5 stars
Maniacal genius of alt-comedy, Claire Sullivan annihilates the audience’s sense of reality with Toast Rat. Don’t be misled by the madcap, messy glory of it all—this is intensely smart comedy.
Photo by Nayt Housman
Sullivan has a range of weapons in her comedy arsenal. From slow burn callbacks to sly social commentary to surreal sketch, combined with wild facial expressions and seemingly boundless energy, Sullivan's comedic prowess proves potent. Weird characters appear, then vanish almost as swiftly, while others—such as the rat for whom the show is named—recur throughout.
Chortling and snickering her way through stories, skits, bits, and gags, Sullivan bounces around the room and her setlist seemingly—but very clearly not—at random. Despite starting the show by outlining exactly what the it will include, and not straying from that thematic itinerary whatsoever, there is still no possibility of predicting the outcome.
As we said in our list of top shows for FRINGE WORLD 2020, Toast Rat is the kind of show that defies any reasonable categorisation. There are some remarkably heartfelt stories, delivered with genuine vulnerability, but within moments Sullivan is taking on the form of the titular rodent and dashing through the room while hunting toast.
Regardless of where the show is, or what she’s doing, Sullivan is a delight to watch perform. She’ll break regularly, hunching over or cackling with wild abandon as the sheer joy of what she’s doing briefly takes over. She’s clearly having an inordinate amount of fun performing the show, as is the audience seeing it.
You’ll emerge from the room following the show's inevitable ending, still none the wiser as to what you’ve seen. Yet there will be a distinct memory of what happened—some of it will be impossible to ever forget—and an unequivocal sense that it was hilarious.
But you won’t know why.
You don’t need to know why.
Sullivan is your tour guide on a journey into gibbering insanity and she’ll take good care of you.
Tickets available from the FRINGE WORLD website.
GLEN SEABROOK-BENSON