There is no doubt about it – Mark Maier is nuts! He professes that we all talk to inanimate objects, which may be true, but nobody else forms the in-depth conversations and relationships that Maier has done with pens, socks and illusive car keys.
Most of us would try and hide this sort of quirk from the world but Maier openly embraces it and delights in bounding about the stage, slipping in and out of various characters (his Germanic miniature Dashed is by far the best), retelling the story of his hyperactive childhood. The tales of nose whistling, manic colouring and his first forays into the turbulent world of dating are all delightful, hysterics-inducing affairs but Maier is as funny when he improvises around the disturbances that inevitably come with the Underbelly as he is with scripted material.
His style bears similarities to the likes of Eddie Izzard though it is safe to say that Maier has a style of his own – a enticing mix of storytelling and surrealist observation – that is a pure joy to behold. His boundless energy is invigorating and it is almost impossible not to get drawn into his weird, weird world.
Mark Maier is a definite breath of fresh air and undoubtedly one of the great finds of this year’s Fringe but you can’t help but wonder what would have happened if they had recognised ADHD when he was a kid…
5/5
Richard Biggs
