Olaf Falafel is a comic genius
Olaf Falafel is perhaps best known for regular appearances on ‘Best Jokes of the Fringe’ lists, fusing intelligent construction with a delightful surrealism. I Used to Work in a Helium Balloon Factory Until They Let Me Go – an excellent title – continues this great work in a very silly, very funny, and wonderfully constructed hour.
Falafel’s easy presence onstage, comic versatility, and pure glee at his own performance draw you in completely. His central tenet that ‘Fun needs structure’ is achieved with the aid of a PowerPoint – facilitating visual and written jokes – and skilful pacing. Falafel’s calm confidence can make the show look like it’s throwing things at the wall to see what sticks, but everything has a purpose (often serving as a callback).
These elements’ primary purpose, however, is to establish the show’s rhythm, which Falafel has honed to perfection. There’s such a variety of comic payoffs: everything from prop comedy to bad puns, and even some political satire. The use of technology opens up even more avenues for humour, often taking the easy joke and then following it up with something unexpected. What Falafel calls his “sorbet” jokes deliberately change the pace to cleanse the palate, often making a uniquely askance observation (“surely not everybody was Kung Fu fighting?”).
There’s a warm sense of camaraderie to the show. You’re never far from a chant or a song, or indeed a version of Guitar Hero played with dog squeaky toys! Falafel also impishly challenges the audience to guess jokes ahead of time – sometimes an image onscreen foreshadows the punchline, and an early routine sees increasingly obscure ways to introduce children’s nursery rhymes, becoming more obvious until the audience clicks. With typical creativity, these clues are delivered as a press conference where a comic character admits past misdeeds. That’s perhaps the best way to capture Falafel’s vibe – a delightfully naughty children’s entertainer.
This review uncharacteristically quotes several jokes, because for this show spoilers simply don’t matter. There’s such a volume and variety of material crammed into the hour, and Falafel’s creative delivery is strong enough, that knowing a joke in advance hardly diminishes it. Anyone who wants to laugh will find a lot to love in this wonderfully silly, intelligently written show.
LISTINGS INFORMATION:
Venue: Laughing Horse @ The Pear Tree (Main Room)
Dates: Aug 6th–18th, 20th–30th
Time: 14:30 (60 mins)
Ticket prices: Free (pay what you want)
Fringe box office: 0131 226 0000 / www.edfringe.com
Suitable for 12+