In today’s climate of brunching, Instagram-obsessed millennials, and in a time where avocado-hand and avocado-shaped walkie-talkies are an actual reality, there is plenty of opportunity to take the piss. This is exactly what sketch comedy duo Dave Christie-Miller and Max Norman do. It’s very funny most of the time, but can be one note, and some of the gags were a bit easy.
Avocado! is definitely relatable, often clever, and funny stuff.
Nevertheless, Dave and Max thunder into their Fringe debut with some great performances, mercilessly taking the piss out of themselves and the other app-reliant, self-centred youth of today. Painfully relatable, tragically relevant – and although I would have said this was probably one for twenty-somethings, there were quite a few older audience members who were also loving it.
Highlights were priceless impressions of Severus Snape and Hermione Granger in a coffee making class, in which the brewing of the perfect caramel macchiato vanilla flat white (???) was likened to the most complex and dangerous of potion making. Quips about ‘basic-bitchness’ were a little unoriginal – although maybe I’m just salty because if I’m being honest with you, a caramel macchiato vanilla flat white would probably sit pretty well with me.
Sometimes the audience participation worked, and sometimes it was a little pointless and used for guaranteed laughs; although to give credit where credit is due, when isn’t a confused and put-on-the-spot man who just wanted to sit back and drink a beer while watching some comedy funny?
One occasion on which two audience members were called up to participate in a Ready Steady Cook sketch in which they must choose the perfect (awful) superfoods to blend together into a “delicious” meal was very good, and the improvised comments from Dave and Max on the side-lines worked really well (“They actually expect us to hoover afterwards”). Avocado! is definitely relatable, often clever, and funny stuff.
