s only surreal sketch circus”, Laser Kiwi have brought their new show Everybody Knows to the fringe. Don’t ask me why it’s called that; nobody knows, least of all Laser Kiwi. What they do know, however, is how to muster up a packed Piccolo tent into fits of laughter, deceiving their spectators into the surreal sketch circus to end all surreal sketch circus(es?). I’m sure you will turn to your friend at some point, as I did, in disbelief at how hard you are laughing at something so silly.
This is not the New Zealand trio’s first rodeo at the Fringe; their last show, Rise of the Olive was here last year, and it was, err, something about olives? I think there is little point in trying to define this act, and that’s exactly what makes their crazy comedy all the more fun.
The use of audiovisual was a particular highlight; the act has mastered how to time their slapstick with the big screen behind them. Big props to the sound guy, too, who was instrumental to the show’s excellent timing; really glad that Laser Kiwi signalled their appreciation to him at the end (a part of the bows missing in a lot of shows, I’ve noticed). Perhaps he’s their fifth Beatle of the absurd.
On the circus side, there are bikes, there are ropes, and there’s some scary juggling. The show has got some seriously impressive acrobatics in store, too, which make good use of Piccolo’s circus tent height. It’s an entirely different kind of flying, altogether.
I digress. But really, though, what does that big red button do? Shreck!
Laser Kiwi: Nobody Knows is running until 24th August at 3 Assembly George Square Gardens – Piccolo Tent.
Buy tickets here.
Image provided to The Student by Laser Kiwi as press material.