SWALLOWED WHOLE by Rachel Parry (Irrelephant Productions/Fringe). At the Helen Gardiner Phelan Playhouse. July 8 at 6pm, July 10 at 10:30 pm, July 11 at 5 pm, July 13 at 6:45 pm, July 14 at 8 pm. See listing. Rating: NNN
This series of sketches by Chris O’Bray, Carly Telford and Raechel Fisher features offbeat writing and absurdist perspectives. With backgrounds in clown and comedy, the trio’s characterizations of cops, bros, losers and celebrities can be eerily detailed.
One of the best-realized sections is a spinoff on the Dating Game in which bachelorette Demi seeks a “spiritual connection” with contestants John Lennon, Hunter S. Thompson and a corpse (an inanimate character who appears in most of the sketches).
Another takes the form of a musical number about sharing top bunks and spooning that ponders the sexual desire underpinning bro culture.
Though periodically clever – O’Bray’s My Poor Kitchen is a sly exploration of privilege and consumption wrapped in a cooking show – the humour is weird enough to be off-putting at times and the execution inconsistent.
But that likely won’t bother fans of bizarro sketch comedy.
