WAITING FOR GROUCHO. Tol 27 August.

Edinburgh 2007 Fringe.

WAITING FOR GROUCHO.
by Louise Oliver.

The Zoo, 140 The Pleasance. To 27 August 2007.
Every Day. 4pm
Runs 1hr. No interval.

TICKETS. 0131 662 6892 or Fringe BO 0131 226 0000.
Review Thelma Good August 2007.

The Harpo’s the one.
This Glasgow-based group brings a new play by their director Louise Oliver where Harpo and Chico look back at their rise from poverty through vaudeville and Hollywood as they wait for Groucho. Zeppo and Gummo appear as do their father and very organising mother Minnie. There’s also a succession of attractive girls who never stay until the redoubtable Margaret Dumont arrives to be the straight-woman for Groucho’s jokes.

Impersonating such well known comics is a considerable challenge and getting the timing right the key. Unfortunately only one of those playing the famous brothers really unlocks our belief in their character, the silent one who plays Harpo. He really works at getting it spot on - the eyes, the atmosphere are all there.

Chico’s just too stiff while Groucho’s just not sexy enough. Even in his seventies on chat shows Groucho worked his charm on teenage girls watching him on black and white TVs. If they could sharpen their game and timing a tad more, the laughs would be more frequent and prolonged. The rest of the cast provide pretty good support though the direction doesn’t get to grips with the limitations of the space.

2007-08-11 10:16:50