Foxdog Studios has been pushing the envelope in terms of technology and comedy for years now. The former IT consultancy shifted to comedy some time ago, and we’re very glad they did. We previously reviewed the last RoboBingo show back in 2023, and the new iteration keeps the same silly fun whilst continuing to be innovative.
Getting technology right on any stage is tough, especially when it comes to fringe shows. Getting it wrong and you either have an audience sitting around doing nothing, or worse, the energy of the show falls into a black pit, as computers are famously bad at improv. The genius of Foxdog is that it’s essentially a prop comedy show, but the props are just a bit more complicated.
Robo Bingo 2.0 is the second iteration of a show that isn’t really about robots or bingo. The audience is invited to use their phones to access a specialised webpage. From there, one can create a little cartoon avatar and also vote on things going on in the show. The audience will fiddle with this new toy, and much of the humour comes from that.
There is bingo, and the lack of excitement that bingo generates is part of the joke; every time things get a little stale, we return to trying to mark numbers on an electronic grid. At times chaotic whilst still being controlled, this is a very daft show, with audience integration rather than participation; you are part of the show, but only as much as you want to be.
It’s a surreal, well-balanced bit of comedy fun, hosted by two superb comedians with incredible improv chops and a very dry-seeming sense of British fun. A show you can enjoy again and again. Much like regular bingo, but without the gambling.
You can book tickets for the Edinburgh Fringe show here and learn more about Foxdog here.
