Jazz Emu: You Shouldn’t Have – Soho Theatre
A screen cycles through a mixed bag of tweets sent to the mysterious Jazz Emu (Archie Henderson) as we wait for the show to begin. The elaborate, bright red set designed by Bonson Bonsonson JR matches his grandiosity and has a talk show feel. He parades out in a metallic emu helmet and begins a song about his proficiency and brilliance while his equipment malfunctions. Jazz emu’s eclectic character is like the result of putting a scientist, evil mastermind, superhero and a presenter in a blender. Henderson is a natural performer with his expressive darting eyes, an array of physicality and sharp comic timing directed by Adam Flynn.
We are welcomed into his existential, disco-like, jazz-emu-centred world where if he’s not thinking about himself, he’s wondering about how microwaves w...