2011 Edinburgh Fringe

Michael Winslow review

Michael Winslow is the man of 1,000 sound effects. And boy can Winslow produce some clever sounds. It is certainly very impressive to see him produce uncanny reproductions of everyday noises, and one can only marvel at the complexity and quality of the audio Winslow is capable of creating.

However, the problem with this Edinburgh show is that it isn't really very funny. The actor attempt to put the noises together in scenarios, but in the process it's all reduced to the most obvious situations, such hotels and aeroplanes. The premise to most of the sections seemed to be 'I'm a nightmare to be with I am, and here's some proof...'. There are some nice, original routines with a good sense of timing and comic ability, but mostly the humour arises from the audience's surprise at a certain noise coming out of Winslow's face.

But maybe that's the idea. It's Winslow's thing after all. However if that is the case, he should try to stay away from actual jokes. Have you noticed that we've got loads of channels but still can't find anything on? Yes. Along with these poorly observed pieces was a misjudged routine about Stevie Wonder which was needlessly inappropriate for what is a mainstream show. Impressive feats of sound conjuring do appear, but these rightfully get cheers rather than laughs. And, yet again, the ending - impressive as it is - lacks humour.

Winslow does command the stage well, and it's great to see a performer who can speak quietly and passionately and capture a room of people the size of the Udderbelly, especially with all the acoustic problems this oversized cow offers.

So, in summary, from a performance perspective Winslow does well, but in regards to the comedic angle (which is what this website is interested in) he does not.

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Michael Winslow - The Man of a 1000 Sound Effects listing