[Review] Marshall Cordell and Remy Renoux: Monty Python’s Flying Circus
Taking on the comedy giants that were Monty Python is a daunting task. Performing some of Python’s most famous sketches in French is perhaps doubly ambitious when faced with a clearly expectant crowd.
Entering the auditorium a mist of dry ice clouds the seating and a gentle hubbub amongst the audience indicates towards two mountaineers scaling the front rows. This was a promising start, gearing the audience up for later interactions with custard pies and incontinent Olympiads.
However, this promise faded as the audience’s attention was split between the action on stage and the English subtitles provided. Monty Python’s humour is as much verbal as it is physical and a great deal of their linguistic trickery was lost in its Gallic translation.
Fortunately “And now for something completely different” still rang true, as did the take-offs of ‘Corpsing’ and the science of jokes lecture. The cast were clearly comfortable onstage and were obviously enjoying themselves – although perhaps at times more so than the audience, who were left feeling a little ignored as the subtitling struggled to keep up with the dialogue.
Technical difficulties may not have been the only cause of delayed laughter. The momentum of this show began to falter towards its conclusion leaving both audience members and performers tired and slightly hesitant of their roles. But this is early days in Fringe terms and with an injection of pace this show could go on to please both Python fans and newcomers alike.
Who: Monty Python’s Flying Circus
Where:The Assembly Rooms
When: 1600-1730, 5th-29th August
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