Pleasance Theatre – until 21 August 2021
4****
Reviewed by Claire Roderick
Billed as part poetry, part stand-up, part gig, Moist, Moist, Moist is a charmingly chaotic show that you can’t help but love. After listening to me rave about the show, my friend told me it sounds like Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse Go Fishing – The Teenage Years. Which I suppose is quite accurate on the surface – two friends sharing surreal comic riffs, ridiculous skits and songs alongside deeply emotional explorations of life and love.
Chris White’s poetry about the queer experience and falling in love takes the sea metaphor and stretches it until it breaks with a knowing glee in the funniest parts of the performance. With a set that looks like the themed play area in a nursery (and looks like 30 children have run riot in it all day by the end of the show) – a paddling pool and inflatable fish take centre stage – and a panto-style singalong, there are moments when you’re not sure if anybody in the room knows what’ll happen next, but that is the joy of this performance.
Chris White and Hal Kelly are a great double act, with Kelly accompanying White’s “singing” live. White talks about growing up far from the sea and about first going to gay clubs, Grindr hook-ups, and relationships using the language of the ocean to describe the emotions and sensations of love and sex. While he lays the metaphors on thick in jokier sections there are some quieter sequences of poetry that capture the essence of love beautifully. After reeling the audience in with his irresistible charm, the revelations of the last 5 minutes hit hard, but White and Kelly end the show with hope and love – and an absurdly silly joke.
This fantastic, funny show only has a short run, so grab a ticket while you can before Chris and his paddling pool get back on the Exeter train.