Back in 2010-12: Doctor Brown. 2013-15: Trygve Wakenshaw. 2016: Zach and Viggo? The American-Norwegian double-act stake a naked claim for their place in the pantheon of the fringe’s favourite Gaulier-trained clowns with their debut show, Thunderflop. Garments of clothing dance with one another. Eyes are rolled at, and kisses stolen from, the audience. If Zoë Coombs Marr is looking for more clown cliches to rib, she need look no further.
But I’m only mentioning Zach Zucker and Viggo Venn in the same sentence as Wakenshaw and Phil Burgers because they’re good: good enough – certainly charming enough – to seize a share of the adulation that came their forebears’ way. Together, bug-eyed, wily Zucker and lanky, tomfooling Venn flirt and moue their way through an hour of whimsical set pieces. Zucker impersonates a claw crane in an arcade, tantalising Venn by near-missing his coveted teddy bear. Venn plays a flouncy security guard, frisking stooges with his lo-fi Mr Tickle arms, tossing his head back violently to adjust his flip-up sun-shades.
Some routines are cutesy, as when an audience member is cast as a meekly peeping mouse. Others are familiar, like Venn’s bad magician or Zucker’s mime-along to Gerry Rafferty’s Baker Street, reminiscent of a 2015 Wakenshaw routine. But novelty isn’t the point. The whole show is delivered as if they’re daring us not to enjoy ourselves, and such is the pleasure, silliness and spirit of innocence in almost everything they do, it’s very hard not to.
- At Underbelly Cowgate, Edinburgh, until 28 August. Box office: 0131-226 0000.
