The drag persona of Coral Bevan, ‘Fisherman Jon’ is a lonely man at sea. After falling in love with a fish, Jon is painfully separated from her, beginning a long quest to reunite, loosely based on Homer’s Odyssey. Jon is an ‘adorkable’ character, with his passion for fishing and simple outlooks on life and love. The audience is consistently tickled by his endearing oddness.
One of the show’s strengths is its technical staging. Bevan’s costumes and props are multifaceted, the lighting and sound effects are used to great success, and creative uses of the venue’s space provide some of the best laughs of the show. Bevan also displays strong skills in switching between characters – making it nearly seamless – and creating clear distinctions between them.
There are moments where the show’s humour struggles to enage the crowd today. There are a couple of tonal shifts that don’t quite fit with the rest of the show’s appeal. What keeps the show afloat though, is Bevan’s charm.
Fisherman Jon: What’s on the End of My Rod? A Clown Odyssey, Underbelly, Bristo Square, until 25 Aug (not 12), 2.45pm