Julia Bon-McDonald
Accompanied by visuals I can only assume were heavily inspired by big-boy truck commercials, Guy Gunn: Beast Basher begins with an intro from Guy Gunn (Kevin Orlando) and his assistant Alex (Sean Dugdale-Martin), about who they are (Beast Bashers) and what they do (bash beasts).
I am immediately hollering, and the laughs continue steadily from there. Writer Mitchel Botting packs a truly impressive number of jokes and gags into Guy Gunn’s 55-minute run time, and with a great cast and crew on board, it’s a real treat to watch.
Kevin Orlando as Guy Gunn is a delightful parody of a doomsday-prepper podcast/documentary host, he's an absolute hoot to watch and completely sells the main premise of the show; I am positive that Guy Gunn: Beast Basher would not land even half as well without his total commitment to the bit. Initially I am worried that no one can quite measure up to his larger-than-life portrayal, but I am happily proven wrong.
Sean Dugdale-Martin as Alex is categorically unhinged, and goes measure for measure with the insanity that was Guy Gunn: Beast Basher. The combination of lighting by Madyson King, projection, electric guitar riffs and eagle screeches during Alex’s time on stage made me feel like I had fallen face first into a deep-fried meme – this is a compliment, it was hilarious.
Conversely, David Bowers-Mason's Frankenstein sticks out as being… oddly tender? But I love that they made him a sensitive wee soul, this creates a slew of great moments where he is totally at odds with the rest of the committee of monsters. In fact, I found all of the characters to be well developed with clear roles in the committee’s dynamic. The result is something remarkably similar to a real committee meeting – which might be the most monstrous meeting of all.
I have to give a special shout out to the costume team, who have a huge role in bringing Guy Gunn: Beast Basher to life. The Bermuda Triangle costume by Jodi Walker is a particular highlight, and the remaining costumes are quite simple, but very effective. The costumes are very much in-on-the-joke, and the joke absolutely lands. I would like it known that Guy Gunn's muscle tank (that has the energy of a 'Don't Touch My Truck' style-shirt) is a work of art - I want it for my own.
Shows that are focused around a central caricature can have a tendency to go really hard on making them the funniest person in the show for the whole, entire run-time. Guy Gunn: Beast Basher gave everyone on stage a chance to shine, and every character had their opportunity to get a laugh out of the audience at some point or another. Unfortunately, there were a few moments where bold sound cues covered up the talking, and I ended up missing some lines from the less intense characters in the show, which was a shame.
For a show about monsters, Guy Gunn offers up a surprising amount of humanity in its writing. There are some very genuine moments of connection as Guy discovers that he and the monsters are more alike than initially anticipated, which elevates the show from being an hour-long bit into a story you can really invest in (while also laughing your ass off).
Guy Gunn: Beast Basher has now closed their Fringe season, but you can catch them in BATS from 11-14 March.
It's important to note that the arts world is really small! I’ve worked with quite a few people on this show in multiple different capacities, and if you feel this has affected my ability to remain impartial in this review, we have a feedback form that I would encourage you to use 🙂
Kevin Orlando as Guy Gunn is a delightful parody of a doomsday-prepper podcast/documentary host, he's an absolute hoot to watch and completely sells the main premise of the show; I am positive that Guy Gunn: Beast Basher would not land even half as well without his total commitment to the bit. Initially I am worried that no one can quite measure up to his larger-than-life portrayal, but I am happily proven wrong.
Sean Dugdale-Martin as Alex is categorically unhinged, and goes measure for measure with the insanity that was Guy Gunn: Beast Basher. The combination of lighting by Madyson King, projection, electric guitar riffs and eagle screeches during Alex’s time on stage made me feel like I had fallen face first into a deep-fried meme – this is a compliment, it was hilarious.
Conversely, David Bowers-Mason's Frankenstein sticks out as being… oddly tender? But I love that they made him a sensitive wee soul, this creates a slew of great moments where he is totally at odds with the rest of the committee of monsters. In fact, I found all of the characters to be well developed with clear roles in the committee’s dynamic. The result is something remarkably similar to a real committee meeting – which might be the most monstrous meeting of all.
I have to give a special shout out to the costume team, who have a huge role in bringing Guy Gunn: Beast Basher to life. The Bermuda Triangle costume by Jodi Walker is a particular highlight, and the remaining costumes are quite simple, but very effective. The costumes are very much in-on-the-joke, and the joke absolutely lands. I would like it known that Guy Gunn's muscle tank (that has the energy of a 'Don't Touch My Truck' style-shirt) is a work of art - I want it for my own.
Shows that are focused around a central caricature can have a tendency to go really hard on making them the funniest person in the show for the whole, entire run-time. Guy Gunn: Beast Basher gave everyone on stage a chance to shine, and every character had their opportunity to get a laugh out of the audience at some point or another. Unfortunately, there were a few moments where bold sound cues covered up the talking, and I ended up missing some lines from the less intense characters in the show, which was a shame.
For a show about monsters, Guy Gunn offers up a surprising amount of humanity in its writing. There are some very genuine moments of connection as Guy discovers that he and the monsters are more alike than initially anticipated, which elevates the show from being an hour-long bit into a story you can really invest in (while also laughing your ass off).
Guy Gunn: Beast Basher has now closed their Fringe season, but you can catch them in BATS from 11-14 March.
It's important to note that the arts world is really small! I’ve worked with quite a few people on this show in multiple different capacities, and if you feel this has affected my ability to remain impartial in this review, we have a feedback form that I would encourage you to use 🙂