graham clark
Graham Clark Reads the Phone Book, which plays until July 12th as part of the Toronto Fringe Festival, proves that Clark can take something that not only has been the definition of boring for decades, but is also almost entirely antiquated, and use it as the muse to create a genuinely funny and strange piece of theatre.
It cost Graham Clark five bucks at a pizza place to acquire his Vancouver phone book. He begins by explaining to us how this show came about, and reading and then taking us through the pages, riffing on whatever he comes across, from 911 to knife machines. There are some stories that are obviously well researched, in attempt to dazzle us with his knowledge of telephone book anecdotes, but most is more casual, as the audience is given the chance to choose a letter of the alphabet and Clark goes through that section, finding jokes as the entries catch his eye.
This is, of course, all a testament to Clark as a captivating, silly and inventive performer. The phone book has never been so much fun!
TWISI FRINGE RATING:
Graham Clark Reads the Phone Book plays at the Factory Theatre Studio (125 Bathurst Street) as part of the Toronto Fringe Festival at the following times:
