4 stars
Explaining the universe in under an hour might seem a big ask. If anyone can do it, though, that person is Joey Page.
In the world premiere of Perhaps Under Stars That Would Stretch Forever (Joey Page Explains the Universe in Under an Hour), the master of absurd, surreal, and just plain bonkers humour offers audiences his take on it all.
It’s entirely possible – easy, in fact – to get lost in the vastness of life as the universe spirals out before you. But it’s through this spiralling complexity that Page has discovered something astoundingly true and beautiful. It’s an antidote of sorts.
Image courtesy of Dead Man Label
A performer with a wonderfully dichotomous presence, Page can transform seemingly innocent jokes into something utterly dirty with the arch of a single eyebrow. Skilfully playing with the audience's expectations, he tells a deeply thought-out story with whimsical humour.
This show, packed to the brim with zany jokes, DIY props, and perpetually escalating stories, is as unique as its creator. A sprinkling of social commentary keeps us from drifting permanently into the surrealist landscape that is Joey Page’s mind, and his inventive use of space in an utterly singular venue is a wonder to behold.
As he talks us through the planets, even embodying one – personality and all – we begin to see things from a new perspective. At times the story might seem disconnected, a little random, but isn’t that a perfect allegory for the disorienting experience of trying to understand the vast and complex from a point of relative isolation? We think it is.
Perhaps Under Stars That Would Stretch Forever (Joey Page Explains the Universe in Under an Hour) is a show with so much to offer. You might not realise quite what you’ve seen at first, but we guarantee you’ll know you’ve seen a man in a pink suit explain everything, even his secret to a deceptively youthful appearance, and proffer a fantastic interpretation of a well-known childhood nursery rhyme. And, really, with that as the starting point how can you go wrong?
Tickets available from the FRINGE WORLD website.
JASMIN SEABROOK-BENSON