It’s a mystery why Keanu Reeves, by all accounts the nicest guy in Hollywood, is so perfect as John Wick, the dog-loving assassin with a penchant for inventively brutal hand-to-hand combat. This paradox is one of the chief ideas explored in Woody Fu’s goofy paean to the ultra-violent action series. The show opens on a car chase on the set of John Wick 5: E Pluribus Unum, and throughout, we, the audience, become the crew responsible for getting this latest action masterpiece in the can.
Sporting Wick’s signature black suit, a wind-swept wig and deploying a pretty decent Reeves impression, Fu cuts a convincing zen hero, while a few simple props (a toy car, some strobe lights, a six-inch John Wick action figure) do a pleasingly lo-fi job of bringing the setpieces to life. That’s basically it, though. Fu doesn’t seem to have much to say about the series or its unique movie star, other than they’re both pretty cool.
Perhaps sensing his material is a bit thin, Fu pads out the show with an extended detour to other classic Reeves performances, but these digressions sap momentum. That’s not the only issue: the show may be called One Man John Wick, but it’s very much reliant on contributions from the audience, and this one’s a low-energy bunch. With a more up-for-it crowd, Fu’s homage might have sung, but we’re filing tonight’s performance with Johnny Mnemonic and Constantine rather than Point Break and Speed.
Woody Fu: One Man John Wick, Assembly George Square, until 24 Aug (not 11), 8.50pm