Words by Suzy Romer
Lock up your men folk; the master of audience participation is back in town. Adam Riches knows the British male psyche so well that he can pick any man from the audience and make him do unimaginably outrageous things in front of a packed crowd as if it were nearly normal. The spell is achieved by a heady mix of macho heroism, derring-do and, frankly, hot boy-on-boy action which is as thrilling and terrifying as it is funny.
His characters range from a table-throwing warlord (aka Sean Bean) to a gal’s creepy male friend who offers a shoulder to cry on after a break-up and “gleans” as he schemes. Ryan Gosling and his mother make appearances which are each very seductive in their oh-so-different ways. But the best moments are when he brings in an unsuspecting audience member and sets up some crazy, over-the-top situation which has you slapping your thighs with laughter as you marvel at the sublime ridiculousness of it all. It’s difficult to put into words but Riches’ humour seems to come from somewhere else. He blends spontaneity, improvisation and a tightly reined yet barely contained script so expertly that he makes it look easy to create a unique live experience every single night.
Don’t be deceived; this sort of monkey business (and monky business, if you’ve seen the show) can only be created by the best of the bunch. You’ve been warned about sitting in the front row, but go ahead if you think you’re hard enough. You think you can play with the bigger boys? I dare you.
Catch Adam Riches at the Pleasance Dome at 9.45pm throughout August. Buy tickets here
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