EXPÖSED | Lion and Unicorn Theatre

Baby Lamb Productions reaches a new ambitious and victorious height with its latest production EXPÖSED. Directed by Hannah Mcleod, the show is fantastic in every element, reminding audiences why this particular production company may be the next big thing. The company's signature cheekiness and wit makes them a promising collective of performers. 

EXPÖSED is a modern interpretation of the famous tale Emperor's New Clothes. The show opens with "Ze Emperor", a famous German fashion designer, debuting his new collection of domestic inspired clothes (involving a creative and flamboyant catwalk of clothes made from laundry baskets, bin bags, gloves and even Henry the Hoover). However, when he is critically panned, "Ze Emperor" seeks inspiration elsewhere, honing in on "new cloth", a new innovative material that is only visible to those who are deemed "cool" enough. In other words, a scam perforated by two fake French stylists that leads to a hilarious series of mishaps as no one dares admit that they can not see the cloth. The title of the play will make sense by the end of the show, for those wondering how the show progresses. 

The show is stuffed with comedic goodies, with every element designed to make the audiences howl with laughter. The exaggerated performances of each cast member, the caricature characters themselves, the use of multi-rolling and the disguises to conceal this, the moments of audience interaction and participation, the developing relationships between the characters, the running gags, the witty dialogue, and of course the already wildly amusing premise. All in all, EXPÖSED has been curated to be the perfect hour of comedy. 

The mighty cast raise the standards of what is achieved in the same of comedy, with physical comedy that is both bonkers and brilliant, especially Nick Alexander whose love for horseplay really shines through, and Hannah Mcleod who somehow manages to conjure up an entire rainforest using only sounds and body language. The intimacy of the theatre really places the cast right in front of the audience, so much so, that the ground gently trembles as they gallop around the stage. The show may not be earth-shattering but it certainly does it's best to be! 

Ashok Gupta's dual roles involve a rather scandalous and performative fashion critic, and the assistant of the "Ze Emperor", demonstrating his range. As the assistant, Gupta's solemn and serious demeanour works well to counteract Jacob Baird's flamboyance. Gupta's mellow sensibility stands out in a charade of larger than life characters, allowing his jokes to feel more grounded. Nisha Emich, likewise, shows off her own range with the spiritual and sensitive Arioli and the mature and sensible Maureen. Emich's whimsical performance as Arioli is sweet to watch, especially her scenes with Alexander, and is ever amusing as she disappears for long portions of time to become Maureen. As Maureen, Emich carefully guides audiences to not let the dramatics cloud their minds and hones in on the larger scam taking place. 

Alexander eludes confidence and coolness as Yohan, who prefers to flex his actual muscles than use words but it's with great effect. Alexander's solid nature makes the show even more funny when he lets his wild side take over and goes on a rampage around the stage. Kiera Murray is downright hilarious as the fake French scammer, who constantly has her foot in her mouth (not literally). Murray's naivety and genuine want for connection is well paired with Mcleod, making them a brilliant comedic duo. Murray's performance is refined, making her one of the show's standouts. 

Mcleod garners some of the show's loudest laughs with her portrayal as Alexa, the right hand man of "Ze Emperor". The running gag whether she is human or robot, hilariously spurred on by her own confusion and Baird's confidence, makes it funnier with every scene. A special mention to her immense capability for physical comedy, as she slowly creates calming whale and rain noises, before bringing the entirety of a jungle to the theatre. The impressions are flawless, completed by a bodily impersonation.

Baird's stage presence is unlike any other performer, whether it is in this show or elsewhere. Baird's ability to have the audience in stitches with nothing but a smile, and a strut is a masterclass in physical comedy. Baird's "Ze Emperor" is a spoilt and slightly mad designer who's over inflated ego makes him so cartoonish, that he's guaranteed to light up the stage. Baird's energy, as he contradicts any vague sort of sense or clarity, is ramped up leaving audiences in a trance unsure if he is mad, a genius, or both. Baird's ever present duck face, his booming voice, his inability to follow rules, and his exaggerated emotional outbursts make the show the masterpiece that it is.

The show's only flaw, however, is the pacing, with a series of scenes feeling more like contained sketch scenes than pushing the narrative. The show is immensely enjoyable at any rate, and it doesn't affect the enjoyment. This show has clearly been designed to maximise efficiency of character switches and comedic value, but it does lose a bit of the larger plot as it focuses on the smaller moments of comedy. For those who are previously unaware of the tale of the Emperor's New Clothes, this would have made it tougher to follow the loosely threaded plot. 

EXPÖSED, and by extension, Baby Lamb Productions is a ringing endorsement of why people should watch Fringe theatre, for it is a goldmine of a show that brings together the best that comedy theatre can offer.

EXPÖSED is playing at the Lion and Unicorn Theatre until 21st February - tickets and more information can be found here. 

★★★★☆ (4*)

Gifted tickets in return for an honest review