By Colin Flaherty
Bigfoot : In Plain Sight tells the story of Canadian Bigfoot enthusiast Robert H. McKinley. We witness the tale of his father Robert H. McKinley Senior – his encounters with this creature of mythology and the community that ridiculed him for what they saw as tall stories. Junior makes it his mission to prove that his father was right all along.
Those expecting a long comical slog through the forest in search of Bigfoot will be surprised that he encounters the cryptid quite early on, partly because the timeline jumps all over the place but mostly the beast just appears. Instead it becomes a hilarious quest to follow the trail left behind by his father and all the lunacy that encompasses.
Emerging from a tent in tighty whiteys, performer Alex Donnelly executes this one handed play perfectly. He mimes his way through all sorts of wacky situations and interacts with other characters using some brilliant vocal gymnastics and wonderful comical expressions. A pair of disbelieving local yokels are given plenty of stage time with their complicated menage a trios as they exchange banter at a breakneck pace that has Donnelly rapidly changing vocal and physical mannerisms expertly so that we can easily follow the conversation.
This tightly scripted piece manages to include some gentle audience interaction. These exchanges do not affect the plot in any way but cleverly relies on Melbourne audiences’ reluctance to participate – giving him nothing so that he can make a joke about their silence. I wonder how he handles an eager, vocal punter?
The soundtrack to this mayhem is a beautiful cacophony of cartoonish sound effects. Wacky soundbites of pop cultural voices pop up, adding to the craziness with some extra giggles. While this performance is primarily through mime, brilliant use of props feature throughout with some impressive hat acting. Some great visual spectacles happen in this onstage campsite that are milked for laughs as we marvel at the technical aspects.
This a brilliant show that had the audience in hysterics throughout and gasping at the huge bombshell of an ending. Lace on your hiking boots to ascend the many stairs of The Malthouse to witness this awesome show.
Bigfoot: In Plain Sight is on at The Malthouse until April 20
https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/browse-shows/bigfoot-in-plain-sight/