Ted Walliker's one-man play Ron at Riverside Studios in London attempts to blend standup comedy with a violent, absurd narrative, but the ambitious concept struggles to cohere. The show, co-produced by Riverside Studios, follows bumbling posh-boy comedian Tony (played by Walliker) as his standup set spirals into a Tarantino-esque odyssey of crime and cannibalism.
A standup set derailed
The framing device of a comedy show is quickly abandoned. When Tony fails to get laughs, he adopts a tougher persona and recounts a grotesque story involving his best friend Mike, a McDonald's mistake, and a night of pulled-off faces and munched-up bones. The audience is hurled into a different play, with only occasional addresses to remind us it's meant to be a comedy set. The shift is jarring, leaving little incentive to explore the narrator's derangement.
Ambitious but unfocused
Walliker takes on multiple roles: writer, performer, co-director (with Lev Govorovski), set and costume designer, and lighting and sound operator. The most striking element is the extravagant set reveal, hinting at the story coming to life around Tony. Walliker is an assured performer, capturing the rhythm of standup, but the show lacks emotional depth. As the review notes, "the show would benefit from letting us feel what Tony’s running from, rather than just watching him run."
Details and impact
The play runs at Riverside Studios, London, until 5 July. Critics have noted its bold creativity but also its failure to connect with the audience. The narrative, filled with non sequiturs and a lack of consequences, includes kidnaps, gangsters, and cannibalism, with thinly written nods to unrequited love. The show's ambition is clear, but the lack of character development undermines its impact.
