Viggo Venn’s act is a hard one to categorise. A mixture of contemporary clowning, stand-up character comedy and sketch. This blurring of boundaries creates a lack of expectation and predictability – this is at the heart of what makes his comedy so funny and memorable.
As a piece of work The Life of Pepito is original, unexpected and innovate; encapsulating the true spirit of the Fringe.
Norwegian comedian Viggo Venn presents his debut solo show The Life of Pepito in Underbelly Cowgate this year and it’s worth looking out for – a hilarious hour with intelligent use of tech as well as physicality. From stealing the audience’s voices to use for himself to having a cucumber duel, the audience is presented with a true absurdist farce. Despite the title it is not a fictional autobiography of Pepito, well at least not in the traditional sense, but instead is an exploration of how that character could try and relate to an audience.
What is remarkable about Viggo is his sheer abundance of stage presence. He is a man who can simple smile sweetly at the crowd to extract genuine laughter. This creates a strong bond with his audience allowing masterful interaction despite very little language being used. Sadly a drop in energy for the middle section left a little to be desired, however an exceptionally strong opening and ending went a long way to negate this.
Contemporary clowning can sometimes feel like an inaccessible form of comedy but for Viggo’s character Pepito this couldn’t be further from the truth. Although some moments may be slightly too absurd for everyone, overall Pepito’s instantly endearing demeanour creates an instant feeling of comfort. As a piece of work The Life of Pepito is original, unexpected and innovate; encapsulating the true spirit of the Fringe. Most importantly it is funny. As a comedy it succeeds and you will laugh. A real worthwhile watch, it will be interesting to see how the show has evolved by the end of its run.
