Reviewed by Rachel Doulton
The world is in turmoil and it's hard not to despair at the current socio-political landscape of division and fear that we find ourselves in but MUSH is just the remedy. From the genius that is Jeromaia Detto, this show lets the audience forget their worries in favour of 60 minutes of silliness and connection. Right off the bat, Detto has the audience in the palm of his hand. While other acts struggle against the hurdle of audience participation, in this show each member of the audience seemed eager for their moment with Detto.
The one-man show is brilliantly formatted with vignettes of an array of diverse characters from a solemn priest to a sensual beach boy. Detto’s charisma shines through as each moment of engagement is an invitation to come along and be goofy with him. You can't help but be pulled in and be jealous of those he pays attention to, craving a bit of attention of your own.
Reading up on Detto's bio it's not so surprising that he's so damn good. Trained by the best in London, Oslo, Chicago and Paris with Ecole Phillipe Gaulier his talents shine through. He seems completely at ease on stage and welcomes the unexpected during the show with joy and seamlessly integrates it into his act. He did this perfectly with his tech for preview night. As we know during festival season, there isn't the luxury of lengthy tech rehearsals so often cues have to be on the fly. Every tech mishap easily played off as part of the act and Detto's confidence overshadowed anything that may have gone wrong with the audience none the wiser or if it was noticed, it only added to the silliness.
The timeslot of 9 pm is perfect to fit in for your after-dinner plans or within your fringe binge schedule. Hosted in the Goodwill Club at The Rechabite, the venue complements the timeslot perfectly as a central venue with more than appropriate capacity, anything larger would detract from the playful intimacy that Detto conjures with the audience.
With only a few nights left, book in quickly and inject a bit of play into your life. It's more important than ever to remember that we need to have a laugh and who better to trust than the mush that's come from Detto's noggin.
Reviewer Note: Tickets for this review were provided by the performer.
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