Comedy review: Adam Larter, L'Art Nouveau

Adam Larter: L’Art Nouveau

Heroes@The Hive (Venue 313)

JJJ

Visual pranks, games and tricks are Adam Larter’s thing. The force behind the wonderful Weirdos Pantomime loves cartoons, video games and Pringles.

Oh, and props. He loves a prop. In his (almost) solo show, Larter has assembled probably the largest number of props ever seen on a single Fringe stage.

There are telescopic Pringles cans, nylon flowers, toilet rolls, and lots and lots of lycra – not to mention a costume which incorporates a full- sized cardboard lavatory.

Larter leads the audience in a singalong, conducts a quiz, gets them to throw things and transforms himself into Sonic the Hedgehog for an interactive computer game.

There’s certainly plenty to look at and for a lot of the time the audience is entranced by the sheer volume of physical chaos happening on and off the stage.

What Larter lacks is a sense of himself as a performer. He’s good at being the gang leader but needs to slow down, speak more clearly and put some effort into the narrative.

He’s spent hours and hours alone in his bedroom making all this stuff but he can’t hide behind it. He needs to give his audience a bit more space to enjoy the jokes.

Claire Smith

Until 26 August. Today 1pm.