Ada & Bron review: Captivating chemistry will have you in stitches
Edinburgh Fringe
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Edinburgh Fringe 〰️
Image: Michael Julings
by Zoe Paskett
Before time, humans were blobs with four arms, four legs, two heads and one heart. Scared of their power, the gods split them in two and, ever since, humans have been wandering the earth searching for their other half.
I get the first flash of what this show is going to be like when I see the outline of Ada Player’s teeth gnashing through the sheets of white lycra she and Bron Waugh are encased in when they arrive on the stage in blob form.
Ada & Bron’s The Origin of Love chronicles love in its many bodies: innocent, forbidden, unrequited, delusional, grotesque, kinky and just plain inexplicable. Each sketch is madder than the last, but all remain tethered by the pair’s totally captivating chemistry and expert handling of the overlapping web of stories.
This show is the debut from the Bafta-nominated creators of Peaked (a comedy short in which two best pals in a small town in the Peak District start competing for the attention of the new bongo-playing boy in town, which you should go and watch now if you haven’t already!), and across the two, you can see the same meticulous characterisation. I’m sure their recognisable style will soon be known by many, many more people on stage and screen.
It’s tough to pick out highlights – it’s a whole show of highlights!! – but an elderly woman in an electronically assisted care facility reprogramming a robot to be in love with her while he scans her for gout had me in silent stitches, as did a rock’n’roll girlfriend’s unreasonable request of her boyfriend, and a suburban 70s affair, and everything else! I think I’ll have “gotta look good for Judy” in my head for days. Song of the summer.
Ada and Bron are so evenly matched and play off each other well, but both are able to have their individual times to shine as well, to the virtuoso soundtrack provided by musician Ed Lyness.
Ada's gorgeous performance as a wide-eyed and heart-trampled shy girl (which makes up the comedy short they released this year, Spare Part) is equal parts funny, sweet and heartbreaking. It’s a brave moment of sincerity in amongst the chaos.
I could have watched endless iterations of couples (and throuples) galavant in different costumes around the attic – I lost all sense of time and never wanted to leave.
It’s early days but this is a strong contender for my character comedy of the year award (a personal accolade in my mind). This is going to be tough to get tickets for soon – get in there NOW.
Ada & Bron: The Origin of Love is at Pleasance Courtyard (Attic) at 23:00. Tickets here
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