Review: The Pajama Men - Just The Two Of Each Of Us at the Arts Theatre

The Pajama Men - Just The Two Of Each Of Us
Arts Theatre
Reviewed on Thursday 17th October 2013

Usually I write my review of a show as soon as I get in that evening. However, after press night of The Pajama Men at the Arts Theatre I simply couldn't find the words to describe what I had just seen. The following morning I woke up wondering if I had actually seen the show or whether it had just been a strange dream. Described as a fast paced multi-layered extravaganza, The Pajama Men's latest show is nothing short of crazily bizarre. I still can't decide whether I loved or hated it, all I know is that I have never seen anything like it before in my life.

During the show we are introduced to Beulah (who would eat a spider to fit in with the cool kids), Nadine (whose arm is missing and she wants it back), Franz (whose biggest problem is life is too easy) and a procrastinating King (who has only 700 years to get his s**t together because if he doesn't it’s certain death for everyone). However, I wouldn't have been able to write that information without the help of the press material; most the time I didn't have a clue what was going on. It was clear Mark Chavez and Shenoah Allen were playing various characters and the show is very cleverly put together, with the various sketches coming together to conclude the piece.

Mark Chavez and Shenoah Allen are comic geniuses. However, I do not have a clue what goes on inside their brains. The pace dragged at times, I wasn't fully engrossed for the entire hour and fifteen minutes, but I particularly enjoyed the opening and finale. Some would say this is comedy at its very best, while others would say it is just two men being silly on stage. The show recently sold out at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and I image it would work well in a more intimate setting.

If you're looking for a short, silly show The Pajama Men - Just The Two Of Each Of Us would make the perfect choice. Personally I didn't quite 'get' it, but I was sat in a theatre surrounded by tons of people who were grinning from ear to ear.

Reviewed by Andrew Tomlins (Editor)
andrew@westendframe.com

The Pajama Men - Just The Two Of Each Of Us runs at the Arts Theatre until 23rd November 2013.
Please visit www.artstheatrewestend.co.uk for further information and tickets.

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