What a year for big character comebacks. The Fantastic Four. Superman. And now Eric Meat, Ali Brice’s hapless besuited alter-ego, shelved years ago as the inventive comic moved into more autobiographical silly-but-cerebral shows. But now the world needs some light relief, and our hero can definitely deliver.
Actually, Meat shares one trait with Superman; there’s an enjoyable opening salvo as Ali becomes Eric via good old-fashioned spectacles, a transformation complete with mock gravitas, and appropriate heckling. The fourth wall remains resolutely half-built as this is less a scripted character show, more a meta breakdown of one – but entirely unpretentious.
Brice is as brilliant a crowdworker as Meat is a godawful office worker, so he works those interactions in, using the set-pieces – Eric waking, commuting, lunching, often with gloriously ingenious DIY props – to discuss the audience’s daily doings. Intense discussions ensue, from quiz show preferences to toilet brush logistics.
The first half this particular afternoon is as much fun as you could have in a converted karaoke room – formerly Carnivore, appropriately – but any crowdwork show is beholden to that day’s audience, and the second half goes awry, albeit memorably, then ends slightly abruptly. Which is a shame, but hopefully just early-Fringe teething troubles. Meat deserves his moment.
Ali Brice Presents Eric Meat Gets the Chop, PBH Free Fringe, until 24 Aug (not 13), 5.30pm