Steen Raskopoulos @ Underbelly Cowgate
Deceptively charming character comedy with a killer twist
Steen Raskopoulos forcefully engages the audience as 'the bad boy of Yoga' with impressive physical agility and swift, witty responses to problematic participation. A series of beautifully rendered character portrayals follow, interlinked by Raskopoulos (as himself) being interviewed by his manic detective incarnation. This is interspersed with seemingly nonsensical and beautifully acted diversions, such as the fate of the iceberg that hit the Titanic.
The tight characterisation alone would set this show apart from most character comedy fare, but the increasingly wired Raskopoulos pulls the various high-wire threads together, bringing the hour to an astonishing conclusion. A conclusion that puts the whole thing on another level entirely. It’s a slightly odd show until you’re drawn in fully. But it's a vital hour quite unlike anything else you’ll see at the Fringe, yet also perfectly at home here. Stay is a breathtaking accomplishment.
Steen Raskopoulos: Stay, Underbelly Cowgate (Belly Button), 2-26 Aug (not 13), 8pm, £7-12.50
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