Peerless

While most student drama Fringe entries are content to take a classic and perform it straight, UCLA's King Ubu has shades of cabaret and slaps the fourth wall silly. Ubu doubles as the MC, a change of hat transforms a noble to a peasant, and the entire hour is shot through with quick humour and a charmingly basic stage craft.

Jarry's script is a scatological romp through a series of Polish revolutions, with the titular Ubu and his fiendish wife plotting, ruling and fleeing into exile. Echoes of Macbeth, tactical swearing and some positively absurd performances make this almost a revue of sketches, mocking kings, nobles, heroes, stage conventions and domestic squabbles.

UCLA never let the audience forget that this is a play: the harsh edge of Jarry's satire, such as Ubu's infatuation with a horse, are softened by the fun and energy. While the exotic dancers promised in the press release never quite appear, this production runs the line between drama and vaudeville at a snappy pace.