Stuart Bowden plays a singing, ukulele-strumming tiger, the friendly MC of proceedings. He sports an unusually nervous disposition, flustered in the face of Dr.Brown’s antics. Where Bowden does his best to keep everything together, Brown plays an endearing agent of chaos, exuding a Mr.Bean-inspired innocence – not to mention Mr.Bean-inspired nonsense.
The show revolves around a day in the life of Dr.Brown, charting everything from side-splitting breakfast mishaps to tennis match tomfoolery, with an impossible bike stunt among the highlights. The duo present the show in segments and know exactly when a scene is played, keeping things fun and fresh.
As far as kids’ events are concerned, Dr.Brown nails a perfect balance here, staging a show not too cerebral but not entirely unambitious either. Bowden and Brown are frequently found taking chances and, sure enough, they’re rewarded. Beneath various spates of silliness, low-level whimsy and the pair’s juvenile flare resides a very clever show, one that would likely succeed detached from the ‘family-friendly’ premise of proceedings. Furthemore, this is the kind of the show that denies any real opportunity for one’s smile to relax, such is its heart and good humor.
Dr.Brown may have impressed with his solo show Befrdfgth, but this family-friendly affair serves to illustrate his depth and his ability as a comic performer.
