Fabulous Filth

The performance never lulls for the entire hour, as the pretentious French character  rambles on before the crowd, flowing through songs, jokes, banter with the audience, flash cards, and poetry readings. Though the mediums in which the jokes are delivered can vary, Marcel Lucont is still able cue uncontrollable laughter from his audience with a simple facial expression. This diversity in mediums only adds to the originality of his performance. He can go from absurd to completely natural at the drop of a dime. There are moments the feel so natural, one may think they are watching a stand-up act with a real person, but then he will say something entirely off the walls, and you realize, once again, that it is all an act. 

As was mentioned, the humor may not be for everyone. It could certainly make for an awkward first date. The material truly has no boundaries and is filled with jokes that some may find just plain offensive. If you aren’t a fan of Judd Apatow or Sacha Baron Cohen films, then you may not like this performance, but you will still have to stop yourself from laughing occassionally, because Marcel Lucont’s stage presence alone is enough to bring about roaring laughter. 

It is one of those rare occurrences where the dialogue and the physicality of the performance are equally matched, and both are outrageously humorous. The way in which he carries himself on stage, and the manner in which he conducts his banter with the audience, are priceless. Even the improvised material is on point every time. One struggles to think of a moment throughout the performance when a joke did not land, and this is something that seldom happens when one is watching a comedy performance. Most are happy when they get a good laugh every five minutes or so, but his show supplies non-stop laughter through a quality performance, and it is something to behold.

The character comes complete with a self-published book available after the show. The audience lined up to get their own personalized copy, along with some conversation with the man himself.  When he first stood out at the bar he had an entire stack of books before him, but they quickly diminished as he signed and handed out copies for 150 ck a piece. People just couldn’t get enough!

Also, Marcel will let the audience pick which story they would like him to tell or which poem they would like him to read, so the crowd is allowed a bit of control over the material they are presented. This is nice, and it allows for repeat viewings if one would like, because each show may have a different story, or a different poem may be read. 

There are absolutely no complaints to be made about this show. The only warning one can possibly give is due the crass material, which will only make the experience more enjoyable for many!  This will undoubtedly go down as one of the comedy highlights at this year’s Fringe festival, so get a hold of the babysitter and go check out some of this fabulous filth, because this is one Fringe show you should not miss this year. It is guaranteed you are in for an hour of outrageous laughs and quality entertainment well-suited for any dirty mind. Please leave some comments and tell us if you agree!