See this show if you’re looking for wholesome laughs, beyond clever writing and some hard truths that will break your heart (in a good way).
For a show that jokes about how mirrors are made, this show felt a lot like looking in the mirror. Any 24 - 38 year old in the audience will see themselves in Dan (Patrick McPherson) and wholeheartedly agree with his views on night clubs, unlikely animal friendships and, most importantly, the search for love.
Dan takes us on a walking tour of his past loves and lives and lies in a way that captures our hearts and minds and leaves us hanging on his every word - and then uses this trust against us in spectacular fashion.
This show is a combination of hilarity and silliness (read: songs about mayonnaise) tempered with reflection and commentary on what it means to be a young man. While the themes of love, self-discovery and sexuality are not new - the show feels like a point in time snapshot of the context surrounding love, self-discovery and sexuality as a ‘millennial’ and the deeply embedded behaviours we have as a result of being addicted to the internet, but snobby enough to think we’re too good for TikTok. This show is definitely one to take your best friend to, but maybe not your parents (unless they’re very hip).
The sights and sounds of Colossal are perfectly engineered and well-rehearsed which only goes to ensure you are completely engulfed for the one hour ride with McPherson to guide you along the way.
There are moments of intensity which are slightly extravagant compared to the beautiful simplicity of the rest of the narrative, but this can be overlooked.
It is no easy feat to put on a one-man show, but its deep relatability coupled with poetic prowess and tight production solidifies Colossal as a Fringe hit.