Bringing his YouTube sensation to the Fringe, Australian comic John Robertson’s show The Dark Room is basically a ‘choose your own adventure’ computer game in which selected members of the audience must find their way out of the titular dark room in which they are proverbially trapped.
Like all shows that rely heavily on audience participation, the success of The Dark Room very much depends on the answers given by those who are selected to take part, and the way Robertson reacts to these answers. There is much to admire about his performance: his aggressive, exasperated style of comedy makes for some genuine moments of hilarity as the unfortunate souls navigate their way from one ridiculous option to another. The low-key set-up also adds to the farcical atmosphere, with Robertson sporting a DIY wire harness and x-box controller strapped clumsily to his chest. Yet there is affection here too - affection for a bygone era of retro computer games and old-fashioned geek culture. His disdain for one young audience member’s fondness for survival horror Silent Hill was palpable, even if largely tongue-in-cheek. This isn’t an ode to exclusive geek culture by any means, it’s just a ridiculous side-show that happens to be a bit geeky.
However, given the need to start again each time someone new gives it a shot, the whole thing is soon repetitive and the jokes quickly started to wear thin. There are only so many time you can ‘awake to find yourself in a dark room’ without it becoming a bit of an unnecessary drag. By the end you’ll be desperate to find the bloody light-switch already and draw the whole thing to a close, and not necessarily because of the blood-pounding suspense of it all.
