Cogito, Ergo… Something? is a deliciously chaotic comedy about two philosophy students who commit a “perfect” murder, but instead of celebrating, they are in a panic after learning they are booked to host a dinner party. Cue close calls, boozy blunders, and aberrant anecdotes.
The leads, Anthony and Sebastian (Lucas Knepper and Rishi Bhardwaj) maintain a consistently sharp dynamic throughout. As hectic as it gets, some of the show’s best moments came from their calmer, albeit still unhinged, interactions. I found myself comparing the two to the comedic partnership of Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson; I wouldn’t be surprised if this play’s director James Harvey drew inspiration from their iconic shows.
The satire presented of high intellectualism gives it edge to contrast with the crassness elsewhere. There is an apparent juxtaposition between the protagonists’ belief in power and beauty and the messy dinner they are surviving through sheer luck. The show isn’t trying to be a deep takedown on any type of philosophy, meaning it never feels too preachy or risks losing its audience.
While some scenes take a while getting to the point, for the most part Cogito, Ergo… Something? never relents and keeps throwing new curveballs. The supporting cast serve as strong unintentional foils, but after a while it felt like their drama took priority over the corpse six feet from the front row. And for as constantly exciting as the show was, the final five minutes felt like it was sprinting to reach the final punchline. Just 10 more minutes and the show could have ironed out my problems.
The high points of Cogito, Ergo… Something? clearly outdo its rare low points, and this is the type of clever but cheeky show the Fringe was made for.
Cogito, Ergo… Something? is running until August 30 at the Bedlam Theatre. Buy tickets here.
Image courtesy of EUTC, provided to The Student as press material.
