Paul Foot’s “The Donkeys” – Genius Theatre That Could Not Exist Outside of 2020
Back With Full Force
In a year that seemed to have been completely filled with unfortunate occurrences and very little to laugh about, Paul Foot managed to create something that was only successful because of these same dark circumstances. The UK comic, Paul Foot, did Australians a solid in 2020 by introducing so much needed humour through his unique new show “The Donkey”.
The Donkey is unlike any comic format ever seen before and is likely not to be replicated any time soon. The show was basically a performance on Zoom that was completely interactive. Paul Foot was able to secure a super high level of participation from the fans and audience.
The show, which is now being described as an interactive soap opera, follows the lives of the Donkey family which is a clan of firefighters. The stand-out feature of the show, however, is that all roles are played by willing members of the audience. Probably as a result of this unique casting method, the show benefits from an air of diversity that simply makes it more enjoyable.
The way the show works is that every instalment is quite unique and the original script for an instalment is written by Paul Foot himself. This script is then sent to the participating audience members for them to read during the show.
Surprisingly, the participating members of the audience are not even allowed to read the script before the event begins. As such, even the characters are oftentimes just as surprised and amused as any other person during the event.
In speaking about his casting choice, Paul Foot stated that the quality of actors and actresses he is looking for ranges from the very experienced and competent actors to the ones that are totally inexperienced and are vastly incompetent.
The UK comic went further to add that he, in fact, would very much prefer participants with little or no acting experience, although he also mentioned that he would also be willing to accept top actors such as Judy Garland or Bradley Cooper.
The live performance can be divided into three separate parts. First Foot’s players act their roles in a fictitious soap opera, the Foot communicates to the players as well as the audience, after which, he delivers a piece of his trademark surrealist comedy.
There are so many things about the show that might be difficult to digest for people who are not quite accustomed to Paul Foot’s kind of comedy. However, for those who only enjoy Paul Foot, the show could deliver the purest and most enjoyable Paul Foot experience.
Ultimately, Paul Foot has been able to create something really unique here. Audience participation has never really been looked at in this light. Thus, this could be the beginning of a new wave in modern comedy with Paul Foot championing it. Regardless, the team has a lot to offer and has been preparing to come back with beautiful music. Watch out for more.