Back from Edinburgh Fringe, Dr Professor Neal Portenza returns to Melbourne for a week-long run. Partly surreal and mostly improvised, this one-man show features comedian Joshua Ladgrove playing a myriad of bizarre characters. From foul-mouthed Greek Australian Stavros to a questionably racist French portrait artist, Dr Professor Neal Portenza is the rosy-faced persona that remains onstage for most of the show — well, for some parts for the show, at least.
‘If you’re looking for a quiet hour of standup, you’re fucking wrong!’ Portenza exclaims, running down the aisle while eyeballing bemused audience members. As the show heavily relies on audience interaction, Portenza’s audacious manner reaches into the far corners of the room, cheekily inviting audience members to join in with his madness. He picks on unsuspecting punters — some reluctant, some eager to display their own outlandish behaviour. He teases and bullies; he mocks and taunts; yet his bewilderingly shameless front results in Portenza being the ultimate target for ridicule.
Donning a lab coat and a bright red beret, Portenza possesses a restless sense of energy that is absurdly laughable. He clumsily performs ‘rhythmic gymnastics’ and greedily consumes ‘a bag of drugs’. His high physicality performance is slapstick humour at best, but Portenza’s outrageous personality takes it to greater heights. He retains no inhibitions, resulting in nonsensically hilarious moments, such as stripping onstage or loudly demanding responses from the audience. His unabashed nature is freakishly enticing, abundantly astonishing and most of all, very, very funny.
For such a ludicrously weird show, it might seem possible that Ladgrove’s foolishly quirky nature would eventually wear thin. At one point, he plays a different character and scoffs at an audience member who falls for his same trick twice. ‘Theatre,’ he gleefully sneers. This self-awareness comes with a high level of irony that, fortunately, Portenza never abuses. His eccentric brand of madcap humour comes with a sharp appreciation of comic elements, such as in making good use of music, lighting and the physical space. Most importantly, with all his zany audience interaction, he never attempts to outsmart them. Best of all, the cathartic, inanely gratifying finale lets the audience finally take control, leaving them erupting in pure hysterics.
Obnoxious and ingenious; chaotic and playful, Dr Professor Neal Portenza is an immensely entertaining show. Portenza’s reckless behaviour may not sit well with reserved participants, but his riotous antics are alarmingly engaging. With its unexpected mesh of seemingly random segments, Portenza and co. call for an exceptionally remarkable hour of comedy.
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Dr Professor Neal Portenza Performs His Own Autopsy Live On Stage. One Night Only. (Obviously).
The Tuxedo Cat, Wills St, Melbourne
Melbourne Fringe Festival
www.melbournefringe.com.au
22 – 28 September
