Joseph Morpurgo: Highlander 70 comedy review – Lovingly detailed whimsy
Songs, jokes and audience participation make Morpurgo’s story of his youth an inimitable delight
A word of warning for prospective audience members: Highlander 70 has nothing to do with the 1986 fantasy film or the four-cylinder Toyota SUV of the same name. It’s a show revolving around characters Joseph Morpurgo has cooked up from a school yearbook he found at a car boot sale a decade ago. Highlander is the inexplicable name of a Virginian high school; 70 is the year of the graduating class this show lovingly brings to life.
The Pleasance Forth, with its semi-thrust school assembly hall feel, is the perfect setting to be immersed in Morpurgo’s bildungsroman. From the moment you step inside, you’re no longer a Fringe punter; you’re a Virginian adolescent belting out the old school song. As David Moon, a lovelorn, risk-averse graduand and the show’s protagonist, Morpurgo guides you through all the well-worn tropes of an American high school dramedy. Think John Hughes with additional whimsy.
The hour’s charm comes from Morpurgo’s painstaking attention to detail. A key component is a screen constantly running through images from the Highlander 70 yearbook. Morpurgo blends wry observations with ingeniously concocted personas to bring each character to life. By the end, you’re genuinely invested in these people and you’ll likely want to spend hours on in-depth Google searches to discover what happened to them. Highlander 70 is an ultra-slick production with real heart. Though there might not be quite as many laugh-out-loud moments as some shows at the Fringe, Morpurgo’s inimitable blend of songs, audience participation and storytelling make this one of the Fringe’s most unique hours.
Joseph Morpurgo: Highlander 70, Pleasance Courtyard, 20–30 August, 7pm.