Edinburgh Fringe: Max and Ivan Are… Con Artists – Pleasance Courtyard
Director: Jessica Ransom
Reviewer: Tracey Lowe
The Public Reviews Rating: 
Last year, Max and Ivan arranged one of the most talked about shows at the Fringe; The Wrestling. This one-off event pitted comedians against real-life wrestlers, and the duo picked up a Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Award for their innovative idea.
This year they have come up with an equally brilliant concept, a sketch show with a strong running narrative. It is a parody of a heist movie, with all roles performed by the duo. Jim, an East End gangster, is planning one last job with his old team. As Jim calls his colleagues, we are introduced to a fabulous array of hilarious characters, such as the camp Graham, who now works in HR, Lavinia, an expert hacker who has a past in awful B-movies and The Architect, a bumbling drunk, whose ideas are both outlandish and potentially life-threatening (a lift made out of money that turns into a firework, anyone?).
It’s a wonderful romp, and Max and Ivan embody each of their characters so well, there is never any confusion as to what is going on. It’s very, very impressive. They also create some mind-blowing special effects sequences, involving rollerblades and an aeroplane.
But above all, this show is absolutely hilarious. The jokes and physical comedy are relentless; these guys much either have bundles of energy or are taking some very heavy medication. It is a sketch show with a real difference; the running narrative is slick and very clever. They don’t underestimate their audience by throwing a barrage of genital-based jokes at them. They take them on a brilliant journey with some great characters. Fingers crossed there is another comedy award on the horizon for Max and Ivan.
Runs until 27th August
Edinburgh Fringe: Max and Ivan Are… Con Artists – Pleasance Courtyard,
Tags: Comedy, Edinburgh, Edinburgh Fringe, Fosters Edinburgh Comedy Award, Fringe, Ivan Gonzalez, Jessica Ransom, Max and Ivan, Max and Ivan are Con Artists, Max Olesker, Pleasance Courtyard, Sketch Comedy, Stand Up, The Wrestling
