The comedy pedigree of the UNDERGROUND MONK SHOW cast is amongst the best of The fringe: John Norris of Mr Chonkers fame; A Retrospection’s Claire Woolner; improv mastermind Max Baumgarten; and Dee Marcucci from last year’s Lady Magic, the Natalie Palamides-directed magic-cum-drag show that was this particular reviewer’s favourite thing of last year’s Fringe. So it’s no surprise that their combined forces are unstoppable, even if their move from The Banshee Labyrinth to Assembly’s frankly ill-fitting Piccolo Tent rids the show of its best-kept-secret vibe that made it feel so special when it was here as a work-in-progress over the past two years.
But never mind the venue, the show itself is a small miracle. From the minute its titular monks shuffle onto the stage in an embrace, the physical characterisation that sets them apart begins. So much so that by the time a bucket of water is filled (I won’t spoil how), it’s obvious that it will mean different things for each of them.
From hereon, the show is structured in four parts. Each monk dives headfirst into the bowl of water, which transports us to somewhere new every time: The ocean; the womb; a fairytale; a rave, each location playing to the individual performer’s strengths. By the time the end comes around, what’s especially astonishing is how they make the most of every prop with a machine gun of callbacks that lead, somehow, to a genuinely moving finale with Marcucci at the centre. Pray for a ticket.
UNDERGROUND MONK SHOW, Assembly George Square Gardens, until 30 Aug (not 17), 10.15pm