When we think of clowns, we think of cheeky but silent circus entertainers with painted white faces and that all important large red nose. From first glance, Puddles reminds us of those traditional clowns, however at a height of 6’8’’ and with a microphone centre stage, Puddles Pitty Party adds something a little different to this year’s line-up at Underbelly’s Edinburgh Christmas.
Puddles is anything but silent, his whole act, believe it or not, is based around his voice. You may recognise him from collaborations with Postmodern Jukebox who are renowned for their alternative covers including Lord’s Royals and Sia’s Chandelier. These tunes are a real treat, as Michael Geier, who plays Puddles, has an impeccable voice, reminiscent of the old style cabaret or jazz feel, adding a little melodrama on the way which makes his voice unique and a pleasure to listen to.
This performance has been highly praised through Geier's recent show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2015 as well as his international success. However, there is a lack of a through-line with the performance, which is perfectly acceptable for a cabaret performance, however, some of the songs feel out of place at times. The combination of the songs with the projections of black and white movies, cartoons and selfies of Puddles and celebrities seems to clash and leaves us a little confused – this might be the intention however.
Unfortunately there is also a lack of through-line with Puddles himself. We see him only as a stock character, he is lonely, sad, searching for something more – perhaps it’s his character? He walks in and out of the audience interacting with us all and this is a real crowd-pleasing point as we then become part of the performance and almost everyone gets their chance to star alongside Puddles.
All in all, this is a highly entertaining show but feels as if it never really goes anywhere. It has so much potential which could help to aid the comedy, character and develop the overall narrative of the piece.
Last show Mon 21 Dec, 7.30pm