Pear But Braver | The Parlour | til Feb 18 | ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
In 2023, twin performers Patrick and Hugo McPherson brought their debut comedy collaboration Pear to Fringe World Festival.
The two-handed sketch comedy received rave reviews from many – including our contributing writer Kate Salinger-Hatter – but there was one particular review that really caught the boys’ attention. It wasn’t a scathing assessment by any stretch of the imagination. The pair had been accused of safe comedy by a poster on FringeFeed, who encouraged them to be ‘braver’.
And so, this year’s iteration of the show was born: Pear But Braver. In this hour of very silly sketch comedy, the brothers explore what makes a ‘brave’ show. Providing the audience with a comprehensive list of remedies to their comedy cowardice at the top of the show, Patrick and Hugo walk viewers through their agreed tactics in the hopes of presenting sixty minutes of courage-infused, really-made-you-think laughter.
Of course, this is all presented through thick, and completely transparent, layers of irony. These two are not interested in high-brow comedy. At least, not for this show. The very idea that someone expected them to be ‘brave’ for their frivolous Fringe World outing is laughable to these two funny fellas. Their decision to mine this short, seemingly innocuous review for content has really paid off.
Pear but Braver is one of the most laugh-out-loud hours of comedy I’ve experienced at Fringe World. Patrick and Hugo are obviously very excited to share the stage with their sibling, and their love of both comedy and working together is remarkably infectious.
Tied together by this ‘brave comedy’ concept, a series of sketches play out across the hour poking fun at the serious and sombre tropes adopted by some comedians in recent years, and the growing expectation for comedians to have something profound to say in every comedy special. No harrowing stories of trauma. No artistic reimagining of tried-and-true comedy aspects. This is a showcase of a comedy duo and their comedy talents – and there are a lot of good jokes. Good, clever, dumb, silly, hilarious jokes.
On this Tuesday preview night, it must be said there were a handful of technical flubs, forgotten lines and missed cues. Notably, though, Patrick and Hugo’s sharp talent and on-stage charm made it all feel like an intentional comedy of errors. In fact, if they told me it was, I’d believe them.
Pear but Braver feels a lot like a rowdy night in with a group of your best mates. Your funniest friends are doing bits on a makeshift mattress stage after a few too many beers. For days, weeks, months, even years – these gags have become integral to your circle’s vernacular, because that shared memory is just bursting with warmth and silliness and joy.
The show is a testament to the power of creative artists and performers who do what they love, on their terms. That’s pretty brave, really.
Pear but Braver is playing in The Pleasure Garden until Sunday 18 February. For more, head to fringeworld.com.au
Leigh Andrew Hill is an editor at OUTinPerth, with a BA from the University of Western Australia in Media Studies & Art History. Since 2005, Leigh has studied and practiced journalism, film-making, script-writing, language, contemporary performance and visual arts. Leigh has also been a freelancer writer, and producer and presenter on RTRFM 92.1.
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