Overview
What is essentially a one man show, with no set, about things that don't really exist....is one of the most elaborately imaginative pieces of comedy in this year's Comedy Festival.
Once upon a time there was a fisherman who dreamed he was a squid, but when he awoke, he wasn't so sure. Perhaps he was really a squid who dreamed of being a man?
And so begins the whimsical tale of Squidboy, a critically-acclaimed physical comedy from master clown Trygve Wakenshaw. Despite his flailing polar fleece limbs, Squidboy grabs your attention and holds it, from the first 'skinning' to the gloriously twisted end. The hour-long theatrical joyride tells Squidboy's story in three parts. After sharing a packet of imaginary crisps we encounter various animals, a treadmill, and an imaginary army of Scotsman, on a chariot no less. On the way we meet a cast of characters, including loveable pup Poochie and Squidboy's one true love, elevator voice Susan.
Such is the descriptive skill of master clown Trygve Wakenshaw, that Squidboy exists in a very real, and surreal world where anything goes and the rules are all of your own doing. Wakenshaw's mastery of mime and vocal effects bring his world to life and create the most convincing non-existent characters I've ever seen. His incredible attention to detail makes it seem as if you're watching a cartoon or an animated film, except all the scenery and characters, bar one, are nothing more than figments of your imagination.
After having taken out the Auckland Fringe Award for best performance last year and touring the world, New Zealand born Trygve Wakenshaw is bringing Squidboy back as part of the 2014 NZ International Comedy Festival. No chance of being bogged down by wordy jokes or sexist sketches in this piece of comedy. From the minute gangly, bearded Wakenshaw appears on stage, you know this is not your average comedy show. It's weird, wacky, hilarious and deliciously silly. Impossible not to love.
"A one-man hour-long tour through silliness and surrealism, magic and mime, weirdness and wonder” - Adelaide Theatre Guide