Raise the Hammer
The audience laughed often and loudly during this loose collection of surreal comedy sketches based around four variously-damaged characters forced to submit to life's absurdities.
After an opening montage that introduces the characters and their respective diagnoses, the show launches into a super-awkward visit between a just-dumped woman (Bartolucci) and her less-than-supportive friend (Reoch), who has also invited her boyfriend (Lorenzo) for some hilariously icky overlove.
The show's many highlights include:
An oversharing Starbucks barrista played by Lorenzo, who brought a zany Zach Galifianakis/Charlie Day energy to all of his performances;
A mesmerizing song in which Nasrallah, accompanied by Bartolucci, lamented a date who wouldn't stop talking, with Reoch's character nattering incessantly throughout the entire piece;
An insufferable thematic upscale restaurant called Trifecta, which only books parties of three and uses humans as tables among its quirks; and
An outrageous sleep app with an infuriating meditation narrated by a hilariously Icelandic guide (Reoch).
The company is Toronto-based and the show reflects a variety of Toronto icons - in fact, it felt somewhat like a Toronto version of Portlandia - but the actors also tossed a few funny bones to their Hamilton audience.
This was their first live performance at Hamilton Fringe but there were only a few rough edges. The performers deftly handled a couple of lighting position errors with some quick-witted improvisation.
As a sketch piece, the whole many not add up to much more than the sum of its parts - but those parts were very, very funny indeed. You will not be disappointed.
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