Comedy review: Zach & Viggo: Thunderflop
Star rating: ****
Venue: Underbelly Cowgate (Venue 61)
If you’ve seen them around town dressed in their blue and red, Z and V, slightly camp, lycra superhero costumes, you may already have had the odd sensation of having one of them look you in the eyes.
This is one of those shows built on the connection the performers make with the audience. Cajoled, teased, charmed and tricked by our on-stage heroes, we become participants in the show, holding eye contact, making noises and sometimes joining Zach, Viggo or both upon the stage.
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Hide AdIn a way what they do is mime, although there are quite a lot of spoken words. They are a double act who sometimes work together and sometimes alone.
They have a wonderful energy together, bouncing off each other, working in perfect synchronicity, making each other crease up with laughter.
They create little characters, of a terrible magician, a scary security guard and an actor whose Los Angeles vowels have become strangled to incoherence. And they make up stories, of a kiss cam, a wedding and a mouse who is looking for cheese.
There’s a story of sorts running through the whole show, although this doesn’t become apparent till the very end. Mostly you’re aware of this being the kind of silly joyous light-hearted fun which makes you laugh like a five-year-old.
It’s deceptively simple but it takes a lot of skill to get an audience to play along happily. Not only do these wonder clowns have to make people do what they want, they also have to make sure they thoroughly enjoy it.
To begin with, the audience is not really sure who Zach and Viggo are and what they do. By the end, everyone is a little bit in love with them.
Until 28 August. Today 5.20pm