Presented by Francesca Moody Productions and Fiery Entertainment in association with MILKE
Review by Harri Dimdore-Miles
Gary Starr rotates in his armchair, dressed to the nines top hat and tailcoat, smoking an old-fashioned pipe. He turns 180 to reveal – his penis. The crowd goes wild. Australian performer Damien Warren-Smith brings the beloved ‘Classic Penguins’ back to the Fringe for 2026.
I’m certain there were others among the audience who were sceptical in the first ten minutes of this show. It seemed that the presence of Gary Starr’s penis was going to be central to the comedy as he swung it to and fro, exposed his bum crack and generally paraded his male form around the audience and stage. However, as the show progressed the sincere talent and warmth of Gary Starr emerged in the most endearing and uplifting manner. He rolls through penguin classics projecting their covers live onto the screen as he acts out miniature scenes or gags reflecting their title or plot – penis still out. The premise is brilliant and provides the perfect framework for an hour or so of ecstatic clowning and ‘play’ as Starr calls it.
As a performer he is an obvious veteran. He is multidisciplined– a naturally charismatic comedian and clown, a respectable vocalist and a very decent gymnast too. All of this makes Warren-Smith’s ‘Classic Penguins’ the ultimate late-night entertainment. The audience get to feast on such an assortment of different high-quality forms of entertainment. The show really lets us regress in the fullest sense and embrace all childlike absurdity. Nudity, food fights, long embraces, dancing – it is play time and everyone is welcome to join. However unlike a childrens playground, ‘Classic Penguins’ is by no means scattered or messy. It is a tight, full of smart word play, literary references, excellent production and perfectly timed call backs. The result is pleasing to all; from 18-year-olds to 70-year-olds, different genders and nationalities, this is true unadulterated fringe fun.
Some productions that use high amounts of audience participation can be slightly nauseating and frustrating when you’ve paid higher prices, but Starr has a way of making audience members efficient comical puppets and himself a piñata of fun. We are all helpers, but no one is given the chance to go rogue with the mic or the stage – they get their few directed minutes then the show moves seamlessly on. This strikes a wonderful balance of opening the crowd up and providing a background buzzing anticipation that you may join in, without making people too nervous or alternatively bored. The upshot – a very happy, energised and welcoming environment.
Warren–Smith has such a large reputation and cult like following that can almost make you enter a little guarded – accepting nothing but excellence to accept that he deserves the current mania. Yet he succeeds, he is nothing but excellent and neither I nor anyone around me was ready for the show to end. ‘Classic Penguins’ will go down as a Fringe classic.
A Fringe Classic
Garry Starr: Classic Penguins runs Venue 33, Grand at Pleasance Courtyard at 21:20
Running time – Seventy minutes
Review by Harri Dimdore-Miles (contact@corrblimey.uk)
Harri is a recent graduate from Edinburgh University where they studied Philosophy for four years. They are a drag artist and comedian who performs under the alias “Lord Sugar Daddy” and have been in the scene for just over two years. They love absurd character comedy, all things silly and camp. You can often find them in Paradise Palms or Leith Arches attending of participating in events like Fruit Salad and Bro Code. Further afield Harri was involve in the drag scene in Australia on her year abroad, where she brought her writing and performing to queer fundraisers, cabaret competitions and music festivals.
Harri has been a keen goer of the Fringe since she was just twelve years old and is particularly interested in this year’s drag kings, clowns and character comedians! That being said she believe that using comedy as a vessel to deliver bigger philosophical or political messages is the most powerful and disarming kind of theatre – so she’ll be searching for some more weighty productions too. Anything off beat, with sharp writing is her forte.
