Having never seen any live professional improv before, I wasn’t sure what to expect from Funk Rabbit, but one disco ball, two guys, and a DJ later it was an hour’s worth of laughter I would definitely recommend.
From the moment Funk Rabbit arrived on stage it seemed that Derek Flores (of the Fringe’s ‘Chit Chat Lounge’) was clearly the leader of the duo, but Julian Faid are more than held his own throughout the show. Both were quick witted and full of the energy needed to carry a show which involved numerous characters and situations and had only two chairs available as props. The two guys had the classic tall man/short man dynamic going on, and their difference in age also provided some humour. Julian also frequently assumed the role of the child/protégé/female.
The friendly barman of Bats’ Pit Bar provided random music, lighting, and sound-effects throughout the show, which Derek and Julian reacted well to and wove effectively into the scenes. While I question how many of the characters and situations were actually made up on the spot, it never felt like any of the jokes were pre-planned. The odd time a scene fell a little flat it simply reminded us that this was no scripted comedy.
At the beginning of the show, the audience were asked for a few suggestions to provide an overall ‘theme’ for the night’s show; these ended up being ‘money and bitches’ (you had to be there, but it involved Snoop Dog), ‘cricket’, and ‘Melrose Place’. ‘Money and bitches’ and ‘Melrose Place’ were worked into some of the scenes to varying degrees but cricket was forgotten completely, not that it mattered or anyone cared; but it did seem to add to my suspicion that most of the characters and situations (two unhappy men in a bar, a grandmother and her grandson, a super-villain and his protégé, etc) had been planned before the show. However, I guess the guys needed some framework in place to ensure the show didn’t turn into complete chaos/a disaster. Luckily, they’ve found one that works because Funk Rabbit was a very funny night out.
Funk Rabbit
Performed by Derek Flores and Julian Faid Are
At Bats
May 6 – 10