Mat Ewins is a naturally funny guy and his character-driven Fringe show Bruce Hammers’ Bananapocalypse certainly reflects this. The show’s premise is simple, if a little odd: Bruce Hammers, ‘legendary’ 80s movie star and lead man in the titular banana-related sci-fi title, narrates his rise to fame in a bizarre format that features, among other things, movie clips and re-enactments of former TV roles. There’s also an appearance from Bruce’s improv-loving co-star, albeit an appearance solely contrived to allow the inclusion of some improv-related madness in the show itself.
The format is all over the place, with only a passing nod to reason or formal narrative. This anarchic feel is no doubt deliberate and in places it undeniably adds to the show; however, there are moments where the oddball antics overwhelm the audience and muffle the humour.
That aside there is plenty to love here, with moments of hilarity spurred on by Ewins infuriated, impatient wit. His interaction with the audience is priceless and he deals well with unplanned slip-ups and faults. The re-enactments of past interviews such as Bruce’s supposed appearance on Desert Island Discs admittedly split the audience, as did the ridiculous plots to his many ‘hit’ films, but there were moments of genuine hilarity it would be difficult to achieve without being a little divisive. However, not all of the movie clips struck solid gold, with some dialogue difficult to hear and some concepts simply too outlandish.
Ewins’ particular brand of map-cap hilarity isn’t for everyone but for those with a weakness for the ridiculously surreal there are more than a few gems to be found here.
