DAVID STRASSMAN
Animatronic dazzle takes priority over gags .0.
It’s been five years since David Strassman made the pilgrimage to Europe’s comedy Mecca to share his wares. He brought his puppets on that visit too: loveable ball of felt Ted E Bare and potty-mouthed pint- sized terror Chuck Wood. Since then the world has changed but as we find out tonight, people still can’t resist the lure of the simple things in life: a cute stuffed animal or a dirty joke.
Puppetry is not all that common at the Festival. To date the only act which has made any great impact from utilising these skills favoured their own genitals as their main marionettes. And while we can excuse them for this - they are Australian after all - it must be noted that it’s uncommon entertainment, especially given the numbers slapping up flyposters around town. That would suggest one of two things: firstly, that ventriloquism is an incredibly difficult craft to master, and secondly, the comedy circuit can be as susceptible to fashion as any other art form.
He may be flying in the face of the comedy a la mode, but David Strassman is a true master of his chosen field. His ability to make us believe that not only is he conversing with something inanimate but that he is
30 THE LIST FESTIVAL MAGAZINE l t 18 Aug 2005)
actually losing a battle of wits with it. There’s no need to resort to the brute physicality of Rod Hull’s barbaric avis Emu; the battle here is purely psychological.
Our time in Strassman’s workshop means we meet a whole host of his creations. Some are more appealing than others: Ted’s Grandpa Fred is a great cantankerous old southern coot but Angel, his computerised maid, is sweet but dull. Strassman is aiming for a big, mainstream audience and his material is exquisitely timed but a bit too general. When we explore his own neuroses it doesn’t feel like we’re going to a particularly dark place; this is light entertainment and it’s Strassman, rather than his puppets, that are the reminder of this. He can win over a mixed crowd with relative ease and one would expect him to be destined for TV.
None of this should be misconstrued as an insult though. The Fringe hasn’t really got time to be totally purist any more; it just means that so many of Strassman’s gags lack the bite that would set this up among the real hardcore comics. The counter to this, of course, is that he’s got plenty other things to keep crowds hooked. (Mark Robertson)
I Pleasance Cell/'tyard. 550‘ 6550. until 2%) Aug. form. 5‘! i.5()~5‘12.5() (l‘lt) 5‘! I).
PAUL CHOWDHRY
Oozing confidence on thorny topics 0...
Initial impressions are important when seeing; an up and coming comedian for the first tune. There's nothing more excruciating; than sharing a ciaiitped. sweaty black box in some far flung comer of the Pleasance With a trembling. terrified young turn. l‘lapprly. Paul Chowdliry hails from the ‘l'ivi so loose l'in prélCllCIE‘tH‘,’ ielly' school of stand up. So laidback is the thirtysoinetnmg Londoner that the ll‘-l(Il'()l)ll()ll(} stand on which he is so ‘ond of caning; has almost buckled by the close of his hourlong show. The bulk of Chowdhry 's act rexolves around what it means to be a second generation Britisl‘ Indian. Currently. of course, l‘.() sat:rist woith their salt can £l‘.’()!(l dealing mth responses by pc ice and the public to recent terronst attacks. and Chowdhiy approaches this thorny issue Without trepidation. Indeed. some of his insights — such as his being able to clear an underground carriage just by entering With a rucksack — are teeth— grindingly close to the knuckle. But there are plenty lighter moments in the show. Chowdhry putting his talent for mimicry into action to make some keen observations on family. love and the pursuit Of happiness. Definitely worth a look. (Allan Radcliffe) I P/easance Courtyard. 556 6550. untr/ 29 Aug (not 16), 8.30pm. 58.50—49.50 (l.‘7—£‘8).
JERRY SADOWITZ Pick a card, any fucking card!‘?'! 0...
Jerry SadOWitz is not fer everyone. Well. last time I looked. not everyone loved self—loathing. Tourettes-stricken