[Review] Adam Buxton: I, Pavel
Pavel likes blackness: to him the world is an empty, dark place. Pavel has arrived in Edinburgh from a Russian satellite state where men bore their wives to death and staring into the abyss is a teenage hobby. It is on this premise that Adam Buxton makes his long overdue debut at the Fringe as Pavel, a failing experimental Russian animator.
Not the most obvious choice for a stand-up show, but Buxton knows how to play to his strengths. Pavel’s alcohol induced hallucinations undoubtedly recall The Adam and Joe show and are a good reminder to Channel Four executives of what they are missing. Buxton’s (and perhaps the general public’s) view on the schedule is made even clearer by Pavel’s animation ‘Tiny TV Boss’: a baby who barks, ‘Give me more Jimmy Carr!’
Animations and film clips intersperse Pavel’s anecdotal ranting and give the audience an opportunity to relax. Pavel’s frequent tirades against laughter leave you unsure as to whether laughing is allowed – perhaps it is outlawed here as well as in Pavel’s homeland. But the more Pavel tries to deny humour the funnier he is, and the harder the audience will find it to resist.
If it’s straightforward stand-up you are after don’t come here. This is developed character comedy – Buxton is Pavel, from the beard it has taken him months to grow in preparation to the heavily intoned accent. But if you do end up here don’t be afraid to laugh; you’ll find it very hard not to.
Who: Adam Buxton: I, Pavel
Where: Pleasance Courtyard
When: 21:20-22:20, 3rd-29th August (except 15th & 22nd)
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