Geoffrey Brown guides us through the sticky path that is Britain’s exit from the EU armed with a gaudy slide show, an intro song,
In an age where “alternative facts” are becoming a greater issue to the everyman, an attempt to bring colour into politics is greatly appreciated.
The show sets out to detail anything you could ever wish to know about one of the major political shifts in the last year with a focus on context, the exit and the deal. Following his Fringe show Knowing EU in 2016, Brown’s focus is on informing us of the potential outcomes yet his voice appears amongst many others, with very little said that has not already been commented on.
The structure of the work itself is refreshingly unique. Brown employs a star rating system highlighting how three stars are for unquestionable facts, two stars for facts open to interpretation and one star for those statements that are debatable. The interaction with his discussion does not end there with multiple choice questions asked throughout the performance — interesting though asked a little too often.
However, a concern for the Fringe-goer is the dry subject matter with a focus on the bureaucracy which does not always hold attention. One can feel a little lost among the many different organisations and numbers mentioned. Furthermore, while Brown’s decision to jazz up current affairs is highly commendable, the jokes made sometimes fall a little flat. The use of classical art to mimic amusing political moments or relationships fails to elicit a laugh at times as the moment is either rushed or the political relationship less amusing to the audience.
But the world is changing and, in an age where “alternative facts” are becoming a greater issue to the everyman, an attempt to bring colour into politics is greatly appreciated. Such colour comes from Brown’s undeniably bright personality and he certainly induces smiles among the organisations, abbreviations and numbers.
