Edinburgh Fringe comedy review

By Zeus! What a Herculean feat it is for a single mortal to cover the whole of Greek mythology in one hour. But Garry Starr deserves a seat in the pantheon of physical comedians after this rambunctious high-energy romp through Mount Olympus.

The broader premise is… well, irrelevant, really. But for the record, he wants to spread the word about the ancient legends to pique our interest in his Hellenic homeland, so boosting tourism and lifting the nation’s economy out of its ‘ergonomic progression’. Oh yes, malapropisms are part of his shtick, too, for he never wastes an opportunity for a gag wherever he can insert one.

The anarchic pace never flags, with flamboyant skits, dumb one-line puns, songs, monologues and a hefty portion of audience participation, all underpinned with a wild slapstick zeal that often ends with Starr humiliated but blissfully unaware of the fact. His mad energy could probably power Athens.

Greece Lighting sparkles with gloriously stupid invention in various forms, making great use of music, props and the audience – but primarily the willingness of Starr’s Australian creator, Damien Warren-Smith, to do anything for a laugh. That irrepressible spirit lends the show a fizz of unpredictability.

There’s not a moment of respite as we zap between an interpretive dance about how humanity is screwing the Earth goddess Gaia; the blinding of the cyclops Polyphemus by whichever audience member has the sharpest aim; an encounter with Cerberus, the three-headed hound of Hades, who is a lot less intimidating once you see him in the fur; and so much more besides.

It’s playful, purposeful and very silly, both tightly planned yet allowed to freewheel – and with a clever wit concealed behind the stupidity. Any knowledge of the mythology, however superficial, will be rewarded with a few extra laughs, but highbrow this is most certainly not. Greece Lightning is surely one of the most gloriously dumb shows of the Fringe.

• Garry Starr: Greece Lightning is on at Underbelly Cowgate at 8.55pm

Review date: 15 Aug 2022
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: Underbelly Cowgate