FRINGE REVIEW: "REUBEN SOLO: PLEASE CLAP" EARNS ITS APPLAUSE
Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, comedian Reuben Solo brings his ‘Please Clap’ national tour to Perth’s annual Fringe World Festival.
Contrary to his name, Reuben Solo does not work alone; his 60-minute comedy routine relies heavily on audience participation and his trusty sound technician, James, who gifts/curses the production with various audio-samples. Solo’s brand of comedy is a chaotic and inclusive event which is at its best when the audience are in on the joke: Solo sends people away, invites them on stage, trades items of clothing and dishes out awards.
Please Clap is a disorderly event in the best of ways; hurdling from bit to bit at breakneck speed. As the audience and Reuben become familiar, a comradery develops that propels the interactions. Solo is a tremendously entertaining comedian of which this reviewer will actively seek out his next show; the larger Solo’s audience, the greater the opportunity and scope of his best bits.
Of course, those looking for a more conventional stand-up comic may be put-off by Solo’s hyperactive and post-modern comedy; Solo himself mentioned a recent walkout during one of his more tedious caricatures: Squeaky Joe: the owner of this here establishment.
Solo has a prominent internet presence, and as such his material can be assessed before you commit, however, Please Clap receives our most raucous applause. Get in early and sit near the front if you’re brave enough to partake in Solo’s antics, otherwise, admire the chaos from afar, but no matter where you intend to sit, grab a ticket.
