ED FRINGE 2023 REVIEW | Crap Ballet, Chekhov’s Gum

★ ★ ★ ★

Reviewer - Emmie

*Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review

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If Ice Hole: A Cardboard Comedy was the most creative show I saw, then Crap Ballet is by far the most insane show of the Fringe, but in a good way. Chekhov's Gum make their Fringe debut with this hilarious and off the wall comedy show, which I’m going to be honest, featured a lot more sex with inanimate objects than I had expected. Which is to say, any at all.

The show begins with our introduction to the Grand Jete Ballet Company and it’s new owner asking their investors (the audience) for funding to bring dance back to their part of America. The opening is a great indication of what is to come, from the ridiculous costumes to the dialogue between the only two cast members. 

From there we are subject to rapid fire costume changes and even character changes, as, in order to keep scenes moving quickly, we end up seeing both cast members rotating through the various characters of the show, further adding to the insanity as each person brings their own minute changes to the characters.

We watch as things begin quickly falling apart for the Grand Jete company, with certain members of the cast fucking toilets, sinks and even the office door. We get to watch as the company owner falls in love with their head of PR who is trying to make their costume designer admit to liking them above all else. I was frankly amazed at how much story could be crammed into such a short, and above all, chaotic performance, but they managed it. I would say it’s a little bit disjointed, but in a good way, each scene is distinct even though the only things that differentiate one scene from another are what the cast members are wearing.

The pair make use of a variety of mediums during the performance, there was plenty of slapstick humour, physicality and even a little dance thrown in (a definite plus with the show being called Crap Ballet), as well as shadow puppetry, with recurring jokes that never became stale and ultimately it all culminated in… well, an ending. I can’t call it a happy ending, because it wasn’t, but it was certainly an ending, which included audience participation in the form of a dance party. 

Crap Ballet was hilarious, engaging, bonkers and just a really fun watch, and I hope to get to see more of Chekhov's Gum in the future.

At theSpace @ Niddry Street until 22 August.