An hour of collaborative absurdity, built by the room and lived in by Elms
As the audience enters Upstairs at Pleasance Courtyard to witness David Elms Describes a Room, only a lonely chair awaits. Elms then introduces himself with the familiar opening routine of a stand-up comedian before running onto the stage.
He sets up the show rather straightforwardly, explaining that it is about a room, but not the physical room of Upstairs. Instead, it is an imaginary room that he and the audience will co-create over the course of an hour. Once the room is complete, he will improvise what it is like to live in it. He begins by inviting random members of the audience to describe things that might be found in different locations around the room. What the audience comes up with can be dull or funny, highly detailed or something that no one would actually have in their room, such as a pair of gloves from the 15th century, a copy of Jane Austen’s Emma, or a deck of cards containing only the same card. Then, by the end, Elms pretends to enter this room for the first time, turning the increasingly strange collection of objects into a piece of silent-film comedy.
The atmosphere is relaxed, and the audience soon becomes comfortable contributing to the show and laughing at each other’s ridiculous ideas, meaning that the fun will never be quite the same for every night’s audience. Some of the laughter comes from the strange tastes revealed through the objects people choose to put in the room, but much of it also comes from Elms’ careful handling of the audience. Typical improvisation shows can sometimes feel as though you need to be funny, credible or weird enough to contribute, or even compete with fellow audience members for the chance to become part of the show. Elms instead takes his time and makes sure that as many people as possible can contribute to the room we are creating together.
Yet, the ending also creates something rather confusing. Although Elms seems to be entering the room for the first time, he somehow knows that there is someone standing outside in the rain. There could also be more done to develop the characters or the history of the room’s owner, especially when some of its objects feel as though they could not possibly belong to the same household. Still, it is a highly enjoyable experience, and one hour at the Fringe that feels totally worthwhile.
David Elms Describes a Room runs from 5th to 30th at Upstairs at Pleasance Courtyard and Queen Dome at Pleasance Dome.