Written by Jack Parris
Review by Moyra Jones
You walk in, receive a lanyard, and are welcomed to the panel. On stage, two desks are set up where Adam Boothroyd and Mike Coxhead boredly play instruments behind their computers. It’s the perfect set-up to lay down the kind of absurd energy of the next hour.
The story follows Ben Weaver, played by Jack Parris (also the writer), who picks up the dead Ben Manager’s lanyard and begins a doomed ascent up the corporate ladder – only to discover it’s nothing like he imagined. A running gag threads through the dialogue: no one really knows what they’re doing, or even what they’re talking about. Targets and KPIs are mentioned, but to what end? On a call with his mother, Ben blurts out: “I’m responsible for… I’m just responsible now!”.
It is a sharp pastiche of modern working life and its big, unanswerable question: what are we all doing here? It feels a bit like if Life of Brian was set in an office and called Ben, not Brian.
Bunkum, known for their musicality and physical storytelling, marry the two well in this production with precise movement and beautifully integrated live sound design from Boothroyd and Coxhead. The addition of puppet colleague Derp (operated by Teele Uustani) adds another layer of wit and strangeness.
The production leans into the surreal – it’s fun, philosophical, and ultimately dark. While the descent into chaos doesn’t completely land as powerfully as it might the concept remains fascinating, with plenty of inventive and surprising elements.
Clever, playful, and thought-provoking – it’s a show well worth watching this fringe.
Clever and Playful
The Rise of Ben Manager runs at Pleasance Courtyard
Running time: Sixty minutes without interval
Review by Moyra Jones (contact@corrblimey.uk)
This gander prefers a little privacy
