Doomsday Jockeys @ Pizza Geeks
As Fringey as it gets, this mixed bill from Lucas Evamy, El Gold and Ros & Looch has a bit of everything
Doomsday Jockeys is one of the fringiest Free Fringe experiences you can ask for. Nestled in the back of a pizzeria, the show is a triple bill from three London alternative comedy acts, split equally into 20 minute sets. It’s a mixed array of talent, linked by a collective love of the cringe and the awkward.
First up is Lucas Evamy, who styles themselves as an uncomfortable and anxious comic. Deliberately anti-climactic, their routine consists of dead ends and an unexpected amount of finger-clicking. The failing comic trope isn’t a new device, but it is one that needs to be carefully handled, and although one segment about toe jam gets a warm reception, as does an aside about Punch the Monkey, the routine overall leaves more to be desired.
Next we have El Gold, the human statue. They present an airtight inner monologue of a lollipop lady-turned-artefact, which contains smart jokes ironed out with precision. Their rambling deviations flow effortlessly, and very soon the statue guise is replaced by a genuine and marketable comic mind. Gould shines clearly as a creative with a lot of brimming potential.
The third act is a two-hander short story, as Ros & Looch detail their father’s descent into madness. The jokes aren’t as rapid here, but what replaces them is a well-acted portrait of the manosphere and the lurking dangers within. Between quick costume changes and a dirty splatter against a white sheet, this is an engaging way to spend your time at the Fringe, and maybe the only one leaving you wondering how a saxophone/singing combination would sound.
Between obscure character comedy, cockney accents and a man stroking a curtain while reciting Old Macdonald, there’s a diverse range of talent at Doomsday Jockeys – but it’s also a celebration of alternative, fringe acts. The Free Fringe is and should be a celebration of everything, and this triple bill has a bit of it all.
Doomsday Jockeys, Pizza Geeks Easter Road, until 27 Aug, 6pm; Supercube Cowgate (Room 2), 14 Aug, 1pm; Banshee Labyrinth (Cinema Room), 19 Aug, 1.30pm. Free, unticketed – donations on exit