Edinburgh-Festivals.com, Monday 11th August, 2008
Review by Kate Copstick

Hot Show: Frank Woodley - Possessed


ASSEMBLY @ GEORGE STREET (VENUE 3)

SEEING a five star show is like falling in love at first sight, and Frank Woodley's Possessed is such a show. It is a comedy that will make you misty-eyed; a love story told partly in slapstick. It is dramatic and silly, ridiculous and poignant. Woodley is an extraordinary, spellbinding performer; it is quite simply impossible to take your eyes off him. Part clown, part acrobat, part character actor, part comic, he performs on a huge set that fills the stage of Assembly's Music Hall. He even plays guitar and sings.

I was never a huge fan of the old physical jerks and sound-effects stuff, but with Possessed, Woodley has taken the whole genre a step further. It is a story, told by an old seafarer with a wayward beard, a dodgy Italian accent, and a dire need of a Strepsil, about a man called Louis Winkleman. Louis lives in a rat-infested house, makes model ships, has a mother who thinks she is married to him and hasn't been outside in years. He is possessed by a dead Irishwoman called Phoebe with whom he eventually falls in love. This relationship is complicated by the fact that a) Phoebe is dead b) she is cursed and can't remember why and c) Woodley can't do an Irish accent to save his life. But somehow this show captivates you.

The writing is sweetly knowing, the plot line cleverly nuanced. There is knockabout silliness and impressive pratfalling, there is jeopardy, love, loss and even a masturbation gag. In moments where the fourth wall is demolished by some unexpected hiccup, Woodley is wonderfully funny. Peeking out of character, he creates a rapport with his audience that makes Adam Hills look like the speaking clock.