Tennis

Once again, the Danish Showcase delights with its eclectic mix at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe and with an ever-increasing array of shows to choose from, picking the right one might prove mission impossible. Well! Look no further than TENNIS, one of this year’s undisputed highlights courtesy of Don Gnu Productions. Yes, DON McEnroe and Björn GNU face each other once again but be warned: it’s not tennis as you know it!

We’re talking 60 minutes of an action-packed and utterly bonkers tennis match in this quest for the true fighter spirit, during which our two anti-heroes not only engage with the audience in a refreshingly immersive way but demonstrate that tennis can be side-splittingly funny… if your names are Don McEnroe and Björn Gnu that is! Rewind to 1980 and re-live this legendary Wimbledon Final with an additional dose of slapstick comedy and groovy dance moves to 80’s beats, with Don and Björn locking horns as each of them tries to outdo the other with imaginary tennis balls (the synchronised ping pong sounds are spot on). We even get a Terminator-style tribute which needs to be seen to be believed – it almost brought the house down!

Don McEnroe and Björn Gnu might be adversaries on the makeshift tennis field but there’s little doubt that off stage, the two are in perfect harmony as their flawlessly executed choreography and highly dynamic interpretations demonstrate. In real life, their names are Jannik Elkær and Kristoffer Louis Andrup and they happen to be the artistic directors. Every move, regardless of how chaotic it might appear, is perfectly timed and emphasized with deadpan facial expressions and matching body language. Who would have thought that tennis could be that entertaining?

TENNIS runs until August 25th at Zoo Southside (14.30pm – 60 minutes) and tickets can be purchased via danishfringe.com

Photo by Emilia Theresa