Montreal Fringe Feature: Talking Cock

Brave New Comedy Imports Richard Herring's Acclaimed Answer to The Vagina Monologues to the Montreal Fringe

I've had many male comedians try to convince me that they've matured above and beyond writing jokes about their penises. "I'm smarter than that, a better writer than that, I'm more than just my dick, younger comics will learn quickly, I'm older and wiser now, right right right".  Ok. But what if you can write a really runny penis joke?  Gold is gold, even if it is adhered to your genitals.  At least that's the lesson I've learned from the Canadian premiere of Talking Cock: Don't discredit jokes about your junior.
Admittedly, as a woman, I wouldn't ordinarily endorse writing a seventy-five minute piece about penis.  Further, as a dramaturg, I also would never endorse writing a ninety minute show about vaginas or any genitalia or any one particular body part or love affair or just one thing, one dimension, because, I would humbly suggest, one dimension may not substantiate an entire show.  Thank goodness no one told that to Richard Herring, a wildly successful UK comedian who has spent hours on stage in his winning show (and now podcast) Talking Cock discussing all the curiosities, fascinations, disturbances and wonders of his very own"spam javelin". I must admit, with his humour and honesty ingenuity. he has won the argument: Penis is funny.  It's personal.  Personal is tricky because it's easily offensive but if you're a funny person, you can ease personal matters into public places without much trouble at all.

This summer, Montreal-based company Brave New Comedy is bringing Herring's internationally acclaimed penis parade to the Montreal Fringe.  Brave New Comedy, a division of Brave New Productions, aims to push the boundaries between theatre and comedy.  They've spent a decade bringing new works to Montreal and, now with a dashing amount of experience under their belts (pardon the pun), they are working with said famed comedian to adapt his stand-up show into something that can be divided amongst four actors.  By doing so, co-directors Donald Rees and Tracy Allan and performers Jason Yearow, Santi Espinosa, Nir Guzinski and Sean Curley seem to be succeeding Herring's theatrical goals further.

Originally, when Herring premiered his show in Edinburgh in 2002, the piece was heralded as a "man's answer to the Vagina Monologues".  The comparison doesn't really ring true if the piece is a one man show.  The Vagina Monologues is Eva Ensler's amalgamation of  a female voice through various voices ergo one man and his penis doesn't compare.  By splitting Herring's show into several performers, Brave New Comedy is actually constructing something similiar with Herring's work:  Several men discussing their genitals in order to appeal to a universal male voice.  The result?  A multi-dimensional show about penis. HOW?? It's such a brilliant little adjustment to a comedic piece and it adds many layers of theatricality.  Brave New Comedy always works to blur the line between comedy and theatre and by premiering Herring's work in Canada with a theatrical twist, they are absolutely doing just that.
The show opened last Thursday to basically sold out houses. The humour is not for the faint of heart but is absolutely for those who would like to laugh immediately and probably for a while after the show.  The sincerity, however, will hit home with most audience members.  The universality of things that are personal, private, terrifying to experience and terrifying to talk about can be appreciated by any audience member.  Though there is plenty of genitalia in the show, there is also plenty of heart.  Bring  both of yours with you and you'll be moved in all kinds of ways.

CHECK IT OUT!
Talking Cock plays at the Wiggle Room this week: June 17-21
All ticket information here.