Abandoman: Moonrock Boombox

Abandoman (there are currently four of them including frontman Rob Broderick) arrive on stage looking like a Libertines pub tribute band. One of them claims to have been in Mumford and Sons, the other two don’t speak much but provide the beats and synth to back up Broderick’s deftly improvised hip hop.

There are no pre-written witty songs or straight parodies. Abandoman’s performance is based entirely on interacting with the crowd, picking out little details and weaving them into a loose, surreal narrative about an epic rap battle for control of the moon. Apart from that there is no content to speak of, so what actually happens is almost entirely dependent on the willingness of the audience to provide source material.

The big purple cow on Bristo Square can seem cavernous at times but Broderick keeps the whole audience engaged and participating, instead of just lazily victimising the front rows. What’s more, he can actually rap. Comedy aside, some of the things he does with the hooks he picks up from the audience are downright impressive. With just a name and a few details he weaves semi-fictional personalities and slots them seamlessly into the story as it progresses toward a climactic fun-size Connect Four battle for domination over the lunar surface.

At the end of the day Broderick is one of countless improv comics at the Fringe riffing off of their audience, but his way of doing it puts him in a higher class: think Goldie Lookin Chain for people who listen to Radio 4.