by Peter Callaghan

Venue? Tick. Agreeable time slot? Kind of. Affordable accommodation? You’re having a giraffe. That’s the f**k it list of hundreds of stand-up comedians, theatre troupes and acts which defy description who are currently dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s of their Edinburgh Festival-bound shows in previews throughout London. Not so Pajama Men: Pterodactyl Nights by the Perrier Best Newcomer Award-winning double act Shenoah Allen and Mark Chavez whose finely honed production has toured the world longer than most Fringe virgins’ careers and is currently on show at the Soho Theatre in London in preparation for a two week stint at The Assembly George Square Studios in Edinburgh.

Think Who’s Line Is It Anyway? meets Jacques Lecoq as the plasticine-faced Allen and the straight-faced Chavez engage in a series of improvisational riffs within a set of strictly defined theatrical conventions, which grow arms and legs and other appendages courtesy of off-the-wall suggestions from ever-so-tipsy audience members such as love letters between Mr Moon who lives on the moon and an Elephant-besotted earthling, a two-headed monster who pontificates on the Russian potato famine while sucking a brace of Kojak lollipops and a pair of BFFs-cum-Boyfs who whisper comical sweet nothings into one another’s – mouths. Yes, mouths. Bringing new meaning to gag reflex!

The chemistry between the performers is electric, particularly when they stray from the script and accept the audience’s more leftfield suggestions without so much as a cocked eyebrow (Garry Glitter fronting a Chinese takeaway?). Their confidence in their ability to dig themselves out of an unfunny hole and do so in a speedy, effortless and side-splitting manner is admirable. And their crisp delivery of a dry one-liner would give Stewart “King of the Pun” Francis a run for his money: I hope you’re not enjoying where you’re sitting, because tonight, ladies and gentlemen, we’re going to move you. And move us they did from passive observers to active participants in a whistle-stop tour of what felt like their greatest hits.

However, in addition to their gender-bending and Shirley Bassey Big Spending supporting act Bourgeois & Maurice who interspersed, or should I say interrupted, proceedings with a couple of supposedly risqué songs about chem-sex parties and uphill gardening from their Edinburgh-bound show How To Save The World Without Really Trying (my answer to which would be: write better material), Pterodactyl Nights monetarily lost its predatory instinct in the more traditional sections of the show such as The Two Ronnies-inspired news headlines which though delivered well was repetitive and unoriginal. But other than that, the show like their pyjamas was as fine as silk!

Peter Callaghan
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