Teet – Dublin Fringe Festival – Review
by Fran Winston

Smock Alley Theatre as part of the Dublin Fringe Festival

15–18 September 21:30, 18 September 13:30, €15/€13

Written and performed by Belfast comedian Paul Currie, Teet’s inspiration comes from the idea that we are all still suckling on the Teet of Mother Nature. From this one core premise, Currie has created a comedic rollercoaster that jumps between topics at a frenetic pace. He bounces from The Muppet Show to mental health, gender identity to war and asparagus to cheese triangles without missing a beat. Although it may seem like he threw random ideas in a blender and hoped for the best, the common link between them soon becomes clear.

Along the way, he encourages the audience to engage in his ideas. There are several call and response sections and even a reenactment of a scene from The Never Ending Story. I can’t speak for other performances but on the night I attended the audience was completely up for it and even the enforced reduced capacity didn’t dampen their enthusiasm. At one point Currie comments that it’s great to see adults being silly and indeed it is, especially after the past 18 months.

This show was born during the lockdown and it definitely conveys the frustrations and nervous energy experienced by so many in that period. Currie utilises many well-known pop culture moments and music to forge connections with the audience before adding his own unique spin to it. He is also extremely engaging with enough energy to run a small town so it is impossible not to get sucked into his orbit.

Brilliantly bonkers but completely infectious, this is absurdist comedy at its best and a brilliant tonic after all the months of restrictions and misery.