Fringe review: BILL’S 44TH, Dorothy James & Andy Manjuck - Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Photo credit: Ben Wright Smith

Dorothy James and Andy Manjuck create a highly imaginative show which tells the story of a man called Bill on his 44th birthday. Bill is turning 44 and he is clearly very excited for his celebration, carefully laying out vegetables, dips and punch but to his great disappointment, no one seems to arrive. Waiting impatiently as the clock ticks by Bill gets very flustered and keeps mishandling objects, getting tangled up in the film of a tape player and then the telephone chord which he then pulls accidentally off the wall. The first 30 minutes is filled with gags such as these which are completed by the puppeteers with flare and ease.

The second half is where the show takes a satisfyingly surreal turn, with Bill’s imaginative guests (balloon men and women) turning against him. Balloons impressively float on to the stage in a mysterious configuration, all with ridiculous faces drawn on them. A new puppet (his younger self) is also introduced, and we see flashes of Bill’s childhood birthdays as candle after candle is blown out. The gags and audience laughter from earlier quickly turn into a more solemn reflection on the passage of time and how quickly we move through our childhood.

In Bill’s 44th, we grow to love this man who brings a company of balloon and carrot friends to life in the absence of physical guests at his birthday party. For what is a wonderful hour, we are all reunited with the joyous, curious and playful child within us.

Bill’s 44th plays at Underbelly Cowgate at 8.35pm until 27 August.