Edinburgh Fringe 2024
Underbelly, Cowgate - Iron Belly
Playing August 13-25
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
It’s a big day in Gary Kane’s brain. Uptight Brain Cell number 64,928,460,784, sometimes known as Clive (Joe Pike), is hosting the first ever tour of the brain for a group of excited hormones (the audience), while his immature coworker Brain Cell number 12 (Tom Hazelden) wants to get involved and liven things up a bit.
And things certainly do liven up quite quickly — an emergency alarm sounds and we’re told that something’s gone terribly wrong in Gary’s brain and he’s close to death. It’s a mission that could be solved by all of the brain cells working in harmony but, unfortunately, Clive and 12 are the only two left.
Can they work together to save Gary?
It’s an absurd premise that lends itself to some supremely absurd comedy as the pair come up with increasingly unlikely tactics to kickstart Gary’s brain back into action. Much of the comedy comes down to the huge contrast in the two characters.
Clive does things by the book, having left the ‘humour’ department of the brain — and his frivolous love of dancing and ABBA — to rise up the career ladder. Pike delivers this with complete and utter conviction, while still managing to make the character absolutely hilarious.
Brain Cell number 12, on the other hand, just wants to have a good time and tick things off his bucket list before Gary’s inevitable demise, with Hazelden’s jack-the-lad portrayal acting as the perfect comic foil for Clive.
The characterisation from both actors is impeccable, especially when it’s put to the test in a hilarious body-swap scene, and they deliver a masterclass in comic chemistry.
My Last Two Brain Cells was one of my favourite shows from the Edinburgh Fringe last year, and while they’ve added lots of fun new elements, they’ve kept all of the charm that originally made it a knockout.
From the scene where they speak in flawless unison for several minutes to a romantic montage reminiscent of Disney’s ‘Up’, there are so many inspired comic bits in this show it’s hard to believe they’ve managed to squeeze it all into just a single hour.
That’s certainly not to say the show feels longer than its runtime. The 60 minutes whoosh by in a frenzy of chaotic energy and snappy scenes that keep you constantly wondering what on earth they’ll do next.
They also get the audience involved throughout, showing off the pair’s remarkable ability to think on their feet and come up with a quick witty retort to whatever is thrown at them.
Amongst the comic clowning are some touching moments of vulnerable emotion, which really pack a punch between all of the laughs and show off the actors’ incredible versatility as performers. By the end of the short hour, we feel genuinely invested in their friendship and their final reconciliation is an absolute joy to watch.
This is the kind of show no trip to the Fringe is complete without: it’s charming, good natured, utterly bonkers fun that you won’t forget in a hurry. It takes a lot of brains to create a comedy this delightfully stupid.
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