Steffen Haanes @ Banshee Labyrinth
Steffen Haanes' Master character returns to the caverns of the PBH Free Fringe for a crowd-pleasing burst of vampire comedy
We're at that point of the Fringe where you might find yourself at a sacrificial blood ritual led by a vampire and his accomplice. Referring to himself as ‘The Master’ (of what, exactly, we do not know), Steffen Haanes is a surprisingly polite and respectful bloodsucking anti-hero who gives a delightful performance.
His accomplice Monday, a spooky wind-up toy played by the talented Maria Ansdell, sets the scene as audience members arrive. Teasing us to not “wind her up”, she warms up the crowd with games of hide and seek in preparation for the arrival of The Master. Standing behind barred doors, he forebodingly announces "it is time for me to do my entrance”. But first, he needs to show us what he plans to do!
Haanes is an excellent performer – charming and gracious, his Master character is like the offspring of Borat and Nosferatu. Running backwards and forwards across the stage in a billowing cape, Haanes shows off this ‘entrance’ of his, a hilarious segment where he repeatedly pauses to break the fourth wall. “Spooky, right?” he asks, with the audience lovingly applauding in agreement. “Eh oh…” he jests curiously. These two catchphrases anchor the show; combined with his big entrance, these are its strongest elements, and ones which garner the most laughs.
The middle section, where Haanes turns into a (toy) bat and ‘flies’ around the audience is fun at first, but after a while becomes slightly monotonous. Some other jokes feel overcooked, with even his beloved catchphrases beginning to buckle under the show’s weight. When the blood ritual takes place, it is somewhat anticlimactic. There was an opportunity here to amp up the drama and to be hilariously gory. Instead, Haanes sips from a little cup of ‘blood’ that an audience member hands him.
“I’m going now!” Haanes exclaims as he begins to reluctantly make his exit. We’re all genuinely sad to see him go, telling of the good time we’ve had. The audience has been relentlessly on side throughout the show; we can only hope each performance has as generous a reception as this one.
Steffen Haanes: The Master, Banshee Labyrinth (Chamber Room), until 30 Aug (not 18), 8.35pm, free unticketed, donations on exit