Scout Boxall: God’s Favourite comedy review – Frantic, immersive mania
A masterful storyteller, Scout Boxall tranforms a night of trauma and hysteria into a darkly comedic exploration of bipolar disorder
Scout Boxall is an Aussie comedian with a glorious ginger mullet and a harrowing story to tell about a live action roleplay event gone wrong. On their Fringe debut, Boxall tells all about the worst evening of their life, in which they found themselves stranded at a wedding in rural Australia with no access to their medication.
Seroquel is an antipsychotic prescription drug. Boxall has been taking it for 12 years, militantly administering a 250mg dose every day since they were first prescribed it aged 17 to treat their bipolar disorder. It’s no wonder then that they began to panic upon realising late in the night, and with no access to a pharmacy, that they had left their supply at home in Melbourne.
A slow descent into hysteria follows and Boxall, dressed in a 1940s tunic, does an exceptional job of transporting the audience out of a shipping container and into their flustered brain. Using niche references and a neatly organised multimedia production, Boxall’s work rests in the margins between stand-up and theatre, demonstrating a gift for storytelling in doing so. They’re very generous in sharing intimate details and transform a downbeat premise into a hysterical, gripping hour.
Scout Boxall: God’s Favourite, Assembly George Square, until 30 August, 4.20pm; picture: Nick Robertson.