Is the Edinburgh fringe big enough for rival comedy shows about warring children’s entertainers? Of course! This amiable two-hander for over-14s is set in the treacherous world of dinosaur-themed parties and makes a lunchtime alternative to the Pleasance Courtyard hit String v Spitta (starring Kiell Smith-Bynoe and Ed MacArthur).
Wearing homemade scaly dungarees and a T-Rex skull mask, nerdy Terrence is traipsing through the party circuit with a song-and-joke-filled act that’s pretty prehistoric itself. He is unimpressed when his agency sends along fellow dino performer Tri-Sarah-Tops, sporting a three-horned bonnet, to jolly it up – and even more unimpressed when she gets bigger laughs with her lewd material.
To make matters worse, his ex Daphne the Diplodocus has her own show that is head and shoulders above his. Meanwhile, his revered National Geographic (lovingly dubbed “Nat Geo”) keeps publishing research that makes his act look inaccurate.
As the duo team up for a show that takes place amid the haggis hurl and tug of war at Inverkeithing’s Highland Games, writer Alex Zawalnyski has fun sustaining the tension between uptight Terrence (played by himself) and upfront Sarah (Morgan Ferguson). His default mode is delusional arrogance while hers is deadpan bemusement. Terrence deploys Reithian principles to his performances and studiously warms up his roars before taking the stage; Sarah wants a life beyond dinosaurs but is clearly not yet sure what. His strained relationship with Daphne (whom Sarah idolises) is mirrored in her estrangement from her father, a legend in the dinosaur world and Terrence’s personal hero. If Daphne in particular were to be also played on stage, the comedy would rocket.
The content of the children’s shows themselves could be brought to life with cringier humour, especially Terrence’s solo act, which bombs at a seven-year-old’s birthday party in an opening scene that could be sharper. But Zawalnyski’s resistance to any tidy romcom conclusion is welcome and neither character is limited to helping the other grow. Sarah, superbly played by Ferguson, emerges as both vulnerable and clear-eyed about Terrence’s self-absorption. Directed by Laura Hounsell for Apropos Theatre, it’s a sweet, low-key show where the laughter seldom roars but is always warm.
At Bedlam theatre, Edinburgh, until 27 August
