Jango Edwards

Press, 14 February 1986, Page 4

Jango Edwards

Jango Edwards, King of Fools, presented by the 1986 Fringe Festival Theatre at the Arts Centre Great Hall, Thursday, February 13. Reviewed by John Farnsworth. It was an exuberant and satisfied audience that left a packed auditorium after Tango Edwards’ second Christchurch appearance. If it looked pretty much the same audience as for the first show then it was, and in spite of billing to the contrary, pretty much the same show, too. Nevertheless, it illustrated something of the instant loyalty Edwards is able to create for his performanin short, he is a kind of one-man. comic powerhouse who, in the course ot a non-stop two-hour show, produces. a dazzling of 2 «m nerlsm M

techniques, wisecracks and transformations which combines the clown, the comedian, and the mime. Once again, the performance was a blend of sketches and songs, ranging from the familiar, now much loved “Church of Grin" to the beguilingly fresh mime, “The Western." This was a spoof of silent movies, introduced perhaps three dozen times, and with a vivid cast of overblown characters. Yet the sketches act merely as vehicles for the real artistry of his presentation. Supremely sensitive to an audience, he picked up its smallest emanation, expanding and shaping it to work it for its full comic potential. So, his opening lasted minutes as he played j; out every variation on

an alternately shy and belligerent introduction, replete with interruptions.

Still, there were slight lapses. While the songs thrived on a surplus of energy, the early part of the show appeared a little too earnestly striving for comic effect, and there were almost too many audience interjections at crucial moments.

When he relaxed, however, his stage presence was irresistible, with an intricate flow of material that ran from the irreverent to the highly explicit. He is not for all tastes, but his extroversion, his appealing combination of self-regarding hipster and fool, and his ability to pulverise latecomers and interjectors alike, have rightly won him a dedicated Christfollowing.