Superclump – Fringe 2009 - ***3 Stars
In 140 characters or less: “If they can just get the timing as fast as a speeding bullet Superclump will become a sketch group of steel.”
I’m not sure how many people are in Superclump. I could find out but I prefer to be happily dazzled and mystified by the array of characters this large and enthusiastic cast play.
This is a bizarre sketch show, with some Big Train-ish moments and lashings of stupid dances. It holds together well, but the pacing sometimes loses its way, leaving the audience unsure when to applaud. Some sketches were just too long (a brilliant stand off between two macho lotharios loses it’s way trying to get to a pun) and others just too short (the annoying Red Riding Hood and her short tempered grandmother).
The acting for the most part is pretty strong: Mike Wozniak is absolutely on top form, and he clearly leads the group on stage. Tom Craine and Nat Luurtsema get some of the best lines, but it’s a real team effort overall and there’s something delightful about watching sketches where you’re never sure quite how many more people will end up on stage.
The team are quite successful in getting all their personalities across, despite playing a variety of characters without breaking the fourth wall particularly often, though it was a charming and revealing moment to see Craine and Elis James corpsing in the Aesop sketch. It’s clear there is a central drive to the sense of humour which makes Superclump great, and with such a large cast they could have easily lost their way with this.
In order to really get the most out of this show, watch out for when sketches take a darker turn: a dance turns bizarrely violent, children play some very odd games, and just wait until you find out what’s in the party bags…
There are definitely a few dud moments they could scrap in this show, and it suffers mildly from the post-lunch sleepy slot, but when Superclump shine they really dazzle.
Words: Elise Bramich
