MONTREAL GAZETTE JULY 13 2007

Fart jokes and all, this fun is high art
ANNE SUTHERLAND, The Gazette
Published: 13 hours ago
I walked out of the Centaur Theatre on Wednesday night with absolutely no idea what I had just seen, but smiling all the same.

Spymonkey's Cooped is one bizarre theatrical performance but it is engaging, ridiculous and very, very funny.

This ensemble, comprising a Spaniard, a German and two Brits, have been together since 2000 and have conceived and performed not only Cooped but another show called Stiff and were part of Cirque du Soleil's adult Vegas act Zumanity. That should give you a clue that they aren't shy about doffing their duds on stage.

Spymonkey's Cooped is part of the Just for Laughs comedy festival and judging by the audience reaction (a standing O), it could be a crowd favourite this year.

It helps if you are a fan of the sitcom, early comedy acts and Pink Panther movies if you are to get the many sight gags and references, but not entirely necessary.

Elements of The Three Stooges, Fawlty Towers, gothic soaps, British bedroom farce and some song and dance choreography la Monty Python are all rolled into one in this performance that defies description, but here's the gist:

A pretty young girl, Laura du Lay, arrives at a remote country manor in England. There she meets attractive but seemingly disturbed Forbes Murdston, an upper-class twit. He has an ominous butler, Klaus, who bears a striking resemblance to Bull from Night Court. There's a lawyer, Roger Parchment, whose accent is vintage Clouseau. An Inspector Detective Judadench, an Italian bishop and three ultra-conservative Jews are also along for the ride.

Laura falls for Forbes but there are complications. Klaus hates Parchment and insults him at every turn. The three Jews are part of a dream sequence. And the bishop? Who knows what that's all about, but his ring-kissing routine brought down the house, including his fellow actor who could barely keep a straight face.

There are four actor/comedians playing these parts and all are gifted. Petra Massey is a very acrobatic Laura, Stephen Kreiss is a hysterical Klaus, right down to the John Cleese German soldier routine. Toby Park plays Forbes as a fey, young Christopher Plummer look-alike and does a funny turn as a fig-leafed sprite.

Stealing the show, but only by a tiny bit, is Aitor Basauri as Parchment/Judadench/the bishop.

Comparisons can be made to Peter Sellers in Basauri's performance but he also resembles a beefier and butchier Kevin Spacey. He endures all manner of kicks to the groin, bird droppings on his head and numerous swipes of his toupEe.

There are also fart jokes and a Ping-Pong bit right out of Priscilla Queen of the Desert.

It sounds very puerile and it is, but these comedians make it work. The staging is done in such a way that the audience is in on the joke and at certain times the actors speak right to the paying customers.

It ain't high art but it is highly entertaining. You owe it to yourself to just sit back and laugh.

Spymonkey is at the Centaur Theatre, 453 St. FranAois Xavier St., tonight to Sunday and July 17 to 22 at 7:30 p.m. For info, 514-845-2322 or www.hahaha.com.
asutherland@thegazette.canwest.com