Review – Brain Rinse at Edfringe, The Space

Mike Raffone’s Brain Rinse comes back to the Edinburgh Fringe, and it’s better than ever. It’s advertised as a madcap, bizarre comedy one-man sketch show with a cast of thousands.

How can a one man show have a cast of thousand? Out of curiosity I decided to check it out, and though I don’t have a soft spot for comedy I was pleasantly surprised.

While the audience enters, a surprise awaits to guide them into the theatre space. Once we’re ready to start our puppet master, Mike Raffone, explains the frame of the show and how the audience will take an active part in the performance (don’t worry, participating is not compulsory, but I strongly advise you don’t resist).

Then we start our journey into finding our inner ninja. Our teachers are the characters that appear on stage: a sergeant-major, an old-school mountaineer and a slightly ill-judged lovel guru are amongst the funniest. One after the other these characters play with the audience.  The show works and it’s funny, especially if you happen to be part of an audience that’s willing to participate and have fun. The hour runs quickly, while I forget about about the EdFringe madness outside. 

With this new and improved version of Brain Rinse, Raffone proves his skills as an improviser and comedy actor, whose creativity never stops surprising the audience, creating an interesting and unexpected show. His capability to make the audience feel at ease, leading the show with the understanding that not everyone has fun in the same way, makes this an enjoyable evening, whether you’re the type that joins in or backs off.

If it’s a traditional comedy show you’re looking for, this is not the show for you. But if you’re looking to escape the EdFringe madness, and want to take a moment to stop taking yourself too seriously, then I’m sure you’d enjoy the show.

Dates : August 2nd 2019 – August 24th 2019, 7.10pm  (no performance August 11th) 

Venue: TheSpace @ Surgeon’s Hall (Venue 53) , Edinburgh

Tickets: £10 / £9 (Full price), £7 / £6.50 (Concession) 

Box Office: EdFringe 

Running Time: 55 mins 

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