“Kaput”, a kid in the audience whispers to his little brother, “means broken.” In this one-man slapstick circus, everything breaks down, except for its’ star. Pulling through every conceivable (planned) mishap, Tom Flanagan is wildly endearing, never giving up, and increasingly imaginative as everything falls apart.
A former circus man, Flanagan is described as an ‘elegant buffoon’, and indeed he is. It takes a level of cleverly choreographed skill to pull off this many accidents in a row, and so it’s not so much derisive to mention that he brings it on himself: it’s amazing.
Flanagan is a spirited performer and pulls off some physical tricks that would be astounding even if they weren’t performed in a tent on a forty-degree day. And physical is where it is; very few words are uttered (though when two people left early, he ran to the door after them to yell ‘and stay out!’ to an unwise Northbridge public).
In Fringe, a performer convincing an audience member to join them under the lights is one feat; but here they’re given no explanation. Flanagan shepherds his temporary cast with ever-flailing arms into what to do with shoes, popcorn, and a romantically-offered pack of biscuits. What results is testament to his incredible silent wit.
It’s the comic touches that bring Kaput home; escalating in frustration at a malfunctioning projector spitting out its’ innards, Flanagan turns to it, fists raised, in self-defence. As he is soaked with water, and the stage fills with discarded props, one thing becomes fairly evident – Kaput may mean broken in definition, but this show has it together.
Kaput runs 12-24th Feb in the Circus Theatre tent as part of Fringeworld
Get tickets here
