Imagine Zorro struggling with the Spanish accent and with a weakness for fondue, and you’ve a flavour – it should be a cheesy one – of Ciarán Dowd’s buzzy character-comedy show. Don Rodolfo Martini Toyota is a 17th-century swordsman on a mission to avenge his father’s death. His rival is near, but before he confronts him, he’s here to tell us his life story, offer seduction tips – watch out, though, or you’ll drown in his eyes – and send up as many narrative cliches as you can shake a rapier at.
That flashing blade is the only thing cutting-edge about this solo debut from one-third of the sketch troupe Beasts. You’ve seen other spoof swashbucklers that revel in their cheapness as they both mock and celebrate storytelling convention. But few are as entertaining as Dowd’s, or as plumply stuffed with funnies. From the Andalucia-by-way-of-Drogheda accent, to the blithe anachronisms and nonsense machismo (“I both have and am a world-class bell-end”), it’s laughs all the way as Rodolfo and his hobby horse tour Europe, absent-mindedly torching buildings as they go.
There are some irresistible set pieces here: a spoof training montage (almost), good enough to make that feel like a new idea; a blow-by-blow account of every killing in Rodolfo’s solo sword-fight triumph over 600 men… (“Number 522, I can’t take credit for: appendicitis.”) But the writing is scarcely better than Dowd’s expert way with the crowd. He flirts with us, feeds us sugar-cubes – and plucks a surprise from among us that gives the show its out-of-the-blue denouement. You may not drown in his eyes, but you’ll be knee-deep in comedy of the most ridiculous variety.
- At Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh, until 26 August.
- Read all our Edinburgh festival reviews.
