It’s always a thrill to come across a completely odd show which has generated a genuine sense of excitement and become a real word of mouth hit.

 

Mr Chonkers is appearing in the “coveted midnight slot” in a tiny hot room above a meat restaurant.   But the room is stuffed full and there is a sense of anticipation.

 

The performer is very clear he has thrown his entire skill set into his Edinburgh show.  And he has had hundreds of acting lessons, from the renowned Dr William Chunt.

 

To show his versatility he has created an acting segment, a writing segment, a magic segment.   There is poetry, there are impressions and a very dramatic opening sequence.

 

Metaphorically and literally Mr Chonkers is wearing many hats.

 

However this creature, the creation of American John Norris, has a very inaccurate notion of his own talents.  His impressions all become Hugh Jackman, he loses control of his props and his poetry produces laughs in strange places.

 

Overwhelmed by failure, Mr Chonkers spins out of control, slapping the wall, bemoaning the comedy industry, endlessly replaying scenes and flipping into impressions of pornography and piglets.

 

He does very peculiar things with his hands and often falls to his knees to transform himself into a creepy small boy with no neck.

 

Eventually the pretensions, pornography, piglet and no necked boy swirl together in a kind of demented maelstrom.  

 

The only thing which can stop the madness is a bell, which has been given to a member of the audience to ring whenever he feels unsafe.  But the audience is laughing so hard the bell often stays silent.

 

Mr Chonkers is unnervingly odd and sometimes rather revolting but his bizarre performance style is very funny indeed.

 

He takes himself utterly seriously and the worse things get for him the more we laugh.