REVIEW: Forbidden City!

It’s part storytelling, part standup comedy. But it’s a 100% confident, professional, and engaging performance.

Ah, this is interesting. A filmed live performance — in front of an audience (back when that was allowed) — with crowd reactions. Palpable energy. This is good.

Martin Dockery is an interesting character; his rapid, almost manic-delivery packs a lot of storytelling into a relatively short amount of time. He’s savvy, too; he begins the performance by getting the audience on his side by giving a humble, self-deprecating peek behind the curtain. He shows us that he’s likable. We root for him. It’s good that he takes a minute to do that because once the show gets going, you gotta hold on for dear life. It’s wild but dynamic — finding the right “volume number” on my TV was a challenge.

FORBIDDEN CITY! is a story about a trip to China. That’s the spoiler-free recap. It’s part storytelling, part standup comedy. But it’s a 100% confident, professional, and engaging performance.

I liked it very much.

This year’s Cincinnati Fringe Festival is 100% online. Check out cincyfringe.com for all the details!