Knight, Knight @ Underbelly George Square
Knight, Knight is an hour of medieval silliness from a Knight and their very sexy horse
It’s no wonder Knight, Knight was a cult hit at last year’s festival. It’s clowny, it’s silly and it’s very funny. Back for round two, Madeleine Rowe trots onstage in full 'knights of the round table' garb – if lycra and glitter thread (and dinnerlady tabards) were more of a thing back then.
Knight is strong, brave and madly in love with their horse, Hermes. Central to the show’s plot, Hermes is victim to a John Wick-like attack leading Knight to wander into the distance in search of a crown and a wife.
The plot is relatively simple but there’s plenty of fun to be had in Knight’s arc. It can feel a little repetitive in places, with the clowning games they play returning in different scenes, and the time Rowe spends with their hobby horse lover could be more spread out across the hour as it’s easily one of the strongest segments. As is their game of ‘crown chase’, stating ‘I’m ready’ as they collapse to the floor every time the audience attempts to crown them. Kudos to the audience member who immediately volunteers to be Hermes in real life, genuinely cracking all their bones into place like some sort of horse zombie being brought back from the dead (it's extremely hard to unsee this image, and now you must see it too).
There’s a real sense of Brian Blessed in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves about Knight’s presence – big blustery chops, absurd pronunciation, loves a crusade. Rowe has hit the exact right balance between over the top and charming, and Knight, Knight is just one of those straightforwardly fun hours at the Fringe – a lovely distraction of a show with lots to like about it.
Knight, Knight, Underbelly George Square (Wee Coo), until 24 Aug, 7.20pm, £8.50-12