REVIEW: Dirk Darrow NCSSI @ Ottawa Fringe 2012

Dirk Darrow’s on the case in this one man comedy film noir magic murder mystery.

Creator Tim Motley tells you why you should see it:

Trouble with the video? Watch directly on YouTube.

 

Dirk Darrow: NCSSI is a show about a hard boiled, private detective trying to solve a murder case. Dirk also possesses some paranormal and magical abilities that can help him to find the killer, but he needs the help of the audience.

Dirk Darrow: NCSSI is a one man variety show by Tim Motley, as it has a bit of comedy, magic and even, of all things, a modern take on a sword swallowing routine using razor blades. He uses his magical ability to find and predict the evidence that will help him find the killer. Using the audience in your show can make it unpredictable or at the very least differently to what you might expect, and you can get caught with your pants down. But Motley showed some real skill in playing with the audience. No matter what the situation he always had a quip or two. For instance, in one scene he asked an audience member to close their eyes and pick a random spot on the body of the victim, and when she pointed to spot that missed the body completely he was able to take it in stride.

The show is also very funny, as I mentioned, because Dirk Darrow seems to have a love of cheap jokes, visual gags and puns. The show is very funny and Motley takes great joy in playing off of the usual tropes and clichés of the private investigator. For instance, the show starts with a pre-recorded, tongue and cheek narration, a staple of the genre.

I was hoping for a good show when I saw Dirk Darrow: NCSSI, and thankfully, it didn’t disappoint. Dirk Darrow earns itself four out of five.

Kurt Shantz

About Kurt Shantz

Kurt Shantz is a Theatre and Scriptwriting graduate and an occasional Should You See It reviewer. He currently works as a warehouse clerk, but has big aspirations of someday achieving his dream of becoming a senior warehouse clerk. He's also been known to write on occasion.

Links to this article.

  1. [...] Review by Kurt, followup by Allan Dead Wrong Review by Matthew, followup by Kurt (pending) + VIDEO Dirk Darrow: NCSSI — Review by Kurt Don’t Make Me Zealous — Review by Matthew, followups by Allan [...]

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