If you haven’t seen The Birdmann before – do yourself a favour. The premise for the show is film noir-esque: The Birdmann has a blackout one night, comes to and realises that he’s been handcuffed to an ironing board at some point and is now in possession of a sequinned stiletto. What the fuck? Subsequently, he tries to piece together the evening’s events. What results is an absurdist comedy that’s so thoroughly charming you’ll want to see it again.
The Birdmann’s a bit like Leunig’s Mr Curly made real – there’s the physical similarity (the Tintin-like quiff) and the surreal but sharp spin on life. There’s also a lot of pathos in this show – without reaching any firm conclusions The Birdmann raises important questions about time, love, loneliness and how best to approach life – should we tackle it as if this is our first or last moment?
The Birdmann uses simple props to beautiful effect – for instance, an iron becomes a dog on a leash. It’s a bit old-school vaudeville, a bit circus and a lot of funny. Without giving anything away, the show’s highlights involve cupcakes and Cher. I laughed so hard my cheeks hurt.
BY MEG CRAWFORD
