Elise Harris, Under Your Feet

Elise Harris brings a tongue-in cheek exploration of urban archaeology to the PBH Free Fringe. This show is definitely not aimed at archaeologists, either amateur or professional, as Harris admits to having no training or specialist knowledge of the subject. There are no archaeology based in-jokes, and she commits as much time in the show to fictional archaeologists as to real ones. She demonstrates the objects she has dug up or picked up in urban areas. Some may or may not be stone tools and some are old earrings.

Disappointingly, she doesn’t deliver in terms of punchlines or observational humour and the laughter level is dangerously low. She does teach the audience a bit of Greek; giving us the literal translation of the word ‘archaeology’, which might come in handy in the pub quiz.

While interesting and confidently well-delivered, it didn’t provide a high enough standard of comedic material to recommend it. It’s hard to identify the audience who would best appreciate this show, but if you are a non-archaeologist lover of funny-looking stones this is the one for you.