B48Y Crash Lands On Earth! comedy review: High-camp absurdity
Lukas Meintjes plays an intergalactic interloper trying (and failing) to understand our earthly ways, in a show brimming with imaginative nonsense
B48Y crash-lands in Radelaide like a fabulous intergalactic mistake that plunges the audience into a world of absurdity. This kooky, silly show is bound to have you giggling as Lukas Meintjes brings the character to life with infectious physical comedy and charm.
Part-minion (there’s a hint of Despicable Me), part-gremlin, our crash-landed alien speaks in a cutesy, largely incomprehensible babble, yet somehow manages to converse, connect and engage with his earthly hosts. The gangly yellow creature with purple furry hair sets out to learn more about where he has landed, firing off a flurry of awkward and funny questions (aided by his trusty phallic translator device) along the way. Sudden interludes of drag songs and dance bring moments of utter campy craziness as our earthly hosts are required to help B48Y recreate a ‘look’ from RuPaul, with B48Y getting helped by some gracious earth-beings.
Holding an audience’s attention with almost no understandable spoken language is no small feat: Meintjes pulls it off through expressive movement, timing and audience interaction. While there are moments where the comedy feels slightly forced, the overall experience is joyful chaotic nonsense.
B48Y Crash Lands On Earth! continues at Cubby House at Arthur Arthouse until March 22.