Cool New Planet!! is a comedy sketch show written and performed by comedy duo Spooky Dookie. The pair are Claire McFadden and Maureen Monahan, who have a large pile of comedy script writing credits between them. The show hangs on a loose premise that a keen and ambitious pair of aliens are trying to crowdfund resources to build their dream project, a planet that sounds a lot like our own. This sketch (and some others) are the bridging skits that hold together what is essentially a grab-bag of ideas and skits that really don’t fit anywhere else.
We start with high school and then roll on to scenario after scenario. It stays weird for as long as it can, circling around relatable when it needs to draw the audience in. This is very much a showcase and as such caters to lots of different approaches to comedy. There are callbacks and recurring characters, moments of what is essentially stand-up and some physical / prop based gags. It’s very American, as you’d expect, and an international audience might find a few more duds here than a solely USA-based crowd.
McFadden’s character work is particularly good; the selfish boyfriend is particularly savage and funny both in terms of shock but also silliness. Monahan is charismatic and charming throughout. Both go for the funny bone quickly and cleanly. This is excellent talent on display and shows like this is why we come to Fringe. Spooky Dookie are a comedy powerhouse.
Its biggest issue is that it’s a bit of a curate’s egg. The show has spooky moments. It has dookie moments. It is well named. The framing device doesn’t scoop up all the skits into something that feels like one thing; this is instead a showreel of really cool ideas that don’t feel like they belong side-by-side. Still, you come out of this show promising yourself that you’ll come back and see more. A solid show let down by its theme.
