A Night To Dismember is comedian Will Greenway's one-man show now on at The Basement, as part of Auckland Fringe Festival. It's pretty much exactly what one looks for in a fringe show: quirky, unlikely and highly entertaining.
Greenway is a storyteller more than an actor, and his humour relies on toilet jokes, absurd turns of events and ridiculous similes. I thought I was above such material, but his delivery was so slick that I found myself won over (that was me losing it in the front row). Yes, the jokes are genuinely funny but Greenway also charms with his easy manner and beautiful voice. I enjoyed his performance from beginning to end, and admired the pace at which he kept things cracking along. His mind is evidently a quick one.
And it is in the mind that much of this show takes place. Greenway's actions are minimal and tend to illustrate his prose rather than add to it. Such a style could work on radio, or around a campfire. For me, it also worked on a bare stage. In fact, the few occasions that did seem muddy occurred when Greenway used a wig to take on another character. This felt unnecessary and I just struggled to reconcile what I was seeing with the character described. This man paints images with words very well, and the visual "aid" contradicted its purpose for me.
I urge you to support this funnyman in this and his future endeavours. A Night to Dismember is a show that plays by its own rules, and those rules become clear only as time goes on. Yet it speaks a language that is accessible and very current. It should appeal to man-children and woman-children alike.
See this show if you are willing to imagine new things and hear a surprising, unique story (with universal themes).
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