The Van Gogh Shogh | Pen Theatre

The Van Gogh Shogh is a wonderfully unassuming and hilarious shogh - sorry, show.

Written and performed by Donna Oblongata and directed by Francesca Montanile Lyons, this show explores what would happen if Van Gogh entered a Van Gogh Immersive Experience. And going down this imaginary rabbit hole makes for one hilarious evening of entertainment.

Firstly the makeup and costume design are so hyperbolised, it is immediately inviting and fascinating to watch. The way Oblongata morphs into a haggard, exhausted and dishevelled Van Gogh, with large shoulder pads and paint-covered clothes along with a bandaged ear and a can of beer - the whole ensemble together paints a caricature of Van Gogh that is so exaggerated but also believable.

Of course Van Gogh mostly comes to life through Oblongata's hilarious clowning and acting. In an instant, as Van Gogh enters with a delivery bag for Kevin C - he is endearing and hysterical. He has wonder in his eyes as he realises his paintings are famous, that he in fact is famous. And then reality hits when he realises that he’s still a broke artist. But how can this be when everyone in the room knows his name?

What ensues is an insane journey about art and the artist, where Van Gogh confronts you about not only how much you paid for your ticket to the show, but how much you’re willing to pay for art and the artist's work. Van Gogh weaves some key moments and struggles in his life, all while trying to teach four audience members how to paint, trying and possibly failing to chat up a lady, and even holding an auction. And while this show doesn’t focus on Van Gogh’s tragic history, it gets sprinkled enough throughout the comedy that you are left thinking about how sad it is to know that Van Gogh will never know the level of success he achieved after death. And how much we as a society do or don’t value art.

The show is a wild ride, and while you don’t know where the twists and turns will take you, you can’t look away. Oblongata’s comedic command of the room, the occasional visual gags, the endearing back and forth between Van Gogh and people in his life - all of it flows seamlessly so that you don’t know how you ended up singing along to ‘I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)’ by Meat Loaf. Or how you ended up spending real money for an auction of some amateur paintings. All you know is it was a fascinating and uproariously good time.

The only criticism of the show is that some comedic moments do not get enough time. The fact that Van Gogh starts out as a food deliveryman is ripe for comedic exploration, and yet it’s only briefly touched upon at the start. Or the comedic moment between Van Gogh and the person he’s chatting up at the bar - which could have been even more drawn out.

Otherwise, this show has all the makings of a Fringe hit. There is humour, light social commentary, audience participation and singing. Donna Oblongata has delivered a show so ear-splittingly - sorry, side-splittingly - funny that even the most stoic of art critics would have something to laugh about.

This ingenious piece of theatre is more of an immersive experience than the overpriced £24  London immersive experience ever was - and much more fun too.

★★★★☆ (4*)

Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | Photography by Daniel Callaghan and Josh Yoder