No Die! Or: How I Left Amsterdam and Almost Died in Africa
Reviewed by Paul Copcutt
The vibe is well crafted comedy and worldly.
We all have a travel story we like to regale and amuse our friends with. Fedor Ikelaar has made sharing them a mission—and he may well be going for a Guinness World Record for performing stand-up in more countries than anyone else. This international exposure means his storytelling can relate to any audience.
While we may not have experienced the travel extremes that Fedor shares, his graphic descriptions, expressive facial features, and the occasional creative use of the onstage stool make us feel as if we are right there with him (or, perhaps, wishing we weren’t!).
While the content is definitely mature, it didn't rely on the common comedic default of using four-letter words for effect, which this patron highly appreciated. Because of that, the storytelling had to be much cleverer—and it was. The only minor disappointment was that the final callback felt a little weak. However, this might just be the unique nature of wrapping up a Fringe show while transitioning into the final pitch for audience word-of-mouth.
If you like stand-up comedy, this is a show to see. It’s tough to keep an audience genuinely engaged for a full hour, but overall Fedor’s timing and delivery ensures this succeeds.
Note: The venue's air conditioning was cranking. Halfway through, myself and a number of other patrons had to don sweaters and jackets, so prepare to dress warmly!
General Admission: $14
Age Suitability: Mature (ages 18+)
Warnings: Coarse Language
Venue: Mills Hardware
Genre: Theatre—Comedy, Storytelling/Solo Show
Writer & Performer
Fedor Ikelaar
