No one is doing it like Julia Masli. She shuffles on stage, inverted umbrella in hand, wearing a furry hat, tailcoat, padded trousers, and suspenders. Positioned beside her is a table with a suitcase, from which will emerge an endless stream of surprising props over the next hour.
An incomparable physical performer, Julia smiles affably out at the audience, punctuating her movements with little giggles. CHOOSH! is a charming, silly and heartfelt story about migration which follows a hungry man who travels across the globe in search of an American hotdog to New York, where he gets married and has a daughter. No explanation of the plot can do justice to what happens on stage.
I first saw Julia at an alternative comedy night a few years ago. She performed the wedding night legs sketch — a bit I have now seen multiple times and which never, ever gets old, part of the genius being that she makes an audience member do her sound effects, so there are always surprises.
You could count the number of words she says on two hands (and two legs). She just needs to give the audience a look, another little giggle, and we’re laughing in anticipation of what she’ll do next. If a little cautious to get involved at first, it’s not long before the whole room is in the palm of her hand, more than willing to get stuck in when encouraged. A word of advice: try to get a seat at the front or in the aisle for maximum enjoyment. Her clowny take on “crowd work” is lovely.
It’s so brilliant to see a performer like Julia taking on Edinburgh Fringe and smashing it to pieces. This is a show you should be clamouring to see.
★★★★
Julia Masli: Choosh! is at Assembly Roxy at 21:55 until 28th August. For tickets visit EdFringe.com
