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SPANDEX! - (REVIEW)

(3 1/2 stars out of 5)

Edmonton Fringe Festival 2001
By COLIN MACLEAN -- Edmonton Sun

August 20, 2001

Spandex describes the pants of the tight Toronto duo of Mark J. Richardson and Dave Pearce. They call themselves, for reasons known only to themselves, the Cowards. The Earth may not move with this show but it is an antic and quite jovial way to spend an hour at the Fringe.

There are skits: a pet storeowner explains to a grieving father why he sold a king cobra to a 10-year-old boy. ("If he doesn't like that how about a puff adder?'') There's a Viking stand-up act and a children's learning segment that turns rather bloody and sexy before it's over. There's a moment of smarmy charm from two tatty Christmas cruise entertainers with the unfortunate names of Hooker and Blow.

My favourite was the continuing gag that has two hosers debating about the great Roman empire led by Sid Caesar and the founder of one of the huge religions of pre-Christian times Zoroastrianism; Zorro - you know, the guy with the sword.

And then there were the songs: tender ballads about Barney the Carney. "She may not have all of her fingers but she smells like candyfloss.'' Or who could fail to be touched by the genuine emotion of Christmas on Maximum Security Cell Block No. 4? Or the ever popular Baby, Let Me be Your Cannibal Man?

The two are droll fellows with suitably off-kilter senses of humour. They work well together and have well-defined comic personalities. Where else on the Fringe are you going to find a workout tape playing between skits? And who could not enjoy a show that ends with a song in celebration of the Ebola virus?