Poor old Randy. He's a boozed up Australian children's entertainer going through a mid life crisis. His relationship is in ruins, his finances are in trouble. Hes a foul mouthed mess. And he's a purple puppet. Heath McIvor, puppeteer also in Sammy J and the Forest of Dreams, presents Randy in this his debut solo show. This is a very well developed show, with musical interludes and razor sharp writing. Randy explains where his life has taken him, how he has become an entertainer and how he and estranged wife met and fell in and out of love. Telling the story through a puppet works on a number of levels - some of Randy's behaviour might have come across as a boorish or self pitying in traditional stand up, but the puppet builds an affectionate relationship with the audience as he tells his tale with just the right amount of bitterness and regret. My only small quibble was about the sound - as a couple of times - particularly during the first song and at the very end, Randys voice was a little muffled.The range of expression that McIvor can pull out from the purple creature is amazing - its possible to forget that youre watching a puppet as Randy interacts with the audience and reacts to prop mishaps. It's poignant and very very funny, with well paced storytelling. Stand out moments include a rogue puppet Yeti, a riff on herbs with the audience and his relationship with a hip flask. Inventive and imaginative, this show is highly recommended.
