Rannel Theatre’s breakthrough 2009 show Flhip Flhop is back in Edinburgh for a limited run and they’re as brilliant as ever. Flhip Flhop is a physical theatre creation that combines jazz, rap, rock and pop with breakdance, beatbox, mime and expertly worked physical comedy into a unique, funny blend.
The two-man team behind Rannel play a pair of itinerant house painters who, whilst decorating their mate’s flat, become distracted by the arsenal of musical gadgetry just peeking from beneath the dustsheets that litter the set. Episodes of musically-enhanced theatre play out in a series of sketches linked together by a concocted storyline. Whilst this framework really only used to provide scaffolding for the extremely talented cast to show off their multitude of skills, it’s substantial enough to provide characterisation and humour.
This is not your average streetdance-cum-comedy production and Rannel remix and rejazz old classics and new favourites to build a fresh and intoxicating performance. Apart from a couple of slightly dated Apple-themed puns, the show is still fresh and exciting enough to maintain the gaze of a modern audience. Matt Bailey and Joey D’s performances are sound and both share a quality sense of comic timing, particularly exhibited during their signature ‘sleeveface’ dance.
I guarantee you that there isn’t another show on the Fringe that plays both Automatic Man and Whole Lotta Love within the same hour. So, for a fast-paced, funny and exciting show, look no further than Flhip Flhop.
