[Review] Aisle 16: Poetry Boyband
After their success at last year’s Fringe, Aisle 16 are back with their own brand of ‘edutainment’ aiming to convert the masses into poets for the 21st-century. Assuming the persona of a boyband, the foursome, dressed in white suits, take turns on the stage to give their Powerpoint presentation on Key Stage 3 poetry.
With deadpan delivery Aisle 16 storm through the history of poetry, modernising, abbreviating and injecting their own boyband slang along the way. The result is certainly ‘edutaining’: a delightful mixture of academic humour and scorn for the triteness of popular culture, performed at a pace, and punctuated by the groups own lyrical improvisations.
As much as this group mock the literary world it is clear that they were paying attention in class: jokes on Roland Barthes are few and far between in comedy school. The attention to detail and intelligence behind this show marks it out as something different and entirely worthy of a Fringegoer’s money and attention. The idea that this is a seminar is never deviated from, as the use of slides and hilarious lecture handout testify.
Aisle 16 are confident and have tapped into a vehicle for their humour which compliments them. In ‘Poetry Boyband’ they present a faultless comic performance which shows originality, flair and vast potential as a formula for future Festival successes.
Who: Aisle 16: Poetry Boyband
Where: Pleasance Courtyard
When: 16:40-17:40; 3rd-29th August (except 15th)
