Review by Steve Bennett

Idiosyncratic ‘performance comedian’ Birdmann always offers a distinctively quirky festival show… even if it is largely the same distinctly quirky show every year.

He cuts one of the more recognisable figures on the comedy-cabaret circuit, with his cockerel quiff, black suit and pencil tie that perfectly fits the elegantly eccentric late-night vibe he aims to build. Emerging from a fridge-freezer – don’t ask – he carefully intones his dry, odd comments to a cool jazz soundtrack.

The lines are nice, but the set pieces nicer, from gargling the national anthem to juggling, in hypnotic slow motion, three plastic carrier bags to the Bob Geldolf’s Great Song Of Indifference. It is, apparently, a powerful environmental message, although the casual observer might mistake it for a man who should know better being stupidly childish – the previously collected demeanour only adding to the strange humour of the situation.

Music plays a key role in the well-constructed show, and never more than in the new finale, a literal interpretive dance to Cher’s If I Could Turn Back Time. The core idea isn’t all that original, but the execution is perfectly twisted – and demonstrates a commitment to the cause of entertainment that is much appreciated by the audience.

Review date: 6 Apr 2010
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett