In Absolute Monopoly, host Benjamin Alborough proves himself a Milburn Pennybags (aka Mr Monopoly) for the 21st Century. He opens with a fun intro that will appeal to wordsmiths, before presenting an amalgamation of different quizzy, boardgamey, gameshowy bits and bobs.
A very silly bunch of random, madcap fun, with lots of quirky and effective gags and segments
Alborough has a good energy and is a very competent host, but if you attend, it will be for the format, rather than the presenter. The main show starts with Alborough passing 'counters' across an audience, some of whom are wearing hats that denote different properties. Two audience members are selected to play a boardless game of Monopoly with plenty of twists. The show is a very silly bunch of random, madcap fun, with lots of quirky and effective gags and segments, such as the 'undo the last decision' bell and the host's purchase of a contestant's soul.
The rules are very loose and adapted to maximise the fun, a wise move to elevate spotanaeity and freshness over a rigid format. While the show is silly, it doesn't feel like the creative depths have been plunged to their fullest - no doubt with such a lucid format, it will continue to evolve throughout the festival though. There's also far too much unnecessary demand for us to applaud - think an episode of Deal or No Deal and keep rolling.
There's ample opportunity for the audience to get involved, although Alborough frustratingly squanders more than half of his interactions on one family at the front, neglecting the majority who might be keen to get some attention. That said, by the end, the kids in the family feel suitably immersed to voluntarily get up and join Benjamin and a contestant for some on-the-spot worm dances, which made for a memorable Fringe Moment. If you think your kids would enjoy the show and you don't mind exposing them to multiple 'F'-bombs, then this is a great one for some family bonding and you'll have plenty to debrief over after.
If you like the sound of it but are an anti-Monopolist, that shouldn't be enough to dissuade you, while the game inspires the show, this is no love letter to it. Absolute Monopoly is a fun screwball comedy of a live gameshow that any discerning comedy-gameshow fan will enjoy, even if it's not quite maxed out on its potential in this current iteration.
