Viggo Venn: Only One ⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Viggo writing to you here! I’m back in Edinburgh, I miss you! But I took off my Hi-vis vest, and now I can’t find myself… Can’t speak right now! Please come find me!!”

Viggo Venn has managed to make a career out of being wonderfully, gloriously ridiculous. Only One continues that tradition by somehow finding a surprising amount of heart underneath the silliness. This is physical comedy at its best: playful, unpredictable and completely committed to the idea that you don’t necessarily need words to tell a story.

The direction embraces the show's chaotic nature, and I loved watching Venn discover new ways to use the space. Nothing feels overly restricted or formal, which suits his style perfectly. There is a constant sense of play, and you genuinely don’t know what might happen next. Costume is surprisingly classy and elegant, almost the polar opposite of some of the shenanigans Venn gets himself into. That contrast is part of what makes it work so well. He looks as though he has arrived to host a very respectable evening of theatre, before immediately proving that he absolutely has not.

The lighting is really nice and varied, with lovely transitions between states. The lighting adds another dimension to the performance and helps shape the different sketches without ever becoming a distraction. Sound is always at a lovely level, although there is inevitably some variability in the sound because so much of the show relies on Venn’s interactions plus spontaneous choices. In this case, that unpredictability becomes part of the fun.

The book is incredible in its simplicity. Venn can create entire sketches with absolutely no talking, which is genuinely impressive. The sketches are solid, and the recalls are used brilliantly without becoming overused. More importantly, the individual pieces don’t feel like completely separate ideas. They build upon one another and create a wonderfully cohesive world. The music choices are similarly strong. They serve the story beautifully, and some genuinely wonderful selections raise the comedy rather than simply providing background noise.

And then there is Viggo Venn. He is ridiculously charming. There is an infectious charisma to him that makes it almost impossible not to root for him, even when he is doing something completely absurd. What is particularly impressive is his ability to make us care about the character while simultaneously improvising with members of the audience. That is a difficult balance. He can make you laugh one second and then genuinely create an emotional moment the next, without saying a word.

Viggo Venn: Only One is a wonderfully silly, surprisingly touching and technically clever piece of comedy. It is proof that physical comedy doesn’t have to be simplistic; sometimes saying absolutely nothing can communicate more than a page of dialogue. Viggo Venn is a performer who understands that the audience isn’t there to watch him. We’re there to play with him. And I had an absolute ball.

Viggo Venn: Only One plays at Pleasance Ace Dome at 20:10 with an approximate run time of 60 minutes.

Book tickets for Viggo Venn: Only One