Review

REVIEW: Will Penswick: Dank Verse – 4*

Radio Ha-Ha! talks Ha-Ha!

Written by Vanessa Maselino

Free Fringe has earned a notorious reputation for being quite the gamble. The odds really are 50/50 on whether you will leave a Free Fringe show having just discovered your new favourite comedian, or if you will leave crying over an hour of your life that you can unfortunately never retrieve. However, should you have stumbled through the Place Hotel, journeyed across three seating areas, and tentatively entered into a tucked away backroom venue; you would have found a true Free Fringe Gem.

From the moment he took to the stage, Will completely embodied his character of being “the world’s worst” and yet most unjustifiably confident, Spoken Word poet. Prior to the show I knew of the premise and had a vague idea of what to expect. However, with almost the same high levels of confidence as the delusional poet, I can assure you that this show exceeded all of my expectations in the most wonderful of ways.

Never once breaking from this persona, he welcomed people to join in with the show and responded with impeccable timing and wit. Audience members who entered with a reserved demeanour, were noticeably more relaxed and eager to contribute after barely the first 15 minutes. Will skilfully struck the perfect balance between portraying a character that is quite rude and self-absorbed, whilst also retaining all of his natural charisma. This created the perfect atmosphere for you to completely invest in his alternative world.

Will’s clever format of selecting material from his collection of poems, meant that he could effortless flow from a variety of topics, constantly keeping us on our toes – Is he going to talk about Death or Last night’s dinner? Or perhaps Death caused by Last Night’s Dinner? Who knows!

It is hard to go into too much detail about this show, without spoiling the many surprises that ‘Dank Verse’ holds; so, I shall keep it short. Overall, this is a show that possesses something for everyone. Regardless of your expectations going in, you will be hanging off of his sometimes nonsensical rhymes by the end of it. It is a fun show, that is easy to watch, and hard not to love. It will be very interesting to see how Dank Verse develops from here, as Will refines and polishes it.

Unfortunately, Dank Verse has ended its run at this years Edinburgh Fringe! Thus, if you missed the opportunity to catch this brilliant show, then be sure to visit the StraightUp Productions Website to find other dates, venues and festivals where Dank Verse will be on tour.