Play With Myself: The Trials and Tribulations of Drama Practitioner Gregory Bike @ Dragonfly

Pretentious drama practitioner, Gregory ‘Brecht’ Bike, delivers a lecture on his life alongside his equally, nauseatingly ostentatious son, Trev ‘Coriolanus Andronicus’ Bike. Together they relay the story of Greg’s life, love and non-existent agent, culminating in the opening night of his self proclaimed seminal tour de force and masterpiece, Dead Dog Lying in the Dirt.

Following a successful run in their Liverpool hometown, the young company combine a potent and hilarious mix of satirical humour with perfectly pitched character comedy, hilariously parodying the world of theatre. And in what better setting than the biggest arts festival in the world?

The strongest moments come from Liam Hale as the tortured protagonist, whose monologues cleverly poke fun at the all too common ‘drama types’. Gags such as utilising ‘the inside of a double glazed window' as a stage add to a delightfully formed character that the audience love to loathe. The comedy is delivered with an assured confidence, although moments featuring a bemused and exhausted technician feel surreal and out of place. 

With such a promising comedy show, the only thing lacking is the audience the actors deserve. With two weeks of the festival left to go, you still have time to catch it.