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Photo: James Ward Films

Lucky Maclean’s Festival in the Bin

Ben Whitehead – Theatre in the Bin

by Flora Gosling

Come help street sweep Lucky Maclean figure out what his show is. Part comedy, part walking tour, part theatre, Festival in the Bin is light-heartedly loose entertainment that mostly takes place outside the Blunderbus, followed by a trip to a couple of “meaningful places” nearby. Maclean himself, the creation of Wallace and Gromit voice actor Ben Whitehead, isn’t sure about what the show is about and seems to like it that way.

Although much of it is improvised based on the surroundings and attendees (be they ticket holders or curious onlookers), audiences can expect local and personal history, object comedy using rubbish, audience participation, and one scene of “extreme bloody violence” involving a bin bag and a snorkel. Lucky isn’t your typical showboating street performer, but he does make the most of his urban environment – drawing on what passers-by say and their reactions to his buffoonery. Sometimes it is nothing short of hilarious, other times it backfires, for instance, one stranger who believed Lucky was trying to publicly embarrass him. Indeed, if you are easily embarrassed, this is not the show for you. The interaction is never intended to humiliate, but it does require audiences set their dignity aside and are open to becoming theatrical lab rats as Lucky makes up fun, interactive gimmicks on the spot.

Lucky Maclean’s Festival in the Bin is very Fringe, both in the sense that is entirely a part and a product of the festival and in that it is an acquired taste that will appeal to very few people. For those who can get on board with Lucky’s unshakably good-natured character, it is an uncommonly close and gratifying performance. For those that can’t, the walking tour element means that there has never been an easier show to sneak out of unnoticed.

Three stars.