Presented by Gilded Balloon
@ The Campanile – Garden of Unearthly Delights
MONDAY 12th March (until March 18)
When I said to my boyfriend, ‘Do you wanna come see Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre with me?’ I could see that he didn’t really want to but after taking the chance and coming along he was glad he’d done so. It was a weird and wonderful show proving itself to be funny, silly and enjoyable. It would definitely not be for everyone, and you can probably tell if you’d like it or not just by considering whether you’d want to see it based solely on the name.
So, on Monday night we walked into the Campanile and the song that greeted us was ‘We will rock you’… except on closer listen it was actually We will sock you’. I was already giggling a little just at this; it wasn’t really that funny but it was a silly gag and it warmed me up for what was to come. We sat down and waited, and when the show began we met two sock puppet characters, somewhat akin to Pinky and the Brain; one is the straight man, the brain of the pair and the other is Pinky the comic relief. Unfortunately, the characters didn’t have names, a missed opportunity for hilarity. The two bicker and taunt each other all night, with threats like ‘you’re going down like a one-legged man in an arse-kicking contest’, being thrown around willy- nilly.
The show unfolds as a mix of songs, and then various little sketches of things like a period drama a la Downton Abbey, musicals that the crowd called out, TV shows and films, which were pronounced ‘fill-ems’. Basically, no form of pop culture is safe from a gag at the hands of Kev F. Sutherland the man behind the eccentricity that is Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre.
It didn’t always quite find its mark, sometimes due to cross-cultural references that weren’t recognised by all in the audience, but it did have me chortling like mad at most parts – even doing that silent laugh where you’re shaking too much to attain your proper air supply (or something, I don’t really know what causes the silent laugh). There was something charming about the whole set that felt like it was someone having a red-hot go with an act that they obviously enjoy doing. If you had the definition of pretentious at one end of a spectrum, Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre would be at the other end entirely. And my use of the word spectrum would be bumping right up against the pretentious end.
As I said earlier, it wouldn’t be for everyone and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who takes things too seriously as you certainly don’t walk out of the show ruminating on the meaning of life. But I did walk away with a smile on my face.
Before I end this review I feel obliged to say ‘insert corny sock removal pun here’. Something like, ‘See it, you’ll laugh your socks off’ will do. And if you think you know what Michael Jackson’s best song was, or the lyrics to said song, check this show out. You’ll be in for a treat and a learning experience.
