Goose (An Odd New One-Man Comedy Whodunit)

We are gathered here today to witness, and solve, the grievous hate crime committed against David Schwimmer. Someone has spray-painted the word “poof” onto his car. If this sounds like a childish or insensitive show, prepare for Adam Drake’s sublime one-man whodunit to obliterate all preconceptions. Returning to Edinburgh in a new guise, Drake escorts us through a complete hedgemaze of a show that is both a work of theatrical mastery and comic innovation.

As Drake steps onto the stage, accompanied by nifty little acoustic tunes from Hatty Carman, he squirms and jitters his way through a catalogue of characters. While attempting to decipher the mystery of Schwimmer’s graffiti vandal, he darts off on hilarious tangents, blurting out misdirection after misdirection, from telling us about the truth behind ghosts to impersonating a terrified Matt LeBlanc. It is deconstructive, satirical and stunningly structured, often burlesquing the very storytelling conventions that help Drake perform his show.

Its success is all down to a simply mesmerising solo routine, drilled with joyous non-sequiturs and glorious narrative detours. So much so, there are times when Drake seems to be smugly aware of his own talent. He often weaves this however, rather charmingly, into the show’s chain of events. His delivery is vivid, nuanced, believable and utterly relentless (front row audiences may need a towel to fend off the beads of sweat that leap from Drake’s forehead). It is feverishly good fun, with such beautiful craft as to astound audiences and remind us that, when nailed, solo shows can lead the pack.