Will BF @ Underbelly Bristo Square

In a world… where there are thousands of Fringe shows to choose from, Will BF’s is certainly unique. This live ‘making of’ film parody has the right shape and all the right gags, but is let down by slow transitions and a general air of shonkiness.

There’s some really excellent ideas in The Last Gun, a show which, at times, feels like a Mat Ewins spin-off in its creativity and format. There’s more puns than you can shake a stick at, a lovely bit of insider continuity spotting and some fun gags transferring between the mock-doc clips and BF on stage. There’s also space for some inventive audience participation: one right at the top to commence the show, another involving plasticine disguises, and an inspired, interactive chess match which has a hint of the brilliant Foxdog Studios about it.

There is a sense, however, that it all just feels a little ‘off’. Puns ricochet around the room but are often met with either a groan or stony silence. There’s a prolonged scene where BF switches between several ‘actors’ by use of a neckerchief, but two of the characters seem indistinguishable and the transitions between them are painfully slow. It’s DIY but without the charm of something lovingly handmade. It’s almost too mid-budget for its own good.

The craft behind the show is impressive (it must have taken weeks to write, code and film all of the elements involved), no doubt, but for a show bursting with so many ideas, the end result is something amateurish and unexpectedly staid.

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Will BF: The Last Gun, Underbelly Bristo Square (Dexter), until 28 Aug, 2.45pm, £10-11