Comedy review: Zach & Viggo

Edinburgh Festival Fringe: Zach and Viggo are two very very silly men. Zach is American, wears black, seems eager to please. Viggo is Norwegian wears red, is slightly mysterious.

Underbelly Cowgate (Venue 61)

****

This year both our comedy superheroes are doing solo shows – and their double act is a bit less structured and choreographed than before.

But loose works very well for Zach and Viggo. The slightest gesture or the merest look from either is guaranteed to make the audience laugh. What they do is ridiculously silly, childish and simple – but brilliantly funny.

Viggo leaps out from the side of the stage. Zach looks at him in a funny way. Viggo looks back at him. Viggo jumps back into the wings. Everyone laughs.

Viggo jumps back out waving a cucumber. Everyone laughs. He jumps back out waving a bigger cucumber. Everyone laughs even more.

At the beginning of the show Zach and Viggo give us an introduction to their technique. Walking out wearing high viz vests and with clipboards they try out a variety of moves, funny voices and noises. Then they look at the audience, look at each other and make notes on the clipboards. Was that funny, or not funny? Even if the thing itself wasn’t funny saying “not funny” and making a note of it makes it funny.

Like all the best double acts, they have an incredible connection with each other – constantly making each other laugh, playing tricks, flirting, shooting messages to each other with a glance.

Their energy never flags, their watchful eyes upon the audience never fail and they are faultlessly and unrelentingly joyous.

There are no jokes. Viggo tries to tell a joke about a cucumber but never gets to the end of it. They don’t need jokes. Sometimes a cucumber is enough.

Until 27 August. Today 9:30pm.