There is something slightly sinister, and more than a little disturbing about the silent, mime-clown alter ego of international, award-winning comedian Phil Burgers, known to comedy aficionados as Dr Brown.
He is at the Powerhouse this week, performing ‘Befrdfgth’, the final part of the trilogy that also includes ‘Because’, and ‘Becaves’. There is a fine line between comedic genius and madness, and it is not quite clear to us on which side of this line he falls! There is no better backdrop for a performance of this level of craziness than the edgy industrial architecture with graffiti grunge (and surreal bunting!) of the Powerhouse!!
Personal space is a non-concept in Dr Brown’s theatre—prepare to be confronted, and possibly assaulted—there is a high level of audience involvement, voluntary or otherwise. Sitting in the front row virtually guarantees some form of physical interaction, however being in the middle is no protection—he simply climbs over people to get to you.There are things you cannot unsee, and that you won’t ever forget! The performance is at times surreal, frequently uncomfortable, and always illogical—we still have no clue what Befrdfgth refers to, and we are pretty sure the rest of the audience didn’t either, although they seemed to enjoy it.
If you like your comedy extreme and on the edge, taking you into new and uncharted territory, don’t miss it. If you are sensitive, don’t even think about it! Having said that, the man is master of mime—his bullfight and boxing sequences are terrific—testament to his training at Ecole Philippe Gaulier. The circuitous and repetitive nature of the storyline was at times opaque—think Marcel Marceau meets ‘Groundhog Day’, but without Bill Murray or Andi MacDowell. You can’t really, can you???
Dr Brown is performing daily until Sunday at the Powerhouse
30 March Mebourne Comedy Festival9, 10 and 11 April Giant Dwarf, Redfern, Sydney
