By Ron Bingham
Comedian and brilliant improvisor Eric Lampaert has created a show where he gets a group of comedians together (there were eight or nine at the show I saw), acting out a famous film. The audience is also invited to help and the action is directed by someone on the side of the stage, which is turns out to be a pretty important part of the performance, as sometimes the actors have not seen the film which they are recreating.
Today’s film was Aliens. Only about half the audience admitted to having seen this classic (and half the cast). Scarily the ladies playing Ripley and Newt were unaware of their fates. Eric played the Alien, wearing a couple of taped together bin bags (very hot in an already hot room), spraying water bottles at the cast and audience, while shouting “eat my how Alien Acid Jizz” as well as giving audience members face palms (thus infecting us with more alien eggs).
I think the best way to describe the recreation of the film is disorganised chaos which was ridiculously funny. Poor Newt spent most of the play with her head up the back of Ripley’s skirt (even while they were running round the back of the room) and it was pointed out (by Eric the Alien) that Newt was being played by his fiancee, at which point it went to wrongtown.
I’m not sure how much better this was than yesterday’s version of Forrest Gump, or tomorrow’s film (whatever it may be), but I can guarantee that you won’t get covered in “water” or receive an alien’s egg. This show is highly recommended but just be warned you will have a random cast playing random movie, but if you enjoy semi-scripted chaos with energy and public liability insurance, come to see this show.
Comedians’ Cinema Club is on at Just the Tonic at The Tron.
For Tickets and more information go to the Edinburgh Fringe Website:
