by Ed Fortune
The Baron And The Junk Dealer is very much a mix of many worlds. It’s sit-com-style space fantasy mixed with a morality play that began life as a talk-show podcast. Namely, the George Lucas Talk Show, a popular podcast hosted by comedians Connor Ratliff and Griffin Newman, who take on the roles of George Lucas and Watto, respectively. They stay in character during these podcasts, occasionally breaking the fourth wall for a gag or two, interviewing other creators whilst trying to stay in character. It’s a fun gimmick.
The Baron And The Junk Dealer is a sci-fi comedy-drama featuring Ratliff and Newman. It sees a white-bearded, god-like alien and a blue-skinned bug-like alien stranded on a lost and mostly forgotten asteroid, and it’s set in a galaxy that is absolutely not far, far away or even a long time ago.
The main way you can tell it’s not connected to Star Wars is that it’s far, far funnier than anything in that franchise. It’s also strangely deep. It would be lazy to describe this as a geeky, space fantasy take on Waiting For Godot, but it’s a reasonable point of reference. This odd pairing of creatures, the aristocratic Baron and the repugnant Junk Dealer, works really well. Newman is especially sharp here, parrying Ratliff’s imperious wit with sarcasm and anger.
There are some easy-running gags throughout, and a few scenes that are pure sitcom silliness, as well a few Gilligan’s Island vibes that will mostly go over the heads of a UK audience and yet still be funny. This is a show produced by two people who have real chemistry and are comfortable taking risks with a narrative. They are a delight to watch on stage. Very funny and very smart, The Baron And The Junk Dealer will delight science fiction and comedy fans alike.
The Baron And The Junk Dealer is part of the Edinburgh Fringe until August 28th. You can book tickets here and find out more about the George Lucas Talk Show here.
