Jazz or a Bucket of Blood - Edinburgh Fringe Festival (UK)
Reviewed by Justin Clarke
Underbelly, George Square - The Wee Coo
20:50 - Aug 16-27
1 hour
Suitability: 14+ (Guideline)
Country: Australia
Group: Ange Lavoipierre and Jane Watt
Warnings and additional info: None
Accessibility:
May not apply to all performances. You'll find more information about accessible performances and how to book tickets in the accessibility tab below.
4.5 STARS
- Cooky, spooky and...filled with Bunnings humour, there's enough farce here to really "fill yer boots" this Edinburgh Fringe -
Absurdist comedy has really oiled my giddy gears in the last few years. With the explosion of the Aunty Donna boys and becoming fans of the musical stylings of Mel and Sam, it’s safe to say that I will sniff out some absurd bouts of comedy where I can. So it’s with no great surprise that I absolutely adored Jazz or a Bucket of Blood starring Aussie comedians Ange Lavoipierre and Jane Watt.
With the show being 40% about Billy Joel, 31% about Bunnings, 12% about What is a Baby, 8% content written by AI, 3% feminism and 6% other material, Jazz or a Bucket of Blood is wonderfully chaotic and gets your hunger for a Bunnings snag cooking. Childhood frenemies Jane and Ange have come to Edinburgh Fringe to debut their next show, but they can’t decide what it’s going to be about. Yes, Jazz is a great time, but what about that bucket of blood Jane has sitting in the corner? They’re determined to entertain you, but can’t quite end up on the decision of how.
Ange Lavoipierre and Jane Watt in Jazz or a Bucket of Blood. Photo: Jane Watt
Enter questions and tangents galore. Whose blood is in the bucket? How much Billy Joel is too much? Why doesn’t England have its own Bunnings? Who wants to hear a scary story? The faux-amateurism of the show is deliciously wonderful and led with the chaotic energy of Lavoipierre and Watt. They have a knack for responding to the energy of each audience member, making every comment or reaction read like it was all meant to be part of the show. In their attempt to teach Fringe audiences about Bunnings, the number of Australians in the crowd made that job a heck of a lot easier, much to their annoyance.
There’s enough farce here to really fill yer boots this Edinburgh Fringe. From Lavoipierre’s wicked smile when teaching Jane how to make friends, through to Watt’s Australian drawl and fear of social settings, it’s absurd in all the best ways.
Do yourselves the favour of seeing Jazz or a Bucket of Blood this Fringe Festival and lean into the absurdism of these two Aussie legends. Be prepared to be spooked, maybe discover you work at Bunnings, and face the ultimate conundrum on whether you truly want to know the secret of the bucket of blood.
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